Murphy Radio Rebuild

My Neighbour and Godfather Charles Dango dabbles in vintage stuff. I remember querying him in December regarding an old Grundig radio that used to sit in his hall. However it had long since been sold.

This time when I went down, he presented me with this Murphy Radiogram. I was quite thrilled and began processing many options for this nice retro looking unit. On returning to Bahrain, I soon found that while the vacuum tubes all worked, I could not coax a single note out of the radio. I have not got a clue regarding vintage electronics, so am unable to repair the radio.

I've decided to replace the original guts with a cheap car stereo powering my old creative computer speakers. That should work for a while until I finally get the original unit repaired.

The case has been dismantled and is now being re glued together prior to sending for refinishing.

More on the progress of this later.

Marine Memorabilia!!!!

When you've worked for a Marine Organisation for 15 years, you tend to come across a lot of stuff being thrown out or being replaced... Then you collect all of that junk and decorate your house with the stuff!!!!!

Clockwise from Top Right

Nunotani Keiki Seisakusho - Engine Order Telegraph
I actually rescued this off the top of a heap of stuff that was being thrown out from Goltens Fujairah. Not much done to it with the exception of rewiring it to accept 220V lamps. The face lights up and would make a great conversation piece in a foyer or in Marine themed room. All the original electrics are still intact and will someday attempt to get the handle to probably control.... maybe room lighting??????

Danforth Constellation - Magnetic Compass
Removed from Mohd. Sayed Al Kamda's yacht in 1992 on which I was working as a helper. Sayed Al Kamda is Goltens sponsor in Dubai and the Yacht was undergoing a complete refurbishment and I got to keep the Barometer/Chronometer/Hygrometer as well.

Wartsila - Name Plate
Removed from engine block in Goltens prior to it being scrapped. Polished the alloy, and filled in the recesses with Red Enamel paint which I then baked in the oven for a hard finish. Forgot about it and the entire house was smelling of burnt paint. Thankfully the smell cleared prior to Lynda coming home.

Freiberger Prazisionsmechanik - Sextant
Acquired when one of our managers moved to Singapore. I found this box lying in the corner and 'lo & behold' it contained a working Sextant. Incidentally this is East German and has been listed on the Internet for sale @ USD 500.00

Gone Postal!!!!

This amazing pane of stamps is to be issued this year by the United States Postal Service.

I am very much a Star Wars fans, and very clearly remember going to Star Wars in Town (Bombay). There was a lot of hype surrounding the movie and one of the 'Suiting & Shirting' manufacturers was sponsoring the launch.

All over the place were banners that proclaimed 'Dinesh - May the Force be with You'. This quite excited Dinesh whom I believe, believed that they were referring to him!!!!

Like I said before - He's my brother and we love him!!!!!

Anyways, methinks someone at the USPS has hit upon a stellar way of boosting sales in what we all know as a fading product!!!

Last year they issued the DC Super Heroes Series and this year they will issue the Marvel Super Heroes Series. The DC Super Heroes has already been ordered and is with Sam.

Can't wait to get my hands on them!!!!!

Vintage Radio Media Jukebox

I've decided that it no longer makes any sense to hold on to my 400 CD player. ever since I moved to Bahrain, I've not really had the time nor the inclination to load the unit up. It worse now as I have 400+ Cds.

I flirted with a Rack Mount Player and even had Lynda carry a 4U Rack Mount case from Malaysia. I finally traded in that in for a 320GB drive when I upgraded my PC.

I'm now flirting with the option of integrating a Media Centre within one of these console radios from the Fifties. I located a really neat software at www.albumplayer.com and is amazing as it supports touchscreen operations. I imagine the LCD monitor to be located in the lid and the hardware beneath it.

I already have an old Celeron c/w 512MB Memory on and Intel Motherboard. Now to get the console.

Anyone know someone who has any of these non-functional units lying around??????