VE-9-55 "restoration"

[Valecnik]

Excellent advice, Bruce!

Sean

It may be good advice but there's still the iceberg risk... Remonte but ....

[Swing Band Heaven]

Excellent advice, Bruce!

Sean

It may be good advice but there's still the iceberg risk... Remonte but ....

Very remote on the way to New Zealand LOL

[Valecnik]

Excellent advice, Bruce!

Sean

It may be good advice but there's still the iceberg risk... Remonte but ....

Very remote on the way to New Zealand LOL

Don't be so sure!!!
Last month, hundreds of icebergs were spotted off of Australia's Macquarie island heading toward New Zealand. The rare event prompted a shipping warning for the area.

Here's a link to the article! http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotos ... 49635.html

[Swing Band Heaven]

LOL!

Now your worrying me!

S-B-H

[Swing Band Heaven]

Well the 9-55 has been crated up and has been loaded into the shipping container along with all my records. thanks for all the packing tips. I just wait to see what comes out at the other end

With the 9-55 in the end I decided to lock down the radio chassis with the transport screws and take out all the tubes. Like wise with the amplifier - that also was left in the cabinet without the tubes which are in a separate box. After considering long and hard the turntable and changer mechanism has also gone separately - I just hope this was the right decision! I'll let you know sometime after 20th November which is when it will arrive in Auckland. Ah - I can just see it now listening to it on a warm summers day on the run up to christmas. Summer at christmas is going to take some getting used to!

S-B-H

[Valecnik]

SBH,

It sounds like you took alot of care in packing. Good luck with your move. We hope to see some videos of it playing full volume in a couple months or so.

[Swing Band Heaven]

We hope to see some videos of it playing full volume in a couple months or so.

Full volume - on one of these early electrolas - is VERY loud indeed! It would shake the very foundations of the house, and i'm not joking. I was amazed at the sound quality of such an early set. The sensativity of the radio really is exceptional. I expect to be spending hours fiddleling with all the controls namely the two separate wave dials, volume and filament voltage for those 7x 199 tubes. Lots of fun!

S-B-H

[Valecnik]

We hope to see some videos of it playing full volume in a couple months or so.

Full volume - on one of these early electrolas - is VERY loud indeed! It would shake the very foundations of the house, and i'm not joking. I was amazed at the sound quality of such an early set. The sensativity of the radio really is exceptional. I expect to be spending hours fiddleling with all the controls namely the two separate wave dials, volume and filament voltage for those 7x 199 tubes. Lots of fun!

S-B-H

S-B-H,

I don't think you mentioned how such a piece ended up in the UK, on it's way to NZ and how you acquired it. They cannot be very common in the UK or NZ?

[gramophoneshane]

LOL!

Now your worrying me!

S-B-H

You better get used to big chunks of Antarctica breaking off & floating to NZ. It's been happening a lot over the last couple years. Must be something to do with that mythical global warming you hear about. Old Mr Gates must be down there with an ice pick I think, to carry on the illusion

[Swing Band Heaven]

S-B-H,

I don't think you mentioned how such a piece ended up in the UK, on it's way to NZ and how you acquired it. They cannot be very common in the UK or NZ?

I aquired the machine about 5 years ago from a dealer in the UK who in turn had pourchased it from another collecter who had themselves had it for about 20 years. It was one of their projects that they never got around to. However I suppose its easy to forget how difficult this type of project would of been 20 years ago with no internet or emails to help. There is no information available over here on such machines. Everything I have learned and parts located have been accomplished through the internet and forums such as this one. I am not surprised that the earlier owner wasn't able to get this project off the ground.

The person who had owned it for 20 years himself purchased the machine at a clearance auction which took place in a scottish castle. How the machine ended up in a scottish castle in the first place I don't know! I know nothing about the history before this point. I can only assume that a wealthy american bought the machine over when they moved to the UK. However interestingly I don't think the machine has ever been used since it has been in the UK as it hasn't been converted to run off UK voltage. Its possible that the machine hasn't been used much if at all since it was relatively new.

There are still a number of issues with the machine of which a primary one is the cabinet. At some point in its life it has suffered water damage on the phono end of the machine which caused extensive damage and loss of some vaneer. Also alot of the phonograph parts of the machie were badly corroded - although I have with the help of a number of people been able to replace these. The cabinet I will get sorted out in NZ. My thoughts are not to get the cabinet refinished but to make the very most of what is there, clean it up and get the missing vaneer replaced. Once stripped it just wouldn't be the same as it really would be impossible to replicate the original finish.

I have contact details for someone in Australia who is a member of a vintage wireless society there and who actually saw my 9-55 when he visited the UK (before I owned the machine) so I am getting in contact with him to see if he can suggest any contacts in NZ. There ia apparently an early electrola in Australia somewhere (although not a 9-55). Perhaps mine will be the only one in the southern hemisphere! What an acolade for this "boat anchor"!!

S-B-H