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| | Shown below is the Decca Universal 55, which cost £9.9.0 in 1937. This receiver is a 4 valve plus rectifier plus barretterreceiver suitable for use on AC or DC mains. The receiver is very compact, particularly for a pre-war set. The front of the  set is completely utilised by the rather attractiveelliptical tuning scale, which is protected by domed glass. As a consequence the speaker is at the right hand side of the set. The receiver is covered in figured rexine, and as well as the blackversion shown, it was also available in blue and maroon. The set features long, medium and short wave reception, as well as a grampick-up, rather surprising for a portable receiver. However the reason for this becomes clearer when it is realised that thesame chassis was used in the model 66 receiver from Decca. This was an upright table receiver that appeared in a veneered Walnutcabinet, again with the oval tuning scale. Although neither the 55 or 66 are common, I have seen more of the 55sover the years, so it presumably sold better than the table version of the set. Buyers must have been keen for the option of portability as the portablewas only about 10% cheaper than the Walnut veneered table receiver. When operated on AC mains HT current is provided by the UR1C rectifier, when operated on DCmains current is regulated by the C1 barretter. The remaining valves have their heaters wired in series. There is also a 15w 240v lamp to illuminate the tuning scale, so as mightbe imagined there is a lot of heat being generated inside the cabinet. Althoughthe sides and rear of the cabinet are made from thick fibre mesh, it is saidthat many of the receivers succumbed to fire due to excessive heat build-upinside the cabinet. Valve line-upis TH2320, VP13C, 10D1, 7D6, UR1C, C1 Barretter. The Decca company first tradedin 1928, but never really made an impact in radio production, though of coursethey did rather better with their gramophones and records. Pre-war Deccareceivers rarely turn up these days, and because of the vulnerability of theseparticularly desirable sets (either from damage to the exposed glass ellipticaltuning scale, or fire risk from overheating) they generally change hands for £100or more nowadays. Continue to theDecca "Deccette" © COPYRIGHTRETAINED ON ALL TEXT AND IMAGES ON THIS SITE |
