Feeling Lazy and saving your volume control

As the title says I am feeling a bit lazy today, didn't want to get up to turn the radio off. So I am getting a 3 pack of remote control sockets for my 'Radio Stack' so I can turn them on and off without getting up or wearing out the volume track. I can have each radio on a different station.

Devices as picture, only a tenner. Can't wait to take them apart!

[Darren-UK]

That's most frightfully lazy. To me, part of the charm of vintage equipment is the need to get up and operate the controls manually. Unwillingness to operate old radios as intended means you may as well not collect them in the first place and just stick to pressing buttons on a Freeview RC or whatever.

As an aside, I assume you don't intend to set up several radios like this in one room? I was just wondering about the RC units; will they operate more than one socket thingy even if unintentionally?

Anyway, hope I haven't offended you. Others may well think it's a good idea and show me the door

[JoshWard]

...I'd show you the door Darren but it'd mean getting up....

I agree that part of the charm (especially being from a generation where I don't remember anything 'current' in my lifetime not having a remote) is operating controls, fine tuning, adjusting tone etc.
I've heard about track wear but most of my sets are over 50 years old and whose on/off/volume controls have been used for years and years and show no signs of any trouble.

Yes, surely they'd all operate on the same frequency and you'd end up switching them all on or off?


Josh.

This is the cunning plan, one set on Radio 4 (A22), one on the World Service (DAC90A) and the last on 5 live (Philetta) (even tha'ts better than the telly). The units will switch individualy, even then I will have to look round too see which one is on (a flaw in the cunning plan, they seem to be push on push off type). I seem to have forgotten the volume control, ah well it will be a bit of excercise!

[Darren-UK]

Originally Posted by merlinmaxwell

I seem to have forgotten the volume control, ah well it will be a bit of excercise!

I thought the idea was to leave the radios switched on and at a certain volume setting, so all you need to do is press a button from the comfort of your Chaise Longue?

What is inside these switch gadgets? any SMPS or other devices which would create interference? I've no idea how they operate.

[dark1stu]

hears s thought more on the safty side of things thease isolate the power to your old sets if you have some like mine that still have the old cable on them its good to no they are fully off and hence reduced fire hazard ,

[kalee20]

Originally Posted by JoshWard

I've heard about track wear but most of my sets are over 50 years old and whose on/off/volume controls have been used for years and years and show no signs of any trouble.

My Ferranti U1003 hs a volume control (combined with on/off switch) nearly worn out over the first quarter of its travel. My Cossor 500, ditto. And my Bush DAC90a. My Ferguson 373RG volume control is OK - but the tone control (combined with on/off switch) is getting noisy over first part of travel.

Anything which saves a bit of wear on these is a good thing - especially the Ferranti and the Ferguson which have very-hard-to-get concentric controls.

Darren-UK

They will be operated on upon arrival, watch this space.

[KeithsTV]

I bought 4 of these from our local Tesco about a year ago for under £2.50 each. One has since failed so I opened it up. There's not a lot in them. The PSU uses a capacitive dropper and bridge rectifier to generate about 24v dc for the relay and a 5v regulator to get 5v for the receiver and processor. The receiver is a separate module. The remote controller on mine can address up to 16 remote sockets but each socket has to "learn" which button or buttons on the remote to respond to. Works quite well.

I use a couple to power the modem and a laser printer and with a remote by each PC switching on the printer is easy.

I'll find the failed unit tonight and post a picture of its internals.

Keith

[Sideband]

I have only one radio that I switch off from the mains and that is a Philips Superinductance from 1934. The 'volume control' on this is a large wirewound jobby that controls the grid bias to the RF amp (so it's really a gain control). At the moment, the original control is still in place but the wire is very thin and I have seen many failed ones where the track looks like a hedghog when the resistance wire has broken and sprung away. Preservation of this control is essential therefore one of these devices could be useful!



SB

[KeithsTV]

Here's a picture of the broken Tesco remote socket. Not a lot inside it. Receiver, micro and simple PSU. In this one the micro is fried but the receiver may come in handy for something.

Keith

[Paul Stenning]

For cheap Chinese tat it does look reasonably well made.

The Chinese do make good stuff, it's us (the west) that want the cheap junk, so we are told. Oops, I have made that choice.

Very clever, I had a design manufactured in China, we had a visit and they told us exactly what they would leave us do so it could be marked 'Made in England', in summary, put it in the box (a bit of extrusion made here) and screw it together. As far as I know it is still being made (I left that company a while ago) and I remember the visit, extremly profesional and great post 'sale' backup/communications. Well made too.

Me again,

Looking at the photo the neutral wire looks thinner, just the attention to cost saving detail I would expect.

[KeithsTV]

The live and neutral wires are the same size must be the way the photo was taken. The remote control allows on/off control of 4 groups of 4 and can switch all 16 possible remote switches on or off.

For less than £2-50 each I couldn't resist thinking I'll find ause for them sometime.

Keith

They have arrived. These have a fixed address, 0622 in my case, no 'learining' to do. The transmitter uses a HS2262 chip and RX HS2272. To the insides, 6 screws! three of which are 'tamperproof' (huh!). They work well, up to the end of the garden, 90 feet. The web site indicated 'batteries bot included', it was, now I have 10 spare 12V 'alarm' batteries spare.

I suppose I will have to fashion a period wooden case for the remote.