The Bush VHF 81 is an AC/DC radio that, apart from LW and MW bands, can also receive the FM band from 88-108 MHz. Hence “VHF” in its type number. It is quite compact, built on a vertical metal chassis that holds all the electronic components as well as the tuning dial. It comes in a wooden case. Rumour has it that Bush also had a model in a plastic case using a similar chassis, the VHF 80.
When I collected this radio, the wooden case looked awful, having a dried-out, cracked finish. The inside was a bit greasy. I removed the chassis from the case, unsoldered the speaker, pulled the valves, removed the dial glass and started to clean the chassis. The chassis looked much better after this, but the electronic repair had yet to be done. Alas, the tuning condensor didn't move easily and when I tried to turn the tuning knob I broke the tuning cord. It seemed the tuning condenser (a combination of 500 pF and 30 pF variable capacitors for AM and FM, respectively) needed lubrication, while the tuning cord, a bit weakened by time, wasn't able to convey the force needed to move it.
Copyright © 2012 by Onno's E-page published 2012-07-27, last updated 2012-09-17