21-02-2016, 07:14 PM
As a follow-up to my earlier thread about different radios, the other day I thought about different recod players I've owned, or had access to, since 1958, the first being a PYE Battery operated Transistor player with a manual play deck, before which our only player was a wind-up Gramophone. Later I bought an EAR Battery-operated manual player. I Can't recall the model numbers of either the PYE or EAR players. In about 1961 I bought, from a mail-order firm called Andrew Merryfield Ltd., an EAR 'Autobat', which was a battery powered Autochanger that used 6 x 'U2' ('D' cells as they're known today), plus it's add-on stereo amplifier. I recall that these were advertised as having ' a powerful new 1000mW amplifier!' If anyone is wondering 'why all the battery powered gear?', the explanation is simple - in those days our family lived in an old cottage with no electricity suppy. The next player I had access to, though it actually belonged to my brother, was a Waltham 'Standard' mains/battery single player which used the BSR GU7 deck. This meant that, in the mid 60s, when we moved to a new home, it could be run from the mains. Around this time an HMV 'Live Chassis' valved player with a BSR Autochanger, was bought. In the early 70s an ALBA stereo radiogram occupied pride of place in the front room, where it remined for several years until I built the PW' Wimbourne' music centre in 1979/80
Some years later I bought a second-hand Sharp SG500E M/C. This was their top of the range stereo in the late 70s and cost over £500 new (I paid a fifth of that!), and featured a semi-automatic direct drive two speed turntable, the most 'up-market' & sophisticated one I'd ever owned. Eventually the '500E developed faults to both the turntable and cassette mechanism which couldn't be repaired, so it was replaced with a TEAC PX-300 DD Turntable that I still use to this day. A Silvertone Revelation valve player with a BSR Autochanger is used for playing 78s & 45s.
Some years later I bought a second-hand Sharp SG500E M/C. This was their top of the range stereo in the late 70s and cost over £500 new (I paid a fifth of that!), and featured a semi-automatic direct drive two speed turntable, the most 'up-market' & sophisticated one I'd ever owned. Eventually the '500E developed faults to both the turntable and cassette mechanism which couldn't be repaired, so it was replaced with a TEAC PX-300 DD Turntable that I still use to this day. A Silvertone Revelation valve player with a BSR Autochanger is used for playing 78s & 45s.
![[Image: rant.gif]](http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii16/ktype_photo/sm/rant.gif)
I find it intensely infuriating that we have to pay a premium price to post what, in this case, could be a secure parcel so small that there wouldn't enough room for both the recipients address and the stamp! ![[Image: wall.gif]](http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii16/ktype_photo/sm/wall.gif)
