Narrow-Bandwidth Television Association

After all that bad luck with my video-driver I've got this here on eBay:
[url]http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=020&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=300114638700&rd=1&rd=1
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Practical Television from March 1935 Not really cheap, but here in Germany impossible to get. I can't wait to get it.

DrZarkov wrote:Practical Television from March 1935 Not really cheap, but here in Germany impossible to get. I can't wait to get it.

And I can't wait to hear what all the articles in it are about...and maybe see some piccys too.
Albert.

It arrived today! From the content:
- Visors designed and made by readers
- High-Definition with a disc-receiver
- Obtaining brilliant pictures
- Simple television receiver suggestions
- Daylight TV
- Television committee's report
- Building a portable Television Receiver

and more.

I came home very late today, and I have to go up at 5.45 am, so no time for scanning in anything by now. But I will do it as soon as possible.

DrZarkov wrote:It arrived today! From the content:
- Visors designed and made by readers
- High-Definition with a disc-receiver
- Obtaining brilliant pictures
- Simple television receiver suggestions
- Daylight TV
- Television committee's report
- Building a portable Television Receiver

and more.

I came home very late today, and I have to go up at 5.45 am, so no time for scanning in anything by now. But I will do it as soon as possible.

"Obtaining brilliant pictures" looks interesting pre LED.
And a 'portable' TV in 1935 boogles my mind somewhat!
Albert.

The first pictures: I scaled them down to put them here, I will store the entire magazine on my homepage later.

Thanks for all those very detailed pictures. But the prices!
In 1935 it would have taken a whole weeks wages for a working man just to buy the sync gear for the Nipokow disc!
A 16" disc for 7/6, the whole kit 84/- That's about 7 times a weekly wage.

The new mercury neon lamp was not suitable for 60 lines I see. Driven by a PX25 old bulbous valve. A far better sight than a few LEDs though!

"British Television Supplies"...these firms soon get on any new band wagon, choosing a suitable modern name......just as they do now!
Albert.

My impression of this magazin is that it looks like a computer magazin of the eighties. The same kind of people buying it. About the currency I have to ask as a non english: 84/0 means 84 Shilling or Pound? Even Shilling is incredible expensive, given that 84 Shilling were 7 pounds or 84 Reichsmark which is now about 420,00 EUR in value of money.

84/- = eighty four shillings. At 20 shillings to the (old) pound = four pounds and four shillings. Or 4.20 in todays currency, say about 6.30 Euros, or around US$8.00.

In 1935 that would have been far more than the average weekly wage. In 1956 my father was making about six pounds a week as a trainee projectionist at the Hammersmith Odeon, then he had to pay tax out of that!

Steve A.

Attached is a datasheet for a PX25, looks far more interesting than any MOSFET!

20 Shilling were 1 Pound? Who invented that??? O.k., 4 Pound 4 Shilling were in that days 50 Reichsmark, which has now a value of about 250,00 EUR after statistics what you've got for that money and what you will have to pay now for getting the same. Still expensive for a TV kit...

DrZarkov wrote:20 Shilling were 1 Pound? Who invented that?

The whole Imperial system of measurements and currency defies belief. Thankfully there are few remnants left of it, except in the US who for reasons I don't understand won't let go of it.

The exception in the UK is road distances which are still in miles, and speeds in MPH (miles per hour). Though there are moves afoot to change that. One Imperial mile = 1.6km (approx.) If you drive in the UK you'll notice on the motorways that exits are notified increasingly now at 2/3 of a mile and 1/3 of a mile. Near enough for an overnight change to 1km and 500m.

I have a 12" steel ruler (I should say 305mm), on the reverse it has conversions from Imperial to Metric, e.g. 49/64" = 19.446875mm...talk about awkward! You want to multiply 49/64" by seven in your head?

Going back to currency, there was also the Guinea = 21/-, more expensive items like furniture were often quoted in Guineas to reduce the apparent 'number'.

If you want a lesson in the impossible, here's a link...

http://web.staffs.ac.uk/schools/humanit ... dmoney.htm

I attach a jpg of a 1961 Brimar valve/tube page manual, it shows the prices on this particular page. It shows a 6BK4 as 60/-, i.e three pounds...confusing or what?

Steve A.

(And Purchase Tax was a form of VAT)

Steve Anderson wrote:84/- = eighty four shillings. At 20 shillings to the (old) pound = four pounds and four shillings. Or 4.20 in todays currency, say about 6.30 Euros, or around US$8.00.

In 1935 that would have been far more than the average weekly wage. In 1956 my father was making about six pounds a week as a trainee projectionist at the Hammersmith Odeon, then he had to pay tax out of that!

I miss the old slang terms for our money... £1 was a quid. 1/- was a bob.
A tenner was £10 and a pony was £25. Monkey came in at £500.
Ah, thems were the days.
Albert.

Viewmaster wrote:Ah, thems were the days. Albert.

Perhaps we should make this an exclusively non-solid-state board, no Silicon or Germanium. OK, you can get away with Selenium or metal-oxide rectifiers, but that's it!

I'm only joking, but those that have dabbled in vacuum-based technology will understand what I am suggesting. It's nuts and bolts, no PCBs along with the occasional 'belt' from the supplies.

While you wait for the valves/tubes to warm up you go and put the kettle on. The innocence of the era....here's a typical advertisment from that period...should raise a few giggles...

Steve A.

Somewhere among the NBTVA photos on site is a photo of a valved NBTV.
So much better than bland uninteresting looking transistors. Valves are easily obtainable and HT/LT transformers too, so I wonder why we don't all get stuck in and go valvey? I have some 2v and 6.3 volt valves....also some for AC/DC sets.....a NBTV with a line cord!
Albert.

Viewmaster wrote:So much better than bland uninteresting looking transistors. Valves are easily obtainable and HT/LT transformers too, so I wonder why we don't all get stuck in and go valvey?
Albert.

Albert, I cannot agree with you more. But there are those that are too scared with voltages of above 50V or so. I'm working on an SSTV monitor at the moment that uses 3KV and a 5ADP7 tube, with all the exposed connections, the crackling in the air, and the smell of Ozone it's wonderful!

You wanna see electrons in action...get yourself a few KV!

Also, remember those 90V and 120V batteries you could get for 'portable' radios, I've seen somewhere that they are still available, but at cost!

Steve A.