Philips Electronic Engineer Kits Starter for You?

[Cobaltblue]

Hi Terry I would be interested in seeing the Radionic Superhet pictures

[Valvepower]

Hi Cobaltblue,

As promised I’ve attached some photos of the Radioinc Superhet radio. This circuit was not dissimilar to the Mullard circuit from the 60’s, using I think were Weyrad Coils.

Terry.

[Cobaltblue]

Hi Terry they do look like Weyrads. It looks like a pretty typical early 60's radio apart from the presets used in the neutralisation in the IF's . Its a very nice kit I am guessing it works very well. Thanks for the pictures

[radiozero]

I was interested in electricity before I got my EE8, bought as a Christmas present 1966. I remember Morning Town Ride by the Seekers was on the radio at the time. Also, seem to connect Green, Green grass of Home, by Tom Jones with my kit.

I was too eager to get on with things to read instructions:Tried to use rubber grommets as tie points, using split pins to hold grommets in holes and wrap component wires around grommet. I promptly broke a wire of the LDR on Christmas day. Then I built the two transistor radio, but ended up blowing up a capacitor (Radio did not work, so put more volts to it!) I just placed any resistor in place, Not yet discovered resistor colour code. I was 9 at the time. Eventually thought I better read instruction book.

Loved the radio. Later got EE2003. Built some high-gain audio amplifier and promptly discovered ham radio. Local ham on 2m AM beamed right into my house, and of course 1st AF transistor acted as a detector.

I have now a few EEs, some Noreloco, which was what brand they were in the US.

[Junk Box Nick]

I was at junior school and had already taken a discarded radio to pieces when I discovered that another lad at school had one of these kits.

My parents bought me an EE8 with an A20 (the shop had sold out of EE20s) in 1966 as an 'early' birthday present and I was under strict instructions not to expect much when my birthday finally arrived later in the year. For an ordinary working man with a wife at home this must have been quite an outlay but I think my parents thought this interest was worth encouraging.

The first thing I built was the one transistor radio which I got working with little problem - the transistor in this kit was an AF116. Dad put up a wire aerial and I had a go winding a coil for the 'trawler band'. In those days the Light Programme was on 1500m so I saved my pocket money and bought the Long Wave kit so that I could hear some pop music radio. Unfortunately the receiver wasn't sensitive enough to hear any of the pirate stations.

I made many of the projects but my favourites were the radios, intercom and electronic organ. The beauty of these kits was that the projects worked pretty much from the off and if they didn't it was a case of tracking down what I'd done wrong.

A couple of years later Dad bought me a subscription to Practical Wireless and now armed with a soldering iron I tried making some of the projects with more mixed results. Inevitably some of the EE parts were raided for these.

The radio wasn't very selective or sensitive but what amazed me about it was how it worked so well without an aerial. The three transistor version provided plenty of sound to the speaker at the cost of some distortion. Other designs I had made seemed to require an aerial and earphone and using lots of regen were inherently unstable.

As a teenager at senior school we hankered after a radio to play at lunch time. Radio 1 was now available on MW but it wasn't that common for kids to have their own radio, let alone be allowed to bring one to school - and so, using the coil and speaker, I made a compact copy of the three transistor set housed in a wooden box and powered by a PP9. Also, I rather thought the girls would be impressed by my technical prowess but I was sorely mistaken.

These were marvellous kits. I still say the EE kit was probably the best present I ever had. I don't know if there is an equivalent today but no doubt it would all seem far too primitive to modern youngsters with computers, mobile phones and games consoles. Ours was more an age of discovery - we were the Meccano and chemistry set generation - technology was still simple enough to achieve real results by our own hands.

Ultimately my career path went a in different direction but I have retained the interest down the years.

[G8VSU_glyn]

Hi to everyone,
This is my first forum 'dabble' but it came about due to a google search on the 'Radionic Set No4' search.
It picked up the comments from Valvepower member Terry, and showed that you have built the Superhet radio and published the images.
Well, I have the same kit. Just like I had as a lad, but to my horror the last (and best) circuit card is missing, yes it's the Superhet!

I would very much like a copy of the circuit if possible. It will give me a nice warm felling inside to remake it and I need to share the future excitement with my grandson.
Regards
Glyn

[jamesgarvin54]

Hi Glyn - delighted to find another set 4 owner. I am fascinated with mine which I bought from Home Radio around 1972. As you say it was a 60s Mullard design with Weyrad IFTs. I would like to build a 70s superhet based on the Fidelity Rad 12. Also one with Denco parts and other designs. The parts can be mounted on little PCBs.

[frankje]

Hi all,

I've just discovered your forum. Since I was a kid, I was bitten by the radio virus and soon enough I got a Tandy 65in1 kit. My cousin got the Philips EE2003 and I loved the way the circuit was build up. Together we tried several improvements on the reflex and super regenerative receivers. We were around 16 years old then.

A few years ago, I found a EE2000 kit on a sale-out. This kit was the compilation of all EE kits, except the television. You could build also a superhet receiver for SW, MW and LW reception.
Later on, I discovered the Busch kits (they are still available) and build a MW superhet receiver by constructing own electronic blocks. More of this can be found here : http://users.telenet.be/synthedmind/home.htm

It was a true start for my electronics career and I have cheerful memories of the Philips kits.

[Valvepower]

Hi Glyn,

Hopefully you’ll receive this post. I did look at sending a PM but looking at your contact options it appears I can’t send you a PM.

I’ve just found your post from June 2011. I have to be honest it sometimes gets tricky to track the posts and one falls under the radar so to speak and this was one of them .

You said in your post that you wanted a copy of the Radionic set 4 superhet circuit layout and I’m more than happy to scan the one I have here and email it to you or post it on the forum.

Regards
Terry.

Originally Posted by G8VSU_glyn

Hi to everyone,
This is my first forum 'dabble' but it came about due to a google search on the 'Radionic Set No4' search.
It picked up the comments from Valvepower member Terry, and showed that you have built the Superhet radio and published the images.
Well, I have the same kit. Just like I had as a lad, but to my horror the last (and best) circuit card is missing, yes it's the Superhet!

I would very much like a copy of the circuit if possible. It will give me a nice warm felling inside to remake it and I need to share the future excitement with my grandson.
Regards
Glyn

[radiozero]

Another thing: That picture used on the boxes I thought was brilliant.

Of course, it's got a portion blanked out (which is covered with "Philips Electronic Engineer").

It was drawn by "Pot", but I don't think the original (and complete) picture is available.

[Cobaltblue]

Hi Zero The picture as you quite rightly say is brilliant on so many levels.

I use it as my avatar on the VRAT forum.

It evokes a suggestion of cutting edge technology for a start.

And the clothing and hairstyle is all of the time.

The boy in the street transplanted into the world of high tech by a handfull of componenets,

I think many would be interested to know if the full artwork exists.

Enjoy

Mike T

[radiozero]

I wonder if it's worth contacting Philips and trying to get them to locate the original. Say to them there's a whole bunch who think it's brilliant and who would like to see the original drawing and a bit of a history of how that drawing came about.

[radiozero]

I contacted Philips Company Archives who said:

"The drawing of the Philips 'Electronic Engineer' kits was from Willy Pot an advertising designer with his own studio. He was not employed at Philips but worked for Philips (see also http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Pot). We do not have information how the drawing came about and unfortunately originals are not available.

I am afraid I cannot help you further."

Also see:

http://phr.franswilbrink.nl/pot.htm

[Station X]

Originally Posted by Valvepower

Hopefully you’ll receive this post. I did look at sending a PM but looking at your contact options it appears I can’t send you a PM.

I've enabled PMs for G8VSU glyn.

[Valvepower]

Hi,

Many thanks for that. I’ll send him a PM regarding the layout.

Regards
Terry.

Originally Posted by Station X

I've enabled PMs for G8VSU glyn.

[Valvepower]

Hi Graham,

Made contact with G8VSU Glyn and I’ve scanned and sent him the relevant info, which he’s received and all’s well.

Terry.

Originally Posted by Station X

I've enabled PMs for G8VSU glyn.

[timewave]

Hello All

Reading this thread has spurred me on to dig out the remains of my EE8 kit and A20 add on kit. As you can see it's not pretty,but I think it might be a restoration project for the future.I'm not sure which category it would go in though.
The OA79 is broken clean in half and the LDR is missing.The AF116 has got whiskers on the outside!!
I know that some of the components are in a Morse practice oscillator which is in the attic at my parents house.The ferrite rod is in use as a matching transformer at the moment.

The LDR in my kit was not like the encapsulated ones shown in a previous post.I recall that it was grey in colour with wavey lines across it,had a glazed surface and was very thin and delicate.I remember one lead fell off really close to the body.

Whilst looking through the layout cards I noticed that the gramophone amplifiers were never used simply because we didn't have a turntable.Dad always liked to use an Elizabethan tape recorder.I think I still have The Sound of Music sound track and Sergeant Pepper prerecorded tapes somewhere!

The instruction manual was excellent and is still a good read.The only problem was that it was two separate books within a single cover which eventually split horizontally.Impossible to avoid with the amount of use it had.

These Christmas presents, bought for me in consecutive years in the '60s, set me on a road along which I am still travelling.I have my parents forethought and encouragement to thank for that.
Oh,and Philips obviously.

John

[Cobaltblue]

Hi John

I think your Philips kits are in the correct condition.

The ones that stayed immaculate taught their owners pretty much nothing!

I used nearly all the parts in later projects.

I have bought replacements to re live my youth!

Strangely the resistors used don't turn up in exactly the same form even in Philips products very often.

But steady on thanking Philips and your parent for putting you on the path of hard work and poverty.

You could have been a Banker

Enjoy

Mike T

[Ady-807]

Thank you to all contributors to this thread. I've been smiling for the last hour whilst reading it and following links.

Very nostalgic of a wonderful Christmas when I received an EE8 as my main present in 1966 - and the start of a great hobby.

I still say "uffs" instead of "microFarads".

[radiozero]

Yes, same year for me. Seekers "Morningtown Ride" was on the radio I think. And I have in my memory "Green Green Grass of Home" by Tom Jones. All about the time I had my EE kit.