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Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc. |
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19th Nov 2022, 6:25 pm | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK.
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1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
From the Wireless and Electrical Trader magazine. A TV set I've never seen before. I always believed the Spencer-West 180 series were the last TV sets made by the Great Yarmouth company.
DFWB. |
19th Nov 2022, 6:38 pm | #2 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Essex, UK.
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
Thats an odd-looking set with that mask, and the screen on the right! I'd be very interested to see actual photos of one.
I doubt very many exist now, if any. I wonder how well they sold.. |
19th Nov 2022, 6:39 pm | #3 |
Octode
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Bath, Somerset, UK.
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
1960 seemed to signal a turning point in TV design where manufacturers sensed a demand for ever more slim-line sets typified by sets such as the Sobell T279. The development of the 110 degree CRT in 1959 along with clever cabinet design led to exceptionally slim sets.
Neil
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19th Nov 2022, 6:41 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
I may be the only Forum Member to have visited their factory, way back in 1958. It was all a bit ramshackle and my expectation of seeing some kind of "Assembly Line" was completely shattered. It was hard to believe that TV's could ever come out of there! I do not remember this model referred to here, but I did see their compact portables being made.
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Edward. |
19th Nov 2022, 8:03 pm | #5 |
Heptode
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Location: Cornwall, UK.
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
Hello Edward.
That is very interesting, as I have one of the 957 portables here to restore (one day). I would be fascinated to learn your experiences of their construction. When I get around to restoring ( or trying) to get the set up & running I intend to write it up as a prospective article for the BVWS ‘Bulletin’ Please contact me by PM if you prefer. Many thanks. SimonT.
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19th Nov 2022, 8:34 pm | #6 |
Octode
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
Love the look of that Spencer West! The introduction of the 110 degree crts marked the start of one of my favourite periods of tv design. It certainly seemed to inspire a great deal of creativity on the drawing boards of designers, coming up with some very attractive slimline sets at the dawn of the 1960s, like the Ferguson 606T 'Golden Glide' and GEC BT302 series amongst others.
Steve |
19th Nov 2022, 11:26 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
This set would have been an excellent proposition for a rental company.
The makers claim the whole chassis assembly can be replaced in a matter of a few minutes by relatively unskilled service engineers. The chassis layout looks well ordered, unusual to have the user controls on the left side of the cabinet, although Philips did the same with the 1768U series. DFWB. |
20th Nov 2022, 9:52 am | #8 |
Dekatron
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
The introduction of the 110degree short neck CRT produced some really nice cabinet designs. Obviously some you like others not so much but still lots of creativity.
Not too convinced about the success of swapping out the entire chassis for every fault, unless it was used for only those jobs that required bench work. The advert is not worded that way though.
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Frank |
20th Nov 2022, 12:44 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
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Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING.
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
I have never seen one of those David.
Shame about Spencer West. They were very strong in pre amplifiers, Band 3 converters, channel converters and a clever little type 54 pattern removal unit used to remove the BBC signal from the Band 3 aerial lead, the presence of which caused heavy patterning on the picture when aerial converters were used with the early BBC only receivers. They entered TV production far too late just as the turn down started, and were by far too small to compete with the big boys. John. |
20th Nov 2022, 5:30 pm | #10 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
Quote:
And the rental-companies were in an ideal position to both collect the reliability statistics, and use them to belabour/financially-penalise the suppliers of TV chassis that had a higher-than-expected need for service! Don't design or buy for ease-of-serviceability, design so you can fire your service-technicians!
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20th Nov 2022, 5:55 pm | #11 |
Octode
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
Now that's a name from the far distant past!, by the time i entered the trade in 69 they were long gone, a few survivors did appear on my bench for repair though, thanks for the memory jog.
Greg.
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21st Nov 2022, 1:20 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
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Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING.
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
Most rental companies did not want receivers that were TOO reliable. If it never broke down there would be little point in renting. A curtesy call now and then did a lot for customer relations. Ease of house service was very important and models that were a nightmare of wires and loose ends were generally passed by. Worse still the unpredictable.
John. |
21st Nov 2022, 1:48 pm | #13 |
Dekatron
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
The Thorn B/W sets were very easy and predictable to service, probably due to Thorns vast rental base. I’ve virtually no experience with their colour sets but would expect the same once familiar with the designs.
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Frank |
21st Nov 2022, 2:00 pm | #14 | |
Dekatron
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Re: 1960 Spencer-West Slim TV.
Quote:
TV rental companies were happy with one or two service calls per year. A courtesy call often saved a rental contract termination. The attachment shows an advertisement from the 1958 Practical Television magazine. DFWB. |
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