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Old 23rd Jan 2014, 7:15 pm   #65
Omegaman
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 250
Default Re: Technology related anachronisms on TV and in films etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skywave View Post
Yup: noticed that. I've also seen the radio operator back at the station receiving those VHF transmissions - on a Trio 9R59 short-wave comms. receiver! Surely they could have found a Pye base station somewhere, (even if it was just an empty case), or failing that, knock up a 'look alike'?
The company my Wife owned used to supply a lot of radio related props to YTV. We offered to give them a correct period base station on a number of occasions but they declined.
The Trio was doctored by me for a scene in one of the last episodes when the police station was 'hi-jacked' by a criminal. The radio was to be knocked to the floor and smashed exposing masses of internal wiring and loose valves which would be stamped on and broken. The production assistant insisted on having enough wire to cable a telephone exchange exposed and several large coke bottle valves (actually GZ37s) to spill out. This was despite my protests that it would be totally wrong and the valves wouldn't actually fit inside the radio's cabinet!! Oh well....
I still have the mains transformer from the Trio somewhere after removing it for more room.

On another occasion YTV were making a docu-drama about the Yorkshire Ripper and approached us for the 'correct period' (Their words) radios for the police officers. We provided a quantity of the correct Burndept BE470s that were used in West Yorks. at the time. When the programme actually aired our radios had miraculously transformed into a random collection of Pye Bantams and ex. Metropolitan police Stornos....

Artistic licence, I suppose!
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