Competition to find Ireland's oldest working television - Going Digital/Today FM

The Cush

This from the Dept's Going Digital website (buried in the news section)

Competition to find oldest working television

The DCENR is delighted to have teamed up with the Ray D’Arcy Show on Today FM in an effort to find Ireland’s oldest working TV. Ray launched the campaign on this show tyesterday, 16th February, with Gay Bryne, our official Digital Switchover spokesperson. Ray and Gay invited the show’s many listeners to look high and low, in attics and basements, in garages and garden sheds for any old working TV’s, take a photo and submit it to the show via ray@todayfm.com.

The campaign will run for the next two weeks and the listener with the oldest working TV – once we have validated its age and working condition – will win a Saorview approved TV. This is a great initiative and we are looking forward to what Ray’s listeners send in.

Make sure to tune in to The Ray D’Arcy Show on Today FM, weekdays from 9.00am – 12.00noon, for more information and if you have an old working TV, why not take a photo and send it into the show.

http://www.goingdigital.ie/Info/News/Competition+to+find+oldest+working+television.htm

Ray D'Arcy discussion with Gay Byrne podcast (The Ray D’Arcy Show on Today FM, 17th Feb) - http://media.todayfm.com/podcast/60189/?uniqueID=128887



DigitalUK ran a similar UK competition back in 2009, the TV that won was a 1936 Marconiphone type-702 (serial number H-1007)

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/27900/LaunchingOldestTVCompetition.pdf
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/34594/OldestTV_Winner_FINAL.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8159406.stm
http://secretscotland.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/oldest-television-found-a-1936-marconiphone/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1200808/Still-good-working-order-television-set-1936.html

Put up for sale (with original sale receipt) at Bonhams at Knightsbridge, London April 19th last year with a £5,000 estimate sold for £16,800 ($27,500 to an American buyer) - more than three times the estimate. Originally purchased on Nov 26th, 1936 for £99 15 shillings. 0d - over half the annual average wage of the day and equivalent to almost £4,000 today, three weeks after scheduled transmissions began (Mon, Nov 2nd 3pm). Three days later (Nov 30th, 1936) the Crystal Palace transmitter burned down and transmissions in the area didn't restart until 1946.

Bonhams Lot Details - http://www.bonhams.com/eur/auction/19034/lot/1/#

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372902/The-oldest-working-TV-UK-goes-sale.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8425738/Oldest-working-television-set-expected-to-sell-for-5000.html

They don't make 'em like they used to: 75-year-old WORKING television sells for £17,000 at auction
By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 6:27 PM on 19th April 2011

Britain's oldest working television set has sold at auction for a whopping £16,800 - more than three times the estimate.
The Marconi machine was bought new for almost £100 in 1936 - just three weeks after transmissions began - and incredibly it still works today.

It was snapped up after furious bidding at Bonhams auction house, London, by an American buyer.

Bonhams specialist Laurence Fisher said: 'I've handled 38 pre-war tellys and this is the finest and even comes with the original invoice.

'It cost a huge amount and the owner must have had wealth and means.'

The TV came with a bill of sale for Mr. G. B. Davis of Dulwich, south London. The set cost Mr Davis £99 15 shillings. 0d - over half the annual average wage of the day and equivalent to almost £4,000 today.

But a twist of fate meant the original owner would have only been able to watch a maximum of 180 minutes of TV on it.

The Crystal Palace and its transmitter burned down just three days after Mr Davis bought the Marconi type-702 set on 26 November.

His area could not receive pictures again until 1946 and, because there was then only one hour of programmes a day, even then Mr Davis's television viewing time was limited.

'But at least people who visited him would know he had one, even if he couldn't use it,' said Mr Fisher.

The 75-year-old set has a 12-inch screen. It sits in a walnut and mahogany case and the picture is reflected onto a mirror that opens from the top.

There are more 18th century Stradivarius violins still in circulation than pre-war TVs, and this set has only had two owners prior to the sale.

TV pioneer John Logie Baird and the Marconi company were responsible for the set which was created using Britain's secret radar research.

'Logie Baird and Marconi had separate companies but used the same people to make the sets, but Marconi became the most popular maker,' said Mr Fisher.

'Baird made the first mechanical television in 1926 and this was the first electronic version.' Incredibly only 30 per cent of the components in this set have been replaced - all with identical parts.

But watching television in the first half of the 20th century would have been a far cry from the fast-paced multi-channel entertainment overload we have at our fingertips these days.

'Programmes at the time would have all be live and there were plays which were grand productions like you would have at the theatre,' said Mr Fisher.

'It was the first time people could see the faces of those whose voices they knew so well from the radio.'


TV LISTINGS: 26/11/1936
The TV listings for the day the television was bought on November 26 1936 were:

3.05: Allied Arts and Handicrafts Exhibition.
3.30: Film : Happy Days in the Tyrol.
3.45: Starlight : Lou Holtz.
9.05: Allied Arts and Handicrafts Exhibition.
9.30: Film : Diamonds in the Rough.
9.45: Irene Prador.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1378606/Britains-oldest-working-TV-sells-17-000-Bonhams.html

Scotland also ran a similar competition in late 2008 prior to the start of DSO there
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7650197.stm
http://secretscotland.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/oldest-television-sought-in-baird-contest/
http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/27033/OldestTVWinner_Release_onlyFINAL2.pdf

watty

I know people with pre WWII and late 1940s early 1950s 405 TVs, but they are all in England and Scotland. A box called an Aurora converts to 405 line.

You can still buy a 1950s TV for under £60 (collection recommended) but almost certainly needing Restore/Restoration.

I disposed of a 1976 Colour set in 2006 as the mechanical tuner buttons would no longer latch.

The oldest set I have now is a JVC P-100UKC in pristine condition, though the TV tuner only receives on VHF.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/r/jvc_p_100ukcp100uk.html


JVC P-100UKC 1978
There is a AM/FM radio tuning scale on top. The VHF/UHF tuning scale is around the rotating speaker grill.

In theory anything earlier than 1962 or so is likely to be 405 Line only and only working and in use if owned by a collector with an Aurora. Away from East coast and North there where 625 Line only sets in 1962 / 1963 onward and one somewhere might still be working and in use.

Some relevant threads here
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055975326
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056096385


The first Set-top boxes were in 1955 to add ITV Band III to older BBC Band 1 only TV sets. In theory there could have been such used on coast Dublin/Wexford/Waterford for Welsh reception for very early BBC adopters.

They did discuss bringing in the Irish TV licence in 1950s and it finally arrived in August 1961 even though Irish TV transmission started 31st December 1961.

John mac

oldest one they have so far is 1967 .

Hissing Sideban

The Cush wrote: »

Quoting the Daily Mail


....... Three days later (Nov 30th, 1936) the Crystal Palace transmitter burned down and transmissions in the area didn't restart until 1946.

As is typical with newsapers when you know something about the subject they always get bits wrong.

Although the Crystal Palace did burn down on that date, it housed John Logie Baird's labs, and wasn't London's TV transmitter in 1936 (although some experimental broadcasts had been made from there)
The BBC TV studios and Transmitters were at Alexandra palace in North London, and TV was on the ar full time until a few days before War was declared.

I have a 1959 Ferguson TV (405 only) , and several old sets which date from the 1960's including a couple of dual standard portable- I must check them out and contact Ray Darcy.
Photos later or tomorrow when I get in to the workshop
BTW Watty, I have two Auroras

watty

http://www.oldtechnology.net/mono.html

also
http://www.scottpeter.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Vintagetech.htm

Yes, you REALLY CAN see the back of the picture on the "Mirror Lid" sets from the rear!

watty

Hissing Sideban wrote: »

I have a 1959 Ferguson TV (405 only) , and several old sets which date from the 1960's including a couple of dual standard portable- I must check them out and contact Ray Darcy.
Photos later or tomorrow when I get in to the workshop

Looking forward to it. Pity Tramore is so far from my Batcave.

Hissing Sideban

Here is some of my old TV collection

Hissing Sideban

Here is the '59 Ferguson

The Cush

The winner of the competition to find Ireland's oldest television was announced on the Ray D'Arcy Show last Friday, 13th April (Today FM Media Player - Ray D'Arcy Show - Friday - Part 3 - 51:00).

A 1948 EK Cole TSC91 console tv with 9" screen owned by Frank Cuffe from Roscommon (EKCO on Wikipedia)

Podcast available on the Going Digital website, including interview with Enda Gallagher, Press Officer Dept of Communications - http://www.goingdigital.ie/Info/News/Winner+of+the+oldest+TV+in+Ireland+announced.htm

steveon

Wow I dumped an old Salora L chassis 8 channel tv, yesterday was working perfectl I couldnt actually beleive the condition it was in...was sad to dump but have way too much stuff already lying around to keep.

Customer bought a new tv and never ever had a remote never seen a guy so happy when I showed him all the new features.

Trick of the Tail

The Cush wrote: »

The winner of the competition to find Ireland's oldest television was announced on the Ray D'Arcy Show last Friday, 13th April (Today FM Media Player - Ray D'Arcy Show - Friday - Part 3 - 51:00).

A 1948 EK Cole TSC91 console tv with 9" screen owned by Frank Cuffe from Roscommon (EKCO on Wikipedia)

Podcast available on the Going Digital website, including interview with Enda Gallagher, Press Officer Dept of Communications - http://www.goingdigital.ie/Info/News/Winner+of+the+oldest+TV+in+Ireland+announced.htm

Wasn't the competition for the oldest WORKING TV? That one won't pick up any off-air signals these days, it needs an external converter.

A.

The Cush

alinton wrote: »

Wasn't the competition for the oldest WORKING TV? That one won't pick up any off-air signals these days, it needs an external converter.

The winner of the UK's oldest TV competition also used an external converter and Freeview receiver

The Marconiphone 702 requires a 405 line signal on the old channel B1; 45MHz vision; and 41.5MHz sound. This was originally broadcast by the BBC at Alexandra Palace from 1936, and then Crystal Palace from the mid 1950s until the last 405 line transmitters were closed down in 1985.

A device, rather like a specialised set top box, is used to convert current 625 line signals. The Aurora 405 converter was developed for this purpose. The Aurora takes standard video and audio from any source, such as a Freeview box, and supplies the signal required by an early TV.

http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/34594/OldestTV_Winner_FINAL.pdf

The Cush

Article in the Irish Independant - http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/anything-good-on-the-60yearold-telly-tonight-3089305.html

The Cush

Short piece on the Six-One News this evening, Pat Rabbitte with the TV

RTÉ Player - 0:35:10 mins in

Johnboy1951

alinton wrote: »

Wasn't the competition for the oldest WORKING TV? That one won't pick up any off-air signals these days, it needs an external converter.

A.

The set is working ..... but none broadcast signals for it to receive ...... no?

The Cush

Video of the TV connected to a Saorview STB and displaying the RTÉ News Now channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyO88UX5gH4

http://www.goingdigital.ie/Media+Centre/Minister+Rabbitte+demonstrates+the+simplicity+of+the+digital+switchover+using+the+oldest+TV+set+in+I.htm

Oldest Working TV in Ireland Goes Digital

MINISTER PAT RABBITTE MAKES IRELAND’S OLDEST WORKING TELEVISION – A 1948 ECKO – GO DIGITAL

Friday 27th April, 2012: Having just last week discovered the oldest working TV in Ireland - a 1948 Ekco TSC91 – Minister Pat Rabbitte TD marked just six months to go the Digital TV Switchover by making the TV go digital in his office at Department Of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Adelaide Road.

Anyone who currently relies on an aerial to watch TV - approximately 250,000 households across Ireland - will need to take action before 24th October 2012 to retain access to TV services. Guidance on the Digital Switchover is available at www.goingdigital.ie, through LoCall 1890 940 980 (English language) and 1890 940 970 (Irish language). An information booklet will be delivered by the Department to every household in the country in June.

http://www.goingdigital.ie/Media+Centre/Oldest+Working+TV+in+Ireland+Goes+Digital.htm