Murphy BA228.

[Nanozeugma]

Just acquired one of these mains / battery "portable!" sets.
Naturally the mains lead is walkies.
It must have been an odd beast - the pins are about 3mm diameter, spacing 7.
Anyone ever seen the real thing in the wild?

N.B. The pins are a little distorted, as whoever had the set before me attached a mains lead to them with a choc-block, ingenuity, I suppose...

[6SN7WGTB]

Can't help on your specific question (the Bush ones were bigger and farther apart), but if you're not too worried about authenticity can you get a vintage Cannon connector in there?

Look for either Cannon XLR LNE or Neutrik MRC LNE.

I believe they're discontinued, but they're very useful.

[McMurdo]

some american sets used 2 pins spaced 5/16" apart, might one of those work?

[Laurence Smith]

I have one of these sets with the original mains lead and plug on it. I will post a photograph of it on here next week once I am back home.

[Nanozeugma]

Gents, thanks for your thoughts, Laurence - many thanks, I shall look forward to the image when you have time to upload it...

[Nanozeugma]

Laurence, as and when you have access to your receiver, might I ask if you could throw light on one further point please?
The back cover on mine has catches at top and a pair of parallel thread screws at bottom which I believe to be original.
There do not appear to be anything remaining into which they could screw.
There are depressions either side of the main cabinet base.
I'm guessing there were once a pair of rotating latches attached to the screws which have long since disappeared.
Could you confirm please?

N.B. Per attached image: Screws arrowed red, cabinet depressions green.

[Herald1360]

I suspect that those screws simply held "penny" washers in place. These would engage in the bottom slots in the cabinet base as the back is rotated into position engaging the spring clips at the top.

[Laurence Smith]

Hi,

I've just realised that this receiver is actually in the attic in Cornwall where I am at the moment, as I bought it back down last year.

The back cover has 'oblong washers' and the degree to which they protrude can be adjusted.

I have found mine to be rather difficult to restore, as the inner part of the cream outer knobs have cracked apart and the stopper on the wavechange switch is broken so it turns a full 360 degrees. The dial lamp fittings have also been removed from my example.

The LO is running but I have not been able get it to work properly. It's possible this is due to incorrect filament voltages, as I have had to replace a few valves and there is a set procedure outlined in the Trader sheet whereby the appropriate tappings on the mains transformer and smoothing choke have to be selected.

[Nanozeugma]

Hi Laurence.
Many thanks for the imaged and insight.

[Herald1360]

Ahh, posh washers!

[Nanozeugma]

Update:
Having got round to (attempting to) take this thing apart, the white outer knob on the wavechange side crumbled to pieces on removal. The inner and outer to the mains / battery side refused all attempts to release it from the shaft - it had been glued on.
I can see no way that this set may be refurbished and I think it likely I will strip it for any useful parts.
I always fancied a BA228, something about the appearance, but I think I shall steer well clear of them in future, as I suspect they will all suffer from the rotten plastic disease, which makes it almost a foregone conclusion that refurbishment is not possible.

[Laurence Smith]

That's a shame - there are other accounts of this happening to these on here, so it does appear to be a particular problem with them. What we need is someone with a 3D printer to make some replica knobs, although I'm sure this is far easier said than done!

[music-centre]

Just a thought but looking at a picture of a Murphy U472 recently the knobs on these look very similar to the BA228 and these would be an easier set to find scrap-you don't see so many examples of the BA228 around.
Steve.