Hi all,

I was watching a video about a fellow Aussie's vintage television collection on Youtube, but spat tea all over my monitor when I saw one of his televisions. At first glance, it appears to be an earlier generation burgundy AWA P1 portable, using an 11TP4 CRT. However, when I looked closer, it was a Westinghouse! I have heard that AWA re-badged sets for Westinghouse, but this is the first re-badged AWA P1 I have ever seen, let alone heard of. Any thought anyone?

It's around the 1:19 mark on this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lwANVJl-vo&feature=player_embedded.

AWA made a lot of rebadged equipment going right back to around 1932 when they built Australia's first Bakelite radio, the C87 Radiolette, which was also available with a GE badge. Later Radiolettes carried the AGE badge when GE set up larger Australian operations.

AWA also made equipment for other manufacturers on the quiet so there'd be lots of AWA gear out there with the badge and full details of the badge's owner on the set.

Email manufactured goods under numerous licences from Westinghouse and also made their own radios under the Airzone brand. I think the 1960s and 1970s were times of rationalisation though which is probably why the Airzone brand faded away and AWA ended up making Westinghouse-branded gear. Another factor was the cost of setting up plant to mass-produce televisions - many successful radio manufacturers wilted like pansies in desert heat at even the thought of making tellys. Even the mighty AWA enlisted help from Thorn and eventually acquired the right to use their name in Australia too.

I just saw the video. He's not doing himself many favours by keeping all those tellys in his old man's side lane. They'll fill up with ant nests licketty split.

Hi Brad,

Thank you for uploading the photo! I've seen a few other re-badged AWA sets around, but never knew a re-badged P1 existed!

I'm surprised these sets aren't water-damaged and faded from the sun, after being stored outside. That's a big "no no" in my books.

Chris

All those with light coloured plastic will eventually just become brittle due to the UV light and when he goes to pick them up they will fall apart in his hands. PVC and similar plastics are quite unstable when in a light colour. This is why the cable connecting buildings to the electricity wires in the street are black and the ones hidden in roofs and walls are white.

Oddly, he leaves the complete but unrestored sets outside whilst taking better care of the shells he's converted to photo frames.

QUOTE: Brad: Later Radiolettes carried the AGE badge when GE set up larger Australian operations.

At least he has saved and collated a bunch of CRT TVs. Now many with those leaded glass CRTs need to be correctly recycled.

I posted mine here- see post 11 photos-

http://vintage-radio.com.au/default.asp?f=6&th=88.