Eddystone EC10 receiver

This was the first transistorised communications receiver. Back in the 1960s, many lusted after one. I eventually got one in the 1970s. 

Actually it was very poor. By modern standards I expect a very low cost SDR is better. They still pop up on auction sites from time to time. They use germanium OC171 transistors which often get leaky and need replacing.

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/eddystone-ec10 .

Eddystone EC10 receivers

From time to time these still appear on auction sits like eBay, commanding ridiculous prices. As a young person these were highly coveted. In reality they were unbelievably poor. These days a low cost SDR dongle offers far superior performance for far less than the 1968 new price!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/eddystone-ec10 .

Eddystone EC10 RX

This RX was first introduced in the late 1960s and was the first transistorised communications RX. It sold for £48 when it first appeared, and we all (well quite a few of us) wanted one.

By modern standards it was hopeless. At high HF the image rejection was pathetic because of the low IF. They still appear on sites like eBay for a fortune. They have become collector's pieces. I briefly owned one a long time ago, goodness knows why. They used germanium transistors and these became leaky with time. Many need replacing. Mechanically, these receivers were excellent. Shame about the electronics!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/eddystone-ec10 .

How times change!

When I was first licenced in the late 1960s, I wanted a Codar AT5 transmitter.  At the time it was the state of the art.  This was a valved 12W AM/CW transmitter. I never had one. 

I had the companion T28 RX, which was rubbish. I think the pair were really meant for mobile use, as most mobile in those days was on 160m AM. My T28 was a university prize for a VLF project on whistlers. It ended up as a 4-6 MHz IF for a VHF converter. I recall hearing USA stations on 2m via Oscar 6 and Oscar 7.

I also had an Eddystone EC10 receiver. Apart from the mechanical construction, this too was rubbish.

We have come a long way since those days. Today, you can buy a multi-mode transceiver with internal batteries covering 160m -70cm in a smaller size than the AT5!   In fact, this has been available for more than 20 years!

Eddystone EC10 RX

We have moved on a lot.   Back in the 1960s, the Eddystone EC10 RX costing £48 was my dream machine. Many years later I managed to get a pre-production unit from someone at work whose dad worked for Eddystone. I remember the day he put it on my bench!

Mechanically, it was superb with its flywheel drive. On the lower bands it was just adequate. On the higher HF bands like 10m, it was terrible with its low IF and almost zero image rejection.

You used to be able to pick these up on Internet auction sites at inflated prices.  I have not looked recently.  They used germanium transistors (OC171s) that probably were leaky and wanted replacing. As an historic RX, you are welcome to bid, but as a serious 21st century RX? Forget it!

See https://sites.google.com/view/g3xbm4/home/hf-mf-and-lf/commercial-rigs/eddystone-ec10.

UPDATE 2215z:  eBay still has people listing them.

Changing times

When I was in my 20s I wanted an Eddystone EC10 receiver. In the end I got one via a friend whose dad worked there. 

Mechanically, they were lovely with a great case and a dial with silky smooth tuning. 

Electrically, they were dreadful. As I recall, the whole 10m band occupied about 1.5cm of dial. With a low IF the image rejection on 10m was appalling. It used OC171 germanium transistors. 

By comparison with modern receivers it was bad, really bad. It is some time since I looked, but at one time the second hand price was about twice the retail price when they were first launched, which was £48. I have no idea why I wanted one looking back.

There is a page about these receivers on my website. See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ec10 .  Please be aware this will change when the "new" site is released. If in doubt use www.g3xbm.co.uk as this will always point to the right pages.

The photo shows the Mk II version with an S meter. I had the Mk I version.

UPDATE 0845z:  A quick look on eBay showed a Mk II at £78. No doubt the transistors would have become leaky and in need of replacement, unless this has been done. I suspect most are bought as collectors items these days.

Eddystone EC10 RX

When I was younger, I always wanted one of these. In the late 1960s they retailed for £48. They were, I think, the first transistorised communications receiver Eddystone made. The RX used OC171 germanium transistors and a low IF. Actually they were useless! The only good thing was the wonderful Eddystone dial.

A friend of mine had a dad who worked for Eddystone and he managed to get me a pre-production Mk 1 EC10. The entire 10m band covered about 1cm of dial and the image rejection must have been almost non-existent. By today's standards it was a useless RX. Mine was mainly used on 160m and 80m and as a tunable IF for 2m.

Even today I think they still command good prices on eBay, although this must be for collectors rather than performance.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ec10

Eddystone Receivers

When I first got interested in the hobby in the early 1960s Far Eastern transceivers were unheard of. Many used war surplus receivers like the AR88 or CR100. For years I coveted an Eddystone EC10. One day I got one. The IF was low and the bandspread on 10m was abysmal! As a tuneable IF for VHF and UHF converters it was fine. Overall, it really was not a very good receiver. These days they are hard to find and really not worth the money.

The 840C was a much better radio. At one time they even did an amateur band only receiver called the EA12.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ec10

Eddystone receivers

When I first entered the hobby in the early 1960s, many here in the UK aspired to Eddystone receivers, made in Birmingham, UK. They were beautifully made with velvet touch drives.

I wanted an 840C, but never had one. When I started work a friend had a dad who worked for Eddystone. I was lucky enough to get an EC10 in the early 1970s. These were the first transistorised  receivers that they made. They sold for £48 when they first came out. 10m bandspread was appalling and in all honesty, by modern standards, they were not very good. I think the IF was very low. They still had lovely mechanical construction and velvet smooth drives, but the receivers were really average.

For quite a while I used mine on the lower HF bands and as a tuneable IF for VHF and UHF RX converters. As an IF they were fine.

They used germanium transistors and they occasionally turn up on eBay and similar. These days, I would not bother apart from nostalgia.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ec10 .

Eddystone EC10 receiver

When I was young (that is now a very long time ago!) I coveted the Eddystone EC10 all transistor receiver. When I first had my call I had one on loan from a local SWL. I used it on 160m AM and CW.  A few years later a friend at work managed to get me one from his dad who worked for Eddystone. This was a pre-production unit. I used it as a tunable IF for several years.

Looking back it was rubbish!  On 10m the whole band was about 0.5 inches on the dial. On MW and bands up to about 6MHz it was OK. It had a low IF and germanium transistors (OC171s). It was mechanically a nice radio, but almost all modern receivers are a lot better.

Prices on the second hand market for EC10s are very high. Even though a far from great radio they are still sought after receivers.

See https://sites.google.com/site/g3xbmqrp3/hf/ec10 .

My shack in 1977

Thumbing through some old family photos in a box tonight, I found this one of my shack as it was in 1977 when my son was about 1.5yrs old.  It was interesting to see what gear I had then. On the far right  of the table is the Liner-2 144MHz 10W pep SSB transceiver. Next to it is a 28MHz 1W crystal controlled CW TX (xtals on the log book) and below that I think it was a 15W PA for 28MHz that I used briefly. On the left of this is the Eddystone EC10 receiver which was used with a down converter to RX on 28MHz. I had more space then than now!