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G4EBT > OLDSET 24.12.07 16:19l 67 Lines 2351 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 667381G4EBT
Read: GUEST DL1LCA
Subj: Eddystone RXs: "The Cooke Rpt"
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DB0ERF<DB0FBB<DB0IUZ<DB0OVN<DB0UHC<DB0RES<DK0WUE<GB7FCR
Sent: 071224/1341Z @:GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU #:55744 [Blackpool] FBB-7.03a $:667381G4
From: G4EBT@GB7FCR.#16.GBR.EU
To : OLDSET@WW
Something for Eddystone enthusiasts to read over Christmas:
"The Cooke Report"
Bill Cooke, GW0ION - President of the Eddystone User Group, (now ceased,
but still to be found on internet) worked as a professional radio engineer
at Eddystone for an impressive 52 years - first under Stratton ownership,
then later with GEC-Marconi.
For most of that time he was the Company's chief engineer.
He started as a technical apprentice in 1935 and retired as managing
director. The E.U.G. was fortunate in scooping a series of interviews
with Bill in which he recalled some of his life and times with the
Company.
These interviews were collated into an interesting 25-page article about
his career and the devleopment and history of the Eddystone company,
receivers from the mid 1030s to through the war years and post-WW2, and
their world famous equipment.
He covers the pre-war years, the war effort, and the return to peactime
manufacturing. One of the first post-war projects was aimed specifically
at the SWL and transmitting amateur - the famous S.640.
The 640 used octal valves throughout (the last set to do so) and worked
quite well with its 1.7 Mc/s IF and resultant low-level image response.
But it was very expensive at œ51 GBP. This was six weeks wages for an
ordnary working man at the time, and was five times the price of a good
war-surplus set in 1947.
Apart from this, the average ham - being a bit of a tightfist, kept
his wallet closed. The overseas market fared no better - you could
get a Hallicrafters S.40 for œ22.GBP.
Then prices started to come down so G.S.Laughton the company Chief, said
"unload them", so they reduced them to œ27 10s and they started to move.
Eddystome produced many transmitters for the BBC when FM broadcast began.
Anyone who has owned an Eddystone valve Receiver will see on taking
the lid off, just why they were so expense to manufacture.
The 25-page article can be gound here:
http://www.eddystoneusergroup.org.uk/People%20and%20Personalities/The%20Coo
ke%20Report.pdf
Well worth a read.
Best wishes
David, G4EBT @ GB7FCR
British Vintage Wireless Society Member
G-QRP Club Member, No: 1339
Cottingham, East Yorkshire.
Message timed: 13:00 on 2007-Dec-24
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