What is this first-generation carphone? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

G6Tanuki · 19th Jan 2017, 6:24 pm

Se http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...-car-phone-uk/

What's the radio shown in the photo??

Bazz4CQJ · 19th Jan 2017, 7:08 pm

Is it a remote box for an early Pye Ranger?

The tapered knobs and the cut outs at the speaker front look that way.

B

sentinel040 · 19th Jan 2017, 8:14 pm

I would concur that that is a Pye Ranger control box, which would be right for the period as the first generation radio-phone service started in Lancashire in 1959. When it started in London, that service used the LC10FM variant of the Cambridge.
73
Ian

G6Tanuki · 19th Jan 2017, 8:22 pm

Thanks for the info: that series of Pye stuff seems to have passed me by; I'm more familiar with the "10"-series AM/FM Cambridges and the "25" through "100" Vanguards as well as some of the very-early PTC stuff [with the TT15 double-beam-tetrode on a B9G base, and rotary-converter for the TX HT]

Tom_I · 19th Jan 2017, 8:36 pm

A picture of a Pye Ranger 6-channel remote unit as used in the 1959 GPO radio telephone service in Lancashire. There would also have been a large box of electronics in the boot of the car. The six channels meant that only six calls could be in progress at the same time in the whole system, but I suppose it was a start, and things have certainly moved on.

Bazz4CQJ · 19th Jan 2017, 9:03 pm

Yep, they went out of sight just before the Cambridge era, but I recall working on one for a friend and dismantling the control box. That front plate was made of brass sheet and I used the bit from in front of the speaker just recently (after ~45 years

) to mount a fan inside a scope, which is what brought it to mind.

B

Panrock · 20th Jan 2017, 5:42 pm

What frequencies were used?

G6Tanuki · 20th Jan 2017, 6:38 pm

The old "System 3" and the later pseudo-STD "System 4" Post office mobile service used VHF high-band (148-174MHz) - I have a couple of "Long chassis" Pye Westminsters here, the extended chassis being to accommodate the digital channel-allocation gubbins.

Prior to this, it appears that the first [not available to the general public] gear used what was to become VHF TV "Band III" - seems the Duke of Edinburgh had been using a mobile-radio fitted in his Lagonda, on what were then Admiralty frequencies.

See https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...epage&q&f=true and scroll back a bit.

I'd be intrigued to know exactly what radio the DoE was using!

19th Jan 2017, 6:24 pm	#1
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,995	What is this first-generation carphone? Se http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...-car-phone-uk/ What's the radio shown in the photo??

19th Jan 2017, 7:08 pm	#2
Bazz4CQJ Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxfordshire, UK. Posts: 4,934	Re: What is this first-generation carphone? Is it a remote box for an early Pye Ranger? The tapered knobs and the cut outs at the speaker front look that way. B __________________ Saturn V had 6 million pounds of fuel. It would take thirty thousand strong men to lift it an inch.

19th Jan 2017, 8:14 pm	#3
sentinel040 Hexode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Near Lichfield, Staffordshire, UK, most of the time and Crystal Palace, S London, some of the time.. Posts: 330	Re: What is this first-generation carphone? I would concur that that is a Pye Ranger control box, which would be right for the period as the first generation radio-phone service started in Lancashire in 1959. When it started in London, that service used the LC10FM variant of the Cambridge. 73 Ian

19th Jan 2017, 8:22 pm	#4
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,995	Re: What is this first-generation carphone? Thanks for the info: that series of Pye stuff seems to have passed me by; I'm more familiar with the "10"-series AM/FM Cambridges and the "25" through "100" Vanguards as well as some of the very-early PTC stuff [with the TT15 double-beam-tetrode on a B9G base, and rotary-converter for the TX HT]

19th Jan 2017, 8:36 pm	#5
Tom_I Heptode Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: North Herts. UK. Posts: 549	Re: What is this first-generation carphone? A picture of a Pye Ranger 6-channel remote unit as used in the 1959 GPO radio telephone service in Lancashire. There would also have been a large box of electronics in the boot of the car. The six channels meant that only six calls could be in progress at the same time in the whole system, but I suppose it was a start, and things have certainly moved on. Attached Thumbnails

19th Jan 2017, 9:03 pm	#6
Bazz4CQJ Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Oxfordshire, UK. Posts: 4,934	Re: What is this first-generation carphone? Yep, they went out of sight just before the Cambridge era, but I recall working on one for a friend and dismantling the control box. That front plate was made of brass sheet and I used the bit from in front of the speaker just recently (after ~45 years ) to mount a fan inside a scope, which is what brought it to mind. B __________________ Saturn V had 6 million pounds of fuel. It would take thirty thousand strong men to lift it an inch.

20th Jan 2017, 5:42 pm	#7
Panrock Nonode Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 2,532	Re: What is this first-generation carphone? What frequencies were used? __________________ https://www.radiocraft.co.uk

20th Jan 2017, 6:38 pm	#8
G6Tanuki Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Wiltshire, UK. Posts: 13,995	Re: What is this first-generation carphone? The old "System 3" and the later pseudo-STD "System 4" Post office mobile service used VHF high-band (148-174MHz) - I have a couple of "Long chassis" Pye Westminsters here, the extended chassis being to accommodate the digital channel-allocation gubbins. Prior to this, it appears that the first [not available to the general public] gear used what was to become VHF TV "Band III" - seems the Duke of Edinburgh had been using a mobile-radio fitted in his Lagonda, on what were then Admiralty frequencies. See https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...epage&q&f=true and scroll back a bit. I'd be intrigued to know exactly what radio the DoE was using!