Is this really the OLDEST TV in the UK?

[wajobu]

I saw this story on the telly on the BBC--very cool!

I think that jaymanaa might just like that MARs photo! Pinging Jay!

[Dave S]

Originally Posted by tubesrule

Another interesting twist...

And another interesting twist is that he offered a nice on-camera testimonial for the "Aurora Video Converter." (Yay, Darryl !)

[amptramp]

This is listed as the oldest TV set in a residence. The first time I went to England (on business), I had to visit Thorn EMI Central Research Labs and I was not too happy about being stuck there for a week. When I got to the place (about a mile north of the main EMI building and about five miles north of Heathrow Airport in the Hayes Middlesex area), there was a 10-foot section of an antenna in the parking lot. I checked in with the receptionist for the person I was about to meet and she called his extension then said, "He will be a few minutes, perhaps you may want to look at the museum over there."

I went over expecting to see some minor items from the company's past. When I got there, I couldn't believe it. Several prewar TV's all restored to exact original concours condition, starting with a 1936. All of this was behind glass in clean room conditions and my noseprints are still on the glass. One looked like the one in the video but there was also an "entertainment centre" version with radio and record player. And you would know without anyone having to say it that each of these sets had an interesting pedigree since they were only affordable by the royals or the peerage.

I mentioned it to my contact when I finally got to see him about fifteen minutes later and he said, "Did you see the antenna outside?"

"Yes."

"That is the top ten feet off the original TV transmitting antenna."

"You mean the first your company made?"

"No, the first one, period. By anybody. Anywhere."

So the trip I thought was going to be a bummer turned out to be quite entertaining.

[Phil Nelson]

Originally Posted by amptramp

the original TV transmitting antenna

Not to change the subject too much, here's a slice of the first commercial radio tower in the US, erected by KDKA in Pittsburgh.

More at http://antiqueradio.org/kdka01.htm .

Phil Nelson
Phil's Old Radios
http://antiqueradio.org/index.html