Wireless of the Week - week 23

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

I'm going to offer up one more pic and a mystery.

This is another face cover/table with "WIRELESS SET No.11" marked on it and slightly different than the one in my first photos. Note how the lettering is upside down. If you look carefully on the left you'll see a notch on the bottom and clip and stud at the top which align and hold the cover to the face of the sender receiver. The stud and clip dictate that the cover can only go on one way and if you put it on that way the stenciling is upside down. A 75 yer old screw-up that nobody ever fixed? Do British sets have the stud and clip reversed to those on Canadian sets? Is this a cover from an Australian 11 set?

[Mike K]

Originally Posted by Bruce Parker

I'm going to offer up one more pic and a mystery.

Is this a cover from an Australian 11 set?

Is it steel ? if it is then its a Aust. example

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Is it steel ? if it is then its a Aust. example

Both of the ones I've shown are aluminum, and differ in detail (rivets vs. screws for the leg mounts, embossed vs. printed letters for the instruction plates) and one (the one without the Wireless No.11 stencil) has a small 'CMC" in a circle stamp that I think is Canadian Marconi Company.

Given what you say about steel Australian ones, I probably have one Brit. and one Canadian cover. I can't imagine British and Canadian sets would be so close in almost every respect yet have a silly thing like the stud and clip for the cover reversed (a look at some pics of British sets will settle that pretty quick) so I think that may suggest a 75 year old error.

[Ron Pier]

This is one of only two British sets that I've ever seen. It's in the Signals Museum at Blandford Camp (20 miles from me). It's in a glass case, so it's the best I could get.

I'm surprised at the weight given. I've had to move mine of course (Aust) and just can't remember that it weighed that much? That's nearly 2 cwt which is like picking up two of the old fashioned bags of cement in one lift. I must be stronger than I think!! Ron

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

The weight given would be for the entire station including aerial gear and batteries, not just the set in its carrier. I can post weights of the set components from the manual if you'd like though I rather think you may prefer I don't if weight lifting cement bags works for you!!

Originally Posted by Ron Pier

This is one of only two British sets that I've ever seen. It's in the Signals Museum at Blandford Camp (20 miles from me). It's in a glass case, so it's the best I could get.

I'm surprised at the weight given. I've had to move mine of course (Aust) and just can't remember that it weighed that much? That's nearly 2 cwt which is like picking up two of the old fashioned bags of cement in one lift. I must be stronger than I think!! Ron

[Ron Pier]

That puts my mind at rest Bruce. I wouldn't mind £1 for every cwt bag of cement I've lifted or even 2cwt sacks of animal feed. But those days are gone now. I'm just happy to still be doing what I do Ron

[Mike K]

I have laid eyes on another UK 11 set , at a hamfest in the 1980's. Displayed on a table and not FS , the chap said it had been 'got at' and it was highly modified .

The Aust. 11 set manual mentions the UK built sets . I have at least three British power supplies , McMichael radio was a manufacturer of these.