History of EKCO

[chriswood]

In the book by Chris Poole and Peter Brown ECKO Sounds it gives the date of starting the business in his shed as 1922 in para 1 and on the back cover so I assume that's where the date may come from.

[westcliff]

I think 1922 is when he started building radios as an additional revenue stream for the electrical contracting business.

In 1920 the business was called "Henry Cole and Son Electrical Engineers" and in 1922 the name was changed to "Eric Cole - Electrical Engineer". This is from Poole and Brown, page 11.

Gus.

[Crackle]

It seems more than likely that Eric was experimenting making radios for his own use and friends and family before the EKCO business was formally started.

Mike

[westcliff]

Mr Cole was building and selling radios as part of the family business. When a customer (a large cinema), became bankrupt in 1923 and failed to pay their contractors, this became the family business' lifeline until Marconi took action over patent infringement.

Mr Cole then started manufacturing DC battery eliminators.

Gus.

[ppppenguin]

Has anyone been in touch with Dr Tom Going recently? He did a lot of research on the history of Ekco. I don't know if he ever published his work. Tom used to come to Harpenden regularly, was alwyas friendly and was conspicuously tall. He also acted as interim chairman of the BVWS when it had serious problems in the 1990s.

[Crackle]

Hi Gus
You seem to have a good understanding of the EKCO company. I was wondering if you would like to take a look at what the Radio Museum currently has about the EKCO company and propose any changes.
It does not need to be an exhaustive history, just the notable landmarks.

This is what the Radio Museum currently has;
Name: Ekco, E.K.Cole Ltd.; Southend-on-Sea (GB)
Abbreviation: ekco
Products: Model types Tube manufacturer
Summary:

Ekco (Trade Mark), E.K.Cole Ltd.; Southend-on-Sea, GB.

Representation in Switzerland: Willy Egli, Radioimport; Zurich

Founded: 1924
History:
EKCO stands for Eric Kirkham Cole Limited (E.K. Cole Ltd). Eric Kirkham Cole and his girlfriend started making radio sets in 1924, they later married and in 1927 set up with funding from local businessmen, a new factory at Leigh-on-Sea, they expanded, first to premises owned by their various directors and then in 1930, to a very big new factory at Southend-on-Sea.
E.K. Cole undertook the manufacture of radio tubes for their own radios. In 1939 this commercial tube operation was taken over by Mullard. However the facility remained and was used to manufacture tubes for the armed services during the war.
Ekco produced also Air Interception radars for the RAF, Air to Surface Vessel sets for the Fleet Air Arm, amending these for installation in ships for the Royal Navy (and stopping the 100 valves jumping out of their sockets when guns were fired) and Search Light Control sets for the Army. Car radios, tape recorders and radiograms were added to the range of products.
1960 saw Ekco being taken over by PYE Ltd. From 1969 the factory no longer traded using the Ekco name but under the TV Manufacturing Ltd. banner. However this was short-lived and the company became PYE TMC Ltd.

Thanks
Mike

[westcliff]

Happy to have a look Mike. I will get back to you.

Gus.

[Bassoonbloke]

Hello All,

Well, i'm glad to say that i own an Ekco AC SGP3 radio that was probably made in Mr Cole's garden shed. What's more it still works very well after a minor amount of repairing and tidying up.

[Mabo5]

It seems more than likely that Eric was experimenting making radios for his own use and friends and family before the EKCO business was formally started.

Mike

He did indeed; he was experimenting, using a long line of household filiment bulbs as resistors in early attempts at battery elimination. His early radio sets were built and sold to family and friends and the money reinvested for parts as he improved his designs. At one stage he was said to have produced six in one week.

[ppppenguin]

Hi Mabo5 and welcome to the Golborne forum. Thank you for the insight on Eric Cole's early work. It's also a reminder of how much we miss our old friend Mike (Crackle) who died a few years ago.

Where are you in Lincolnshire? It's a big county! I hope we'll see you at the Broadcast Engineering Museum this year: https://www.golbornevintageradio.co.uk/f...#pid104730