Hi Mal
This sounds similar to a set my father had when I was small (My
D.O.B 1943). I think it was known as a "picnic portable". There should be space
for a 2 Volt accumulator (glass jar approx 2.5ins x 2.5ins x (maybe 7 or 8 ins
tall) and a rectangular pack containing a large number of carbon/zinc cells in
series for HT. The speaker might have a fairly large diameter voice coil with a
crude and skeletal magnet assy. I think my father's was covered in a sort of
imitation leather material which was based on a woven canvas type cloth. All I
can remember is that it sat around for years until I got interested in radio and
then got butchered (by me) in some ignorance. (by which time my dad had a little
cream coloured Braun portable and i had a little Pye portable with a "posh"
chrome finish panel and frame antenna in the lid using a combined 90/1.5Volt
battery which (with a bit of tinkering) was persuaded to "discover" something
called "Top Band" near Radio Luxembourg one evening! Having shortly afterwards
found something called "forty metres" on the domestic mains radiogram (a
"Defiant" which I think came from either the NAAFI or the COOP) and then
attempted to "rebuild" a birthday present crystal set to make it do the same I
was pursuaded to indulge the next almost 50 years following a hobby which has
involved incredible efforts to communicate with other like-minded beings both
world-wide and just down the road which the youth of today take for granted on
their mobile phones. I mean just who needs packet, Rtty, SSTV, Amtor, FSTV,
satellites etc etc etc?
D'ye reckon I could get them to issue me with G4FOGY ?
Mal, it sounds a real collector's item. Nurture and cherish it. The way
things are going our hobby is heading the same way! A guy on 80 metres recently
was saying that he thought the CW filter in his new rig was useless because it
didnt get rid of "morse interference" to the net he was in!
I only keep doing radio 'cos my fingers are too old to learn
knitting!
73 de Pat g4gvw
