Survey of TV22 ownership

[slidertogrid]

I have four TV22s I think they are all MK1. One is restored and working the other three are unrestored, one is fairly rough with a badly cracked cabinet.

[Lloyd 1985]

Ok, up first we have serial number 83/06506, which I purchased 19/4/2003 from a shop called ‘Luna’ in Nottingham after seeing it advertised on eBay. It’s a MkI with EF91’s in the RF chassis, CRT is an MW22-18 straight gun with a nice big ion burn in the centre! Has T shaped laminations in the lopty. This was my very first vintage valve TV, and over the years I’ve done little bits to it to get it in working order, and it’s still working well now. Can’t find a photo with the date on the capacitors…

Next set, a TV12B, serial number 66/01297, with a Sutton Coldfield RF chassis. Got this one from a chap in Rugby back in April 2006 via eBay. Not in bad condition, I have done a bit of work on it, new caps and some new wiring, the RF chassis is missing it’s bottom, and the CRT is an MW22-16 with ion trap, not quite the right tube, but it works! It did have a Mullard Radiant screen MW22-16, but I have swapped it for one in my Philips 385U on a trial basis. Has May 49 stamped on one of the electrolytics.

Next set, another TV22, serial 83/39393, another MKI, came with an RF chassis that had a band 3 tuner attached. This one came from the NVCF in 2010, not sure why I thought I needed another TV22, but hey ho! It had something about the tube being knackered written on it, H-K short if I remember, but it turned out to be a partial heater short instead, and the heater popped eventually. It has the later focus assembly to accommodate the MW22-16 CRT and its ion trap, also the width control comes through a slot above the serial number, and the components for the video drive to the CRT are mounted above chassis. This set uses the I shaped laminations on the Lopty, and the ceramic former for the EHT rectifier heater winding. I had this set up and running beautifully, excellent picture, I even had it on display at ‘the festival of vintage’ at York racecourse back in 2011, where it ran flawlessly for 8 hours solid! But sadly in 2015 the lopty gave out, primary-secondary short.. I really must get it rewound!

Lastly, another MKI TV22, serial 83/10611, some of you will know this set from my recent thread! A last minute purchase at this years RetroTech, just a chassis, no cabinet! Well, not yet anyway! Almost fully restored, MW22-16 ion trap tube, but the focus assembly is the earlier type. T shaped laminations on the Lopty. RF chassis is the EF91 type, but isn’t going to be used due to a broken tuning control. Currently working very well, against all the odds!

1st photo is in my old workshop, where the 1st TV22, a TV62 and the TV12B had pride of place.
2nd photo is of TV22 no.2, just days before it died, I had set it up in our second shed, picture was great.
3rd photo, is the 3rd TV22, minus cabinet! I do have one for it, but it’s going to need a bit of work

Regards
Lloyd

[Cobaltblue]

Tv22 Mk1 and 1.5 Mk2's

The 0.5 is mising back, lopt, and tube.

The other two were working when last powered them at least 6 years ago.

Cheers

Mike T

[Helder Crespo]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

As far as I know that's a sufficient guide: 83/ for the Mk1, 124/ for the Mk2 (which my remaining set is).

Paul

I fully agree. This is a better criterium than merely looking at the type of valve in the RF deck. This because there are early Mk2s (so with 124/ serial numbers and A24 main chassis fitted with second generation LOPTs with I-shaped lams and paxolin heater winding former) where the corresponding RF deck (A22) has been fitted with adapter plates for EF91s. So, in short, not all Mk2s have EF80s. I have 3 TV22s in total: an Mk2 (photos below), an early Mk2 with EF91s, and a late Mk1 (with EF91s, second gen focusing magnet and first generation LOPT with T-shaped lams). The first photo of my Mk2 (below) was taken under direct natural light and shows the bakelite mottling well. The second photo is a screenshot from a TV programme (Richard E. Grant on Ealing Comedies) where this very same set was used as a prop by the previous owner.
- Helder

[Helder Crespo]

Originally Posted by Panrock

I thought it would be interesting to see how many receivers from the popular TV22 'family' are out there, so I've placed a poll.

This poll covers sets with the iconic bakelite moulded case (only), and so, as I understand it, should include:

TV12
TVF12A
TV12A
TV12B
TV12M
TV12AM

TV22 Mk I
TV22 Mk II
TV22P
TV22U
TV22A

Please supply what details you like about your own set(s) here, and then fill in the poll!

Thanks,

Steve

Hi Steve. There's also the rarer TV22F (625 lines). I already voted but could only choose 1 Mk1 and 1 Mk2, whereas I have two of the latter. But perhaps I didn't vote correctly and there is the possibility of adding a quantity too?
- Helder

[locknut]

Originally Posted by Paul_RK

As far as I know that's a sufficient guide: 83/ for the Mk1, 124/ for the Mk2 (which my remaining set is).

Paul

Thanks for that, and the other info from Panrockm much appreciated. I'll have to have a look when I get chance and report back.

It's in good condition, all intact and unmolested, so should be an interesting project. It also came with a pinky filter that fits into the recess around the screen, so it's a colour set too

[Panrock]

I must admit I started off the 'poll' format rather impulsively. Its limitations now mean it will end up giving no more than the likely general distribution of set types. We can see the Mk I remains ahead so far! AFAIK the 'poll' features cannot be modified. It should be considered as no more than window dressing.

For the final record, the tallies will be derived solely from these text posts.

So, if you have already added to the poll but not made a post about your TV22 sets, please do so now. A simple listing will do, even if you've only one!

Thanks go to those who have commented on how to identify the set types. Helder, your points have been noted.

Otherwise I'll sort everything out at the end!

Keep posting.

Steve

[Helder Crespo]

Originally Posted by Panrock

For the final record, the tallies will be derived solely from these text posts.
Steve

Thanks Steve. To facilitate your task, I think it's best if we put this information on a table. I tried pasting my table here in text format but the tabs don't show up in the final post which makes the table hard to read and defeats the purpose, so I'm attaching an image of the table instead, as well as the corresponding Excel file.
- Helder

[SiriusHardware]

the tabs don't show up in the final post which makes the table hard to read and defeats the purpose

In future, try putting CODE tags around the table text, as that preserves the text formatting including TABs.

Like this:

Col1	Col2	Col3 	Col4
Col1	Col2	Col3	Col4
Col1	Col2	Col3 	Col4
Col1	Col2	Col3	Col4

[Lucien Nunes]

TV12AM 80/00272 which I think has been through your hands Steve. Chassis works well, tube is not perfect but quite viewable.

My original TV22 that came from my uncle in the early 80s and on which I watched the 405 closedown has lived at the BVWTM for almost exactly half its life. Mk.1 I think, but it's a long time since I looked in the back.

Neither of these sets show any signs of a converter.

[Paul_RK]

I've already mentioned mine, but without the serial number which is 124/01646.

[radiomarktv]

I’m looking forward to the results,
I have a TV12A, TVF12A and TV22 MK11 to add to the list.
Mark.

[bionicmerlin]

I have a TV12b to add to the list.
Bought from a old lady who’s husband found it put out for rubbish in probably the late 70's. He stored it in a metal trunk until I found out about it. She refused my offer telling me my offer was much to high. Anyway a deal was done. That was about 14 years ago. Restored last year with help from forum members.
Andy

[hamid_1]

I have one TV22 Mk.2 with EF80 valves, serial number beginning 124/xxxxx.

When I was restoring it, I found a few capacitors with a date of April 1952 on them. I didn't go as far as restuffing the original capacitors but left a couple of the old dated ones in the set with one end disconnected, as a reminder of when the set was originally made. Almost certainly, one lucky family and their neighbours would have watched Queen Elizabeth's Coronation on it. Sadly I don't know the full history of my set. It was sold in an antiques market in Hertfordshire. Unsurprisingly it was tuned to Alexandra Palace - it picked up a signal from the Aurora on Ch.1 without any adjustment, so I reckon it came from the local area.

The seller was quite surprised when I said I intended to restore it to working order. He didn't think it was possible, and assumed the TV would only ever be a decorative ornament. But when I bought it, he commented "it's found the right person". I never actually went back to show him it working, but it made me think there must be more unrestored bakelite Bush TVs out there, just being used as ornaments. We won't know how many from a survey on this forum.

They do seem to have a relatively high survival rate. I'm not sure how many were made. When I was searching, a figure of 300,000 came up. This sounds plausible, given there were around 2 million TVs at the time of the Queen's coronation. Many of those would have been bought specially. The Bush TV22 was one of the cheapest and most affordable TV sets on the market at the time, and would have had a significant market share. If the 300,000 figure is true, that's about 1 in 6 or 16%.

Another thing that helped is that in the early 1950s there was still rationing and austerity. The "make do and mend" culture persisted. People tended not to throw things away if they could be repaired or re-used. Nonetheless, by the end of the '50s the Bush TV22 with its small 9" screen and unable to receive ITV was looking rather dated. I expect a lot of people upgraded to a new bigger multi-channel TV but kept their old TV22 as a spare rather than disposing of it. I suspect my TV22 was one of those. It had no ITV converter fitted. The tube was bright once the set had been restored. I reckon it had been little used before being retired. After all, in those days BBC TV was only on the air for a few hours in the evening.

There could have been an element of nostalgia too. For many, the TV22 was their first ever TV. They would remember saving up to buy it, the excitement of watching their first TV programmes and being the envy of their neighbours. Perhaps some of those people couldn't bear to throw away their TV22 even when it had stopped working, but stored it instead.

That's the final point. Being relatively small, the Bush TV22 is easily stored in a loft or under-stairs cupboard. The Bakelite cabinet doesn't suffer from woodworm or rot. All of this improves the survival rate.

Over the years, the moulded cabinet design became iconic, sought after by designers, Bakelite collectors as well as vintage TV enthusiasts. Even in the 1980s I remember seeing Bush TV22s in shop displays. If one was left out for rubbish, it would likely be rescued as bionicmerlin's example.

Compared with first-generation colour sets, which should also have a nostalgia factor, there seem to be a lot more Bakelite Bush TVs still out there.

[Panrock]

I thought that last post was a very able summary, pretty well oven-ready for publication in a newspaper. Please keep the contributions coming, both great and small!

My own first TV22 was obtained in the '80s from the late Tudor Rees, for £120. It eventually lived on in the form of spares for numerous TV22s I later restored for customers. Its tube was a good 'un, and to the best of my knowledge continues working today in a set belonging to one of the members of this forum. Its cabinet was the one copied to create the first 'tool' for the Retrovisor cabinets, with certain modifications.

Steve

[Duke_Nukem]

TV12A, TV12AM and a TV22 Mk 1.

Would have been interesting to have a separate vote for the TV12AM which is my favourite version of the set.

TTFN,
Jon

[peter_scott]

I was given my 22 by a friend at university in 1972. It had been his parents' set but they now had a very impressive SABA colour set. The 22 worked when I got it and continued to work until about 10 years ago when line linearity started to go seriously wrong. Shotgunning by rewinding the linearity coil and the LOPT primary got me nowhere so I stripped off the overwind and fitted a voltage doubler in best make do and mend tradition and that works quite well.

Peter

[wd40addict]

My TV22 mk2 seemed to have been used as an ornament. The good points are that it will have been kept warm and dry and internally it was untouched. After I got it going I sent pictures back to the seller and his comments were similar to those above.

Apart from age related stuff the main fault was a primary secondary short in the LOPT which seemed to have taken out the PL38. This probably condemned it to someone's loft back in the day.

[mark pirate]

I have 4 TV22's, 2 mk1 & 2 mk2, I also have a TV12B & an incomplete TV22U.


Mark

[rambo1152]

The iconic status of the TV22 style was enhanced by its use to represent Television as an art form in the opening sequence of "The South Bank Show".