26-02-2013, 10:27 AM
Thanks for reading my post Gary - yes, the merchant seamen on Arctic Convoys and other convoys suffered horrendous losses, and escort ships were ordered not to stop to pick up any survivors when ships were sunk by enemy action, so anyone who survived unscathed from the ship being sunk would soon be dead in the water. Only afer years of campaigning are they now getting the recognition that they deserve.
Though eighty-five merchant vessels and 16 Royal Navy warships (two cruisers, six destroyers, eight other escort ships) were lost on the Arctic Convoys, it’s little short of a miracle that so many survived. On their journey from Iceland to Russia that had to pass by the coast of occupied Norway, so were at risk from German air, submarine and surface attacks, and from severe weather including fog and icing up of superstructures. They could only operate in summer months, so were in almost constant daylight.
Yes, I've seen the articles on 1155 restorations in the Bulletin and in the latest Bygones, which as you say, is to a very high standard, including getting rubber ink stamps made to refurbish and re-letter the aluminium cans. The only thing I wondered about is the questionable durability of Letraset, but then the owner of the set in question isn't going to subject it to rough treatment. I can't imagine how many hundreds of hours of work went into this set or the others, which featured in the Bulletin.
I do rather regret getting rid of the 1155 that I totally stripped down as a donor set to the coil pack, IFTs, tuning cap etc, fitting B9a valves and holders in place of the octal ones, making and fitting a new front panel, an integral power supply, audio stage, S Meter etc. It gave a much bettter account of itself than did the original, and the dial of course gave away it's origin as an 1155 used as a donor set. Somewhere I'll have the Short Wave magazine articles about the conversion. It was in the late 70s, when 1155s weren't as revered as they are these days - just an ex WD set ideal for stripping down. I did all the lettering on the front panel using white peel off transfers which Radio Contructor ('Data-Books') used to supply back then.
This was back in an era when AH Supplies at Sheffield sold 1155s for a tenner, and the compact 128 sets - receiver/transmitter which used B7G valves and were good for top band and 80M AM for £7.50 apiece. They go for rather more than that nowadays. Never really been much interested in military stuff, but looked at with hindsight, the way we pulled such things as 19 sets, 38 'walkie talkie' sets, 1154 transmitters and 1155 receivers to bits would seem almost criminal. From the late 50s to mid 60s I was a member of the Nottigham Amateur Radio Society. They had heaps of this stuff in a store room which members had a free hand to strip down at a whim. I recall taking a pile of nuts and bolts off an 1154 transmitter leaving all sorts of bits such as valveholders and tuning caps hanging loose of their wiring. I don't recall anyone ever thinking that one day, these would be considered 'collectable' because the concept of 'collecting' hadn't really become established. You just had what you needed and could find space for. About the only collecting hobbies I can recall was limited to things like cigarette cards and stamps.
In the same vein, in 1969 when I was local manager for GB at Spalding, Boston and Stamford, all the old heavy black Bakelite phones were replaced with more modern lighter weight plastic phones. All the Bakelite ones - more than a hundred - were dumped, as were the switchboards. I did rescue one for our sons to play with, but it was inconceivable that decades later, anyone would pay through the nose for such a clunky black phone, with a heavy handset, that wouldn't look out of place on a funeral director's desk, and would have it on display and in use in their home. But they do. Oh well 'whatever rings yor bell'.
Though eighty-five merchant vessels and 16 Royal Navy warships (two cruisers, six destroyers, eight other escort ships) were lost on the Arctic Convoys, it’s little short of a miracle that so many survived. On their journey from Iceland to Russia that had to pass by the coast of occupied Norway, so were at risk from German air, submarine and surface attacks, and from severe weather including fog and icing up of superstructures. They could only operate in summer months, so were in almost constant daylight.
Yes, I've seen the articles on 1155 restorations in the Bulletin and in the latest Bygones, which as you say, is to a very high standard, including getting rubber ink stamps made to refurbish and re-letter the aluminium cans. The only thing I wondered about is the questionable durability of Letraset, but then the owner of the set in question isn't going to subject it to rough treatment. I can't imagine how many hundreds of hours of work went into this set or the others, which featured in the Bulletin.
I do rather regret getting rid of the 1155 that I totally stripped down as a donor set to the coil pack, IFTs, tuning cap etc, fitting B9a valves and holders in place of the octal ones, making and fitting a new front panel, an integral power supply, audio stage, S Meter etc. It gave a much bettter account of itself than did the original, and the dial of course gave away it's origin as an 1155 used as a donor set. Somewhere I'll have the Short Wave magazine articles about the conversion. It was in the late 70s, when 1155s weren't as revered as they are these days - just an ex WD set ideal for stripping down. I did all the lettering on the front panel using white peel off transfers which Radio Contructor ('Data-Books') used to supply back then.
This was back in an era when AH Supplies at Sheffield sold 1155s for a tenner, and the compact 128 sets - receiver/transmitter which used B7G valves and were good for top band and 80M AM for £7.50 apiece. They go for rather more than that nowadays. Never really been much interested in military stuff, but looked at with hindsight, the way we pulled such things as 19 sets, 38 'walkie talkie' sets, 1154 transmitters and 1155 receivers to bits would seem almost criminal. From the late 50s to mid 60s I was a member of the Nottigham Amateur Radio Society. They had heaps of this stuff in a store room which members had a free hand to strip down at a whim. I recall taking a pile of nuts and bolts off an 1154 transmitter leaving all sorts of bits such as valveholders and tuning caps hanging loose of their wiring. I don't recall anyone ever thinking that one day, these would be considered 'collectable' because the concept of 'collecting' hadn't really become established. You just had what you needed and could find space for. About the only collecting hobbies I can recall was limited to things like cigarette cards and stamps.
In the same vein, in 1969 when I was local manager for GB at Spalding, Boston and Stamford, all the old heavy black Bakelite phones were replaced with more modern lighter weight plastic phones. All the Bakelite ones - more than a hundred - were dumped, as were the switchboards. I did rescue one for our sons to play with, but it was inconceivable that decades later, anyone would pay through the nose for such a clunky black phone, with a heavy handset, that wouldn't look out of place on a funeral director's desk, and would have it on display and in use in their home. But they do. Oh well 'whatever rings yor bell'.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
