Suspicious WS19 aerial base on eBay
 

This one doesn't look right, and I suspect it's a fake.

The metalwork is too clean and the welding too neat, but the actual aerial base No.9 doesn't look right. It should be a rubber moulding with stamped metal end pieces (plated steel or brass st the top end), but this looks like aluminium. Also the bottom section of the insulator looks like painted metal and I suspect the whole thing may have been turned on a lathe.

Caution advised if you were thinking of bidding on it.

(No, of course it's not mine!) :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/military-r...k/112200349043

Well in fairness to the seller he did put in the question mark "military radio antenna WW2 ? " into the title, so in ebay speak he has absolved himself of all knowledge about the product. (not sure if my sarcasm comes off properly in a typed reply).

For cosmetic restoration it's probably OK, and if it wasn't so expensive I'd be tempted to buy it, paint it Light Stone, and insist that the IWM replace the wretched lump of 1" conduit and tinplate that was gracing their Daimler Armoured Car the last time I saw it. :D

(I suspect the DAC is back in store while they have the WW1 displays running.)

Chris.

Good eye, Chris.

One should see the rubber seams running either side of the base from the two halves of the mold meeting, the ZA and PC numbers in raised letters at the bottom of the base and the last quarter inch or so of the rubber should actually taper outwards to the bottom. This one looks like a perfect cylinder.

Also to my eye. the upper guard ring looks a tad too hefty.


David

aye that rubber bit is clearly aluminium :)

Somebody thought it was worth 130 quid. Like you say ok for cosmetic restoration or until a better one comes along.

Ken

Someone is in for a nasty surprise if they think it is real.

That's Mounting No.2 - the medium height one for when you have too much clutter on the turret roof. :D

(No.3 is taller still and looks more like one of the later IR identification lights.)

Chris.

Aerial Base No.9
 

While looking for something totally unrelated this morning, I stumbled across this website:

https://mullard.org/collections/vint...rial-base-no-9

What struck me was the use of this aerial base on the Wolsley Police Cars from 1940 to 1955. I wonder if that was it's original use and it was adapted for the B-Set No. 19 Wireless system, or vis a versa? Be interesting to see what type of radio the police were using back then as well.

That aside, this is a rather interesting site as far as vintage wireless parts are concerned.

David

(Sigh) I'm going to annoy everybody again by calling "Fake". :teach:

The flat disc mounting looks wrong (and probably bodged). The "real thing" has a flat disk with lock-nuts permanently fitted, a rubber gasket, and a second ring with the securing screws (I can't remember if they were captive - probably not). The 'bar type' locking clip is correct (later/replacement 'B' set bases seem to have come fitted with these instead of the 'horseshoe' clip needed for the WS19 'in-line' socket.

The police radio was post-WW2 manufacture, made by Pye, and used a huge number of surplus components: 'B' set aerial base, 2-pin power connectors as used on WS22, etc, WS19 HT1 dynamotors (And the clamp!) from the British twin dynamotor supply unit. It was a boot (trunk) mounted unit on a wooden board, comprising a power unit with two x 12 -> 250 volt dynamotors and three separate boxes side by side on top of that: receiver, transmitter and public address amplifier.

http://www.qsl.net/gm8aob/images_3/0...209_060823.jpg

http://www.qsl.net/gm8aob/images_3/0...209_060816.jpg

The website has some 'interesting' prices, well into Audiophool territory in some cases, though I have found the occasional bargain on there,

Cheers!


Chris.