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Last updated 23rd June 2008

The Portable Collection


Here are examples of the sets I have in my portables collection (which numbers over 100 sets). For additional information and pictures for each set, click on the link under a photo then use your browser's 'Back' button to return to this page.

American Portables are featured after 'Vidor', at the bottom of this page!

Berec

British Ever Ready Export Co., London

   
  Fiesta Pioneer    

Bush

Bush Radio, London

   
  BP61 BAC31    
         

Cossor

AC Cossor, London

 
  Model 469 Model 499UB Model 543 Melody  
         

Champion

     
 

Model 822

     
         

Decca

     
 

Deccette

     
         

Ekco

EK Cole, Southend

    MBP99 Stroller I   MBP149 Stroller II   MBP183 Stroller III BP321
         

Ever Ready

Ever Ready Radio, London

    Sky Baronet   Sky King   Sky Queen   Sky Queen Mk 2
         

Ever Ready

       
    Model 'C'   Model 'K'   Type 'N'   Sky Casket
         

Ever Ready

   
 

Sky Countess

Sky Baby

   
         
Ferguson

     
 

Flair

     
         

Ferranti

       
    815   945    
         

GEC

       
    BC4448      
         

Marconiphone

 

 

 
      T24DAB  T36A   T73DAB   
         

Masterradio

       
    PB101 'The Minor'      
         

McMichael

     
 

Unknown Portable

     
         

Murphy

Murphy Radio, Welwyn Garden City

     
 

BA228

     
         

PAM

     
 

Unknown Portable

     
         

Pye

Pye Radio, Cambridge

       
    75B 'New Baby Q'   31BQ   114BQ   131MBQ
         

Regentone

     
 

B1

     
         

Roberts

       
    Junior      
         

Vidor

Vidor Radio, Erith, Kent

       
    CN351 'Riviera'   CN381   CN396/396a   CN414 'Attaché'
         

Vidor

   
  CN420 'Regatta' CN426 'Henley' CN430 'Lady Anne' CN431 'Marquisa'
         

Vidor

 

 

  CN432   CN429 & 434 'Lady Margaret' CN435z 'Lady Catherine'    CN441 'Lady Elizabeth'
         
American Portables      



  

GE Radio Model 250

GE Radio Model 614

GE Radio Model LB-530

Motorola Diplomat 65L2

Motorola Model 5A5

         
RCA 2BX63 RCA 2B400 RCA Strat-o-World 3-BX-671

Gamble-Skogmo Coronado Radio Model 43-9751

Airline (Montgomery Ward) Model 94WG-1059A
         

Stromberg-Carlson Model 1105 Zenith Trans-Oceanic H500 Zenith Trans-Oceanic B600

LearAvian RM-402B

LearAvian PB10-A

My collection started with seeing an old Vidor set for offer on E-Bay. I bought it, only to realise that it was battery powered. Far from being disheartened, I resolved to build a power supply and restore it to working order. Looking for information on the web, I realised that many battery sets are forgotten simply because the batteries are no longer availiable and the sound quality may not have been as good as the larger wooden cased models. Are they collectible? I think so. What are they worth? Plenty to those who value them.

In a larger sense, these radios tell us the bigger story of an industry in decline. Although the new generation of low-current battery valves and 'all-dry' batteries had made possible the design of smaller, lighter radios, the writing was on the wall. These sets of the 1950's paint a picture of an industry about to be revolutionised by a fundamentally new technology. Despite the 'Nuvistor', the 'Acorn Tube' and the 'Compactron', vacuum 'hollow-state' semiconductor technology was about to be killed by the desires of the mass-market... we will never see radios like this again.