Television Receivers from EMI at Radiolympia 1936

For the 1936 Radiolympia, EMI presented four television models, the two television only sets, the 702 and 901 along with two outwardly very different sets that included a four waveband radio offering Medium and Long  wavebands and two Short wavebands covering from 16.7 metres to 141 metres. These were the HMV 900 and the Marconiphone 701. Both sets were priced at 120 guineas as against 95 guineas for the  television only models. The radio chassis was similar to that used in the Marconiphone 345/6 or HMV 480/1 but with a different tuning scale. The 345 is reviewed here. Apart from slight differences regarding the CRT sizes the circuitry of the two television/radio models was identical to each other and also to that of the vision circuits of the 702 and 901 although mechanical chassis design of the timebase and power supply differed.

The HMV 900 looked similar to a conventional radiogram of the period with an opening lid to access the controls and fitted with a mirror for viewing the television picture displayed on a 12" CRT.

In contrast the Marconiphone 701 had two lifting lids to give access to the television controls on the left and radio controls on the right of a raised section where the picture was viewed from a 9" CRT via a fixed mirror and magnifying lens. A possible reason for using the 9" CRT was to reduce the overall cabinet height. (The 12" Emiscope 6/6 is 28" long and the 9" Emiscope 6/5 is 23.5" long.)  The EMI models with radios were priced including aerial installation at 120 guineas and the television only sets inc aerial at 95 guineas.

Television Receivers from other Manufacturers at Radiolympia 1936

In addition to the receivers shown above Ediswan (Edison Swan Electric Co Ltd) also demonstrated a "test receiver" designed for "highest fidelity" regardless of cost. This ran for 10 days during the Radiolympia Show without any readjustment but it was not a commercially available product hence exclusion from the above.

The Radiolympia show took place from 26th August to the 5th September 1936. It is interesting to compare the television presentations with those at the Berlin Radio Exhibition that ran virtually at the same time from 27th August to 7th September 1936.

A good account of television presentations at the 1936 Radiolympia is given in 405 Alive by Andrew Henderson. Reading the first part it is followed slightly confusingly by the Part Two of a different author's work. The actual Part two of the Radiolympia article appears in the next edition of 405 Alive.

In 1937 the public had another opportunity to see television sets operating at the Science Museum Television Exhibition that ran from June through to September.

By the time of the 1939 Radiolympia exhibition, television had achieved equal status to that of radio.

A short compilation of various BBC demonstration films