Thread: 1.Find of the day 2. Remember when??

I can recall Dad having a Ferris Radio slung under the glovebox in the HT Kingswood. Took up most of the legroom.
A more modern version, something like this:



From memory this one operated on 12 volt or 8 D cell batteries for portable operation. I can recall sliding it out of its cradle and taking it with us down the beach. Circa late 60's. Mum could listen to the cricket while we burnt ourselves to a crisp in the water...

Originally Posted by Sleepy

I can recall Dad having a Ferris Radio slung under the glovebox in the HT Kingswood. Took up most of the legroom.
A more modern version, something like this:



From memory this one operated on 12 volt or 8 D cell batteries for portable operation. I can recall sliding it out of its cradle and taking it with us down the beach. Circa late 60's. Mum could listen to the cricket while we burnt ourselves to a crisp in the water...

I fitted the black and silver version of that radio into my 86" when I was doing my National service recruit training at Pucka, July 1972. (My marble came up in the fifteenth National Service ballot).

Great little radio. After Gough got in, I got out and I then worked my way around Oz. I remembered listening to this radio in the bush after work, on a IP geophysics survey, on Ning Bing station, north of Kununurra. The date was September the 5th 1974, This was when, in Hobart, the Mt St Canice laundry steam boiler exploded. It killed 8 people and injured 21.

I was listening this report at night on 936 AM, to 7ZL in Hobart, using a long wire aerial down to the radio, with a couple of turns around the case and the end poked into some wet ground.

Cheers Arthur

Great recollections there Arthur (sharp memory!), and Sleepy.

And we look forward to anyone sharing their childhood memories of the Ferris portable car/home radio, in particular the valve M106 (see photo) that son & I found.
This somewhat battered and scarred old relic will be restored, but might have to wait a year in the queue of tasks begging our attention.
I have a trade background in electronics so we will give it a good go. Presently I have a couple of old car radios (out of early Chevys) sitting on the bench, to repair for a bloke at work.

ahhh thee old wireless

Here you go harryj, you can have an even older one.

1940's FERRIS CAR RADIO 240 / 6 VOLT | eBay

Now I know why they call you 'Sleepy' - you must have spent all night on the internet looking for that lovely relic for me.
I remember, as a kid, getting zapped off the valves whilst tinkering with old wirelesses
Well done my friend.

Originally Posted by harryj

you must have spent all night on the internet looking for that lovely relic for me.

No, not all night. - searched ebay "Ferris Radio" and there you go.
At the risk of a thread drift, I am also a Ham Radio enthusiast and admirer of all things "tubed". I have a lovely tube amplifier from the 70's that produces wonderful music quality and this special Mallard radio from the 50's. It is AM only, of course, but has the most magnificent clarity. I replaced the tubes in it about 10 years ago and is my favourite for listening to the cricket.

Originally Posted by harryj

....
Of course, it's AM only, but would have pulled in the long distance signals from radio stations very far away, especially at night.

When I was a young Geologist straight out of Uni, I remember working in the Gibson desert, roughly midway between Warburton and Wiluna. Late one evening we picked up a radio station in SA - 5DN I think, in North Adelaide, it told us! I remember thinking that was pretty cool, especially because in the morning, the signal had turned to static....