Help me Identify this Tube amp.

sudhirdamerla

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This is my Grandpas brothers amp which has been passed down to me. Marking on the front say it is made in Madras . A lot of amplifiers in India at that point were British or Japanese clones. Do any one of you recognise the design? Have all the tubes , but the markings are gone. Worth restoring?
 

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Hi
This is my Grandpas brothers amp which has been passed down to me. Marking on the front say it is made in Madras . A lot of amplifiers in India at that point were British or Japanese clones. Do any one of you recognise the design? Have all the tubes , but the markings are gone. Worth restoring?

Hi,

This is made by Electronic Service Co. in Madras. The company still exists, (from 1947)they are exclusive dealers for Philips.

Their amps used to use Radio Spares transformers from England. Company also used to import Wharfedale Goodmans etc.

They have a good service department even today. They mainly built amps based on Mullard 5-10 and 5-20 circuits.

If your transformers ate OK it is worth restoring the amp.

Regards
Rajiv
 
Have all the tubes , but the markings are gone. Worth restoring?
Tubes will be difficult to identify if markings are gone. From pictures of output transformers one can see open windings. They may be good or not can not say. Power transformer, output transformers if working can save you money. The big caps working or not would be better to replace. Can you post more pictures from inside parts. Transformers does not look like foreign made. Not sure though.
If it does not have emotional value, my advice would be salvage as many part as possible. and make new amp if you want to listen/taste music on valve amps.
Also be carefull of high voltages. Do not plug it in to turn on and check.
Regards

addition : it would also be good. If anyone in your knowing happens to rewind such transformer. That is if they are open or short.
more addition : the casing chassis looks good. which can be used.
 
Hi,

More information on the amp from the person who built the amp. Yes, he is still around, old but still a superb technician.

The output transformers are Philips Holland LB4121. Apparently the RS transformers were used in the 5-20 designs. This is the 5-10 .

Regards
Rajiv
 
@Rajiv I have no words to describe my joy! Thank you so much! I owe you a treat Sir! Have been looking for this information for ages! How would I be able to get in touch with the gentleman who made this? I can come to Chennai with the amp! There is a bigger background story to this amplifier and also a bit of sentimental value to my dad. He always wanted to have a tube amp and a pair of efficient speakers. I want to restore it and make it power amp so he cam use it with his existing setup!
 
Thats wonderful news. For emotional value you must restore it. I am repairing my Philips Valve Radio that my dad bought for same reason. Another person who is absolute gentleman, knowledgeable and very very helpful is Mr. Pandu Rajan. Very nice person. He even offered to repair my radio but distance is the problem.
All the best for your restoration.
Regards
 
@Hiten Thank you. I am a proponent of restoring as much as possible. It is environmental friendly and done right as reliable as the original design. My dad remembers this amp playing with speakers as big as small refrigerators and he say that is the best experience he has had and compares it to his Vfet experience. Hopefully once this pandemic dies down, I can have this amp brought over to the Gentleman Mr.Rajiv was referring to.
 
I agree with your dad about big speakers sound. If possible do post more internal and back panel pictures. also about valve identification. Probably you know this. If kept in proper angle in light you can see faint markings on the valves and probably know their no.
Regards
 
I have those Philips OPT. Looks like EL84 PP. careful restoration may bring it back to working provided the transformers windings enamel is still good. No harm in trying. Caps must be changed.

Would you be willing to part with the Philips OPTs?

UPDATE: I have spoken to the Gentleman who built this amp and he infact remembers my grandfather and his house too. Very wonderful man. He asked me to get it to him after the lockdown and he will restore it for me! I will make a seperate thread and document the whole restoration. Probably will do away with the preamp section if it is not worth salvaging and make a good looking power amp out of this.
 
Thats wonderful news. For emotional value you must restore it. I am repairing my Philips Valve Radio that my dad bought for same reason. Another person who is absolute gentleman, knowledgeable and very very helpful is Mr. Pandu Rajan. Very nice person. He even offered to repair my radio but distance is the problem.
All the best for your restoration.
Regards
For Radio work (especially for Philips tube radios), Mr. Pandu Rajan is the best!!
Looking forward to reading the resto-journey of this amp. Simply wonderful!!
 
Mr. Pandu Rajan lives in Bangalore, he is an expert retired electrical engineer and is a valve radio expert. He is also a restorer and collector of valve radios. He can be contacted at +91 96111 66771

While it may make sense to retain your tube radio in original condition (especially from a commercial perspective) and not make any physical or design changes to it, an old trick adopted by many in the old times, for playing records through a radio without a phono input was to use a simple Medium Wave broadcaster. If your radio does not already have a phono (gram) input, this is a good path to take.
 
For excellent sound that won't break the bank, the 5 Star Award Winning Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 Bookshelf Speakers is the one to consider!
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