THE UK’s LEADING VINTAGE RADIO REPAIR AND RESTORATION CENTRE
Hi, I'm Ray. My interest in radio began when I was five years old. I was walking with my grandmother in the woods behind my home when I came across an old radio dumped in the bushes. I lugged it home, with the help of my grandmother, and pulled it to bits in the garden. My interest had been fired so, when I left school at fourteen, I went into radio and television servicing. Gaining my City and Guilds of London Institute certificate in radio and TV, I loved all aspects of radio, television and electronics. I became a radio amateur, my call sign is G4NSJ, and built my own transmitters and various other equipment. As time moved on and technology forged ahead, I began to think about the good old days when radios had valves and lovely wooden cabinets. Then, a friend gave me an old radio, and I spent many hours restoring it. I'm an anorak, and I will never change. From old steam engines to massive radio transmitters, from vintage telephone exchanges to valve radios... I love the lot. For some reason, my wife wasn't too keen on having a steam driven generator in the dining room, but she's OK with my vintage radio collection. My son is a data centre infrastructure manager and server consultant. He has only aquired a vague interest in radio, however, his IT knowledge has been very useful as he has been more than happy to help me with my web site.
The Radio Workshop began many years ago as a hobby but, when people started coming to me with their vintage radios, the hobby soon became a small business. The business has been growing fast, with the majority of new customers coming from recommendations. It's a one-man business with me working as anything from the engineer to the tea boy. Having said that, my wife is a great help. She organises my workshop and me, both of which would be a complete mess without her.
People now contact me daily with a host of questions before they bid on auction sites for vintage valve radios. The main question is... If I buy the radio, can you check it over and get it going? My answer is... Yes, of course I can. I'm often asked for advice and information on radios up for auction, which I'm happy to give. Please, don't hesitate to email or phone me if you're thinking of buying a radio from an auction site. I'll do my best to advise you. I would have thought that vintage radios were an anorak thing, but I've been encouraged by the number of women who have contacted me over the years. Several girls in their teens have asked me for help with vintage radios, which I find remarkable. So, it's not just us old timers who appreciate the beauty and warm sound of vintage valve radios. I also repair and restore valve record players. Vinyl is making a come back, and people are dragging their old Pye Black Boxes and Dansette record players out of the loft and bringing them to me. So, if you have an old record player, dig it out and I'll check it over for you. The business has been expanding progressively and, although I say it myself, this can only be down to my workmanship and fair pricing. Estimates are free, my work is guaranteed, and you are always assured of friendly and helpful advice. But, equally important, I won't rip you off. Check out the other vintage radio web sites and see what they have to offer. Once you've done that, I'm sure you'll come back to me. Email or phone me if you have any questions. All the best,Ray - G4NSJ. |
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OR CALL ME ON SKYPE
If I happen to be away or I don't answer immediately, I'll probably only be a few minutes. I'm usually in the workshop from 7am until early evening, except for weekends. |
READ THIS IMPORTANT WARNING NOTICE ONLY BUY A RESTORED RADIO FROM A COMPETENT RADIO ENGINEER Many early mains radios have a live chassis. That means that the metal work inside the radio may be LIVE (connected to the mains) and it can KILL YOU if you come into contact with it. Exposed screws or any other metal work on the outside of the cabinet or fascia of the radio must be checked for safety by a competent engineer. DO NOT CONNECT EXTERNAL WIRING TO SOCKETS ON YOUR RADIO UNLESS THE RADIO HAS BEEN CHECKED AND CERTIFIED AS SAFE BY A QUALIFIED ENGINEER |
