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Old 8th Feb 2023, 11:41 am   #1
stevehertz
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Default Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

I realise than many members of the forum worked as outside service and repair engineers, but are there any amongst us who working inside a radio/TV manufacturers, perhaps assembling, testing, or in-house servicing? What did you do? What models did you work on?
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Old 8th Feb 2023, 12:14 pm   #2
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Can’t help with your question but if you get chance to visit Southend this year there is this.
https://www.southend.gov.uk/news/art...want-your-help
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Old 8th Feb 2023, 12:54 pm   #3
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Not a lot of interest but I worked during my gap year '70-'71 in the PCB dept at ITT-KB in Ponswood Industrial Estate, St Leonards. I learned a bit about screen printing and making up the screens (steel box section frame with stainless steel mesh for the high volume boards) using a room sized camera and photosensitive resists.
I also learned a lot about boring repetitive work, the worst job in the department was feeding the etching machine- each (sometimes many small PCBs in a step repeat pattern) board had to be visually inspected for etch resist screen print defects and touched up by hand if necessary before it went in. You couldn't even daydream which made running a screen printer (blank onto registration pegs on vacuum plate, hands out, push button for print cycle, prise board off vacuum plate with stub of hacksaw blade wrapped in insulating tape for a handle (this was much quicker than turning off the vacuum to remove one board and place the next), place printed board on trolley rack, repeat......)

One set I vaguely remember boards for was the CVC-5 I think. There were boards for various other TVs and record players etc too.
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Old 8th Feb 2023, 2:04 pm   #4
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

I too did a stint in a PCB department. The silk screening we did used wooden frames with 'nylon stocking' material stretched across and we used a squeegee thing to force the paint through the nylon onto the object. The production technician was forever messing with the flow soldering machine as it was always playing up in some way or another, too hot, not hot enough, flux issues..
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Old 8th Feb 2023, 2:24 pm   #5
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Wasn't forum member WendyMott big in NEI?
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Old 8th Feb 2023, 8:23 pm   #6
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Not exactly insde the factory but when at Philips, we had a separate service department to the main workshop that was for repairing 'stock' items. Typically when G8's and G11's were being built in Croydon, some inevitably were faulty off the production line or went faulty soon after so they ended up with us. Obviously the factory had it's own repair area but sometimes due to staff shortages, they sent sets to us. This separate department also investigated 'stock' faults and reported findings back to the factory. It was great since there was no real 'budget time' so you could take as long as you liked within reason over a repair or invstigation. Happy days.
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Old 8th Feb 2023, 9:46 pm   #7
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

I worked for Baird TV at their Bradford factory late 60s, early 70s. Initially as a troubleshooter on the 660 mono chassis. On my lunchtime walkabouts I came across the 700 colour sets, and Goodmans Maxamp/Stereomax amongst others, but didn't work on them. We made variations on the 660, some with audio/video inputs or FM radio, and a receiverless version for life testing CRTs. Also cable versions, and those little valve Ferguson TVs that they gave away with colour rentals in the early days. Latterly, we started 3000 production, I was on the decoder track, but it was boring compared to complete TVs. It was a good and friendly place to work, although the only one I ever had to clock in, with a probably more female than male employees - I was cajoled to wear a wedding veil the day before I got married!

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Old 8th Feb 2023, 11:42 pm   #8
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

I've had a few jobs in electronics manufacturing but not domestic TV or radio. Some PCB assembly, then assembling, testing and calibrating handheld moisture meters used in buildings and agriculture. After that, a company that manufactured power supplies. They made the transformers themselves. Some PCBs were made on site, some were assembled by homeworkers. My job was testing and fault-finding the ones that didn't work. Then I moved on to testing and repairing in-flight entertainment systems - the little TV screens found in the back of aeroplane seats. Not exactly domestic TV though, and that was repair rather than production, but not actually that different in practice. I've also done domestic radio / TV / electronics repair as a sideline for a long time.
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Old 9th Feb 2023, 12:07 pm   #9
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

I had many years... well it seemed like it at NEI "Network Electronic Industries" , at Haycliffe Lane in Bradford. The site was started in 1980 to assemble Mono 12" kits from Korea. Two moving lines. After about 6 months we expanded to convert one line to Colour TV's NCW1401. Again Kits from Korea. As part of the agreement we had to totally build CKD "complete knock down" for a number of units. Thus 3 overhead projectors to illuminate component locations, including wire links. Then we got SKD " semi knock down" kits. But still had to build the colour decoder module.
Then came the NWC1402 which had a "non volatile" tuner memory.
Anyone in the TV manufacturing industry, whether it be Thorn, Amstrad, Philips, Panasonic, Sharp, etc etc, had production issues, We had our fair share, mostly caused by our suppliers "Goldstar" ... To supplement TV production, as the supply lines were "stretched" 12 weeks "transit time" usually. We had to keep the staff busy, so Conversion of TV's of other manufacturers, assembling "Hi Fi" towers. I could go on, but I think your boredom levels will have been reached . I left in 1986, but maintained contacts with NEI in one form or another till 2006.

Just seen your comments Nick. I wouldnt say "Big". Dogsbody more like. Everything from service manager to production maintainance I certainly learnt a lot about production.
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Old 9th Feb 2023, 12:56 pm   #10
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

In 85/6 I worked for Douglas Electronic Industries, who wound transformers & built power supplies in their Louth factory in Lincolnshire, as a test engineer and then for E.D.Transformers at their Hereford factory as a Technical Engineer between 87 & 89. Anita, my wife also worked with me at both locations as among other things winding shop supervisor. She also had an earlier stint at Douglas’ and also worked for The Louth Transformer Company.
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Old 9th Feb 2023, 3:00 pm   #11
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Following subsequent posts regarding in-house manufacturing, I would add that Bairds made most things in house, from coil and transformer winding to cabinet trimming. The only things I remember (it was 50 years ago) bought in were the cabinet shells, Presspahn backs, and probably the bare PCBs.
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Old 9th Feb 2023, 6:58 pm   #12
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

No, I have never worked in the television industry, but I spent 35 years at JHS, one of the biggest independent UK suppliers.

I attach a PDF of some of my memories is anyone is interested.


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Old 9th Feb 2023, 9:36 pm   #13
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wendymott View Post
After about 6 months we expanded to convert one line to Colour TV's NCW1401.
Hello,

OT but that Network model rings a bell. A chap on the caravan park where I worked had a fair number of these 14" colour portables. I think there was a simple channel step button rather than direct channel selection. The channel settings were stored in a battery backed up memory. I think the battery was a AA sized NiCad with solder tags. They were very reliable sets, most only requiring the battery replacing after many years of trouble free service.

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Old 10th Feb 2023, 12:35 am   #14
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Reading the attachment in Kevins' post #12 is so depressing but all so common. We all must have experienced this type of stupidity no matter where we fit in our industries. Peter.

Last edited by peterpixel; 10th Feb 2023 at 12:39 am. Reason: Clarifying point.
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Old 10th Feb 2023, 10:48 am   #15
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Hello,

I didn’t work in radio/TV factories; however, I have spent my working life from 1975/6 working for audio manufacturers. They were small factories/workshops with 5-10 people to a factory employing over hundred people. I also did servicing/repair for a local music shop and worked with local musicians and bands sorting equipment, this wasn’t a business, but it was myself doing ‘jobs’ in my own workshop. I started with Valves in guitar amps and now I'm sitting here looking at a USB high speed audio controller chip for a digital audio input circuit.

I have spent the last 33 years working for local audio/hi-fi company. I don’t say whom as I don’t want to end up in the Audiophool thread! I was the first ‘electronics’ employee for this part of the company and I’ve done [and still do – but now try to avoid!] everything from audio circuit design, electronic design, PCB layout, getting it into production, a little code writing, EMC/CE testing, making jigs, testing and most importantly tea making!

I remember folk who worked at Ecko, all sadly now gone to the radio factory in the sky. One of lecturers at the local college worked as an Electronics R&D engineer at Ekco.

I used to live in Manners Way (still have the house, but we let it out), which ran alongside the Ekco factory and saw the gradual decline of the factory and the eventual demolishing of said buildings including the marvellous Art Deco main Ekco building built in the early 1930’s overlooking Priory park.

From memory Manners Way, Southend was named after H.J. Manners, a local builder and early investor and financial director of Ekco Radio in the 1930’s.

Sadly, I did recently ask a Rep for a UK electronics component supplier, just how many electronic manufacturers/factories are there left in the [Southend/Basildon] area and She replied, “not that many”, this is sadly, a sign 'o the times.

Better get on with that USB controller circuit... damn... just picked up an EL34... that's NOT a USB controller IC

Terry
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Old 10th Feb 2023, 11:30 am   #16
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

I worked briefly at Racal Electronics, testing the spec of military aerial tuning units. Used set them down to -30C and then up to + 30C, or similar.

Remember signing the official secrets act when I started.
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Old 10th Feb 2023, 11:48 am   #17
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

I worked with Pye in the late 1950s as an Industrial Designer. Witnessed first hand the development of Black Boxes, Record Players and Pye Hi Fi. Re-joined them from 1967 to 1969. Saw a lot of audio "exotica" that the Men in Suits closed down at the prototype stage.
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Old 10th Feb 2023, 12:22 pm   #18
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward Huggins View Post
I worked with Pye in the late 1950s as an Industrial Designer. Witnessed first hand the development of Black Boxes, Record Players and Pye Hi Fi. Re-joined them from 1967 to 1969. Saw a lot of audio "exotica" that the Men in Suits closed down at the prototype stage.
I suppose that was just prior to the buy out by Philips? What sort of things were being worked on? Were they aiming to produce high quality hifi components for the 'hifi stereo' market that was just beginning to open up?
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Old 10th Feb 2023, 12:33 pm   #19
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Not personally but my Dad worked at EMI Hayes in the late forties / early fifties. The equipment he worked included the HMV 1805 TV, the 1612 radiogram, the HMV Radiomobile car radio and the EMI models L2 and TR50 tape machines.
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Old 10th Feb 2023, 1:59 pm   #20
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Default Re: Who worked at a radio/TV factory?

Not radio or TV, but I worked at Goodmans and then Mordaunt Short in the early 2000s as a loudspeaker designer.
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