This selection of vintage radio sets are for people who want to have a go at a DIY restoration.  We check them all  for obvious faults, and completeness.  A full description is given for each set,  together with a difficulty rating, so you should have a good idea what is required before you purchase an item. Where we have the service data,  it is included with the radio free of charge.   If you would like more details about a set,  then please feel free to telephone or email us.

If there is a radio here that you would like,  but you feel that you would not be able to do some or all of the work required,  a price is quoted for us to do a full guaranteed overhaul.  If there is a specific part of the restoration that you would like us to do such as the electronics side of things this is fine too,  just email or telephone us to discuss your requirements.  We are very flexible and will work to your requirements.

Would you like to know when we update our radio stock on this page?  If so please send an email to our usual address and request to join the update mailing list. 

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You should not expect the restoration projects to work correctly as purchased, repairs may be required before it is safe to connect them to the mains supply.

Surely there is room for just one more radio?

Stock last updated on 9/5/18
New items added on 23/4/18

There can be  significant savings on delivery costs when you purchase more than one item on the same order.  Overseas customers please contact for a quote, the EU prices are only intended as a rough guide.

We have a good selection of battery and valve portables in at the moment.   More traditional valve radios here soon.

If you have a twitter account you might want to follow @pasttimesradio for the latest news and radio fun.

We now have two pages of restoration projects.  Click on the Roberts radio to go to page two,  where you will find more valve and lots of transistor vintage DIY radios. 

1955 Vidor CN442  Viking   
Well we finally have some new items in stock to tempt you with.  It has been a while…  A new one for PTR,  we have never had this smart battery valve model on offer before.  All fairly standard stuff,  based on the low current 96 series of miniature valves.   Excellent, original condition with just one minor fault to report,  that is one of the brass caps is missing from the right hand control knob.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 12" wide, 9" high, 4.5" deep
Antenna -  internal ferrite rod. 
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £30  (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1954 Vidor CN429
Excellent,  indeed lovely condition throughout,  this green and grey version of the 429 is by far the rarer colour scheme to find.    At 64 years of age it is looking good.
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 8" wide, 8" high, 4" deep
Antenna -  internal plate aerial.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £35 (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1954 Vidor CN429
Here we have another one.   Finished in red,  fake snake.  Somewhere down this web page there should also be some mock croc.   All going on here….    Good original condition. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 8" wide, 8" high, 4" deep
Antenna -  internal plate aerial.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £32  (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1953 Ever Ready Sky Queen
More battery valve portables,  this Ever Ready offering is one of the classics.  Quite a large set by 1950's portable standards,  it has the benefit of a decent large speaker.   Plus there is plenty of room to fit batteries or make a power supply.  Good condition,  not messed with.  The rear grille needs a bit of glue to stick back in place.   Good handle and covering.
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW
Antenna -  internal frame with sockets.
Dimensions 12" wide, 9" high, 7" deep.
Batteries   90V HT 1.5V V LT
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £35  (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £11  Most of EU £20 - £36
Sorry this one is sold.

1953 Ever Ready Sky King
Where there is a Queen one would normally find a King.   Glad to say this is the case.  Again in good original, clean condition.  Perfect for restoration.   Afraid we do not have any Princes at the moment!    Both the King and Queen have the same chassis.
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW
Antenna -  internal frame with sockets.
Dimensions 12" wide, 9" high, 7" deep.
Batteries   90V HT 1.5V V LT
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £35  (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £11  Most of EU £20 - £36
Sorry this one is sold.

C1955 Pye battery valve portable.   Unknown model no.
Based on the 96 series of valves,  this gravity defying portable set must be a rare one,  I have no idea what the model is.   Suspect it came out when Pye were having serious thoughts about moving into transistor radio manufacture,  as the case styling is very much like the later upright radios Pye sold in the late 50's and early 60's.     All looks clean and tidy, the case covering is very clean.   
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW
Antenna -  internal ferrite rod.
Dimensions 11" wide, 8" high, 3.5" deep.
Batteries   90V HT 1.5V V LT
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £30   (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1954 Pye P114 BQ  "Jewel"
Yet more 90V battery valve radios to play with.  Sales of PP9 batteries will never be as high again!    Here we another good quality example of Pye engineering.   The very shiny Jewel which has great chrome work  -  everything present and correct.   
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW
Antenna -  internal frame. 
Dimensions 9" wide, 8" high, 4" deep.
Batteries   90V HT 1.5V V LT
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £30   (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1954 Pye P114 BQ  "Jewel"
How about another one?  Same model,  all good,  just a tidy bit of wear on the carry handle.    Quote second example if you are interested in this specimen. 
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW
Antenna -  internal frame
Dimensions 9" wide, 8" high, 4" deep.
Batteries   90V HT 1.5V V LT
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £30   (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1954 PAM Polka Dot…   
This has identical innards to the Pye 114BQ you see above,  wrapped up in a nice bright cabinet.   PAM and Pye were one and the same company.  As a matter of fact later on when Pye were producing their first transistor products they badged them under the PAM brand  -  they were not sure this new technology would catch on and didn't want to spoil their famous Pye name.   Hardly believable but it is true. 
Frequency Coverage :- LW / MW
Antenna -  internal frame
Dimensions 9" wide, 8" high, 4" deep.
Batteries   90V HT 1.5V V LT
Restoration Difficulty  1.5 intermediate.
Price  £30   (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

C1952 Vidor CN435   
This looks to have had some repair work completed already,  it came from a very good home and I would expect it is in working order.   I do like this colour scheme on the 435  - all of which has survived remarkably well.     
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 8" wide, 8" high, 4" deep
Antenna -  internal plate aerial.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £35  (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

C1955 Ever Ready Sky Countess
All good and original with a clean cabinet.   Only thing I can spot are two missing screws to fix the chassis into the cabinet,  and bit of the covering material needs sticking back down on the inside of the lift up lid.  Very good.     
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 8" wide, 8" high, 4" deep
Antenna -  internal ferrite rod.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £30  (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

C1955 Berec Ballerina
More badge engineering from British radio makers.  Berec and Ever Ready were one and the same,  and if you look at the pictures closely you can see the chassis in here is identical to the Sky Countess pictured above.  I believe that Berec was more commonly used on their export models?   Dark blue with some more fake snake patterning on the top and bottom.  Nice condition. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 8" wide, 8" high, 4" deep
Antenna -  internal ferrite rod.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £35 (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1956 Ekco BP257   
Another smart valve portable radio,  needing a 90V supply to get it going.   One of those classic designs  -  we have just overhauled another identical Ekco and the performance was very good for a low current battery valve set.   Loads of room inside to put some home made battery packs in or you can now get ready made HT batteries from another vintage radio dealer, based in Cromer  -  Norfolk.   Google will find him!   This particular one is in very good condition,  just a small chip out of the side control knob edge.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Dimensions 10" wide, 7" high, 5" deep
Antenna -  internal ferrite rod.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V ht 1.5V lt
Price  £30 (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36
Sorry this one has gone.  Sold. 

1948 Marconiphone P20B 
Made in 1948,  this must have been the smallest superhet valve radio manufactured to date.  Marketed as a personal receiver it surely is  -  it's tiny.  They are quite collectable items and don't often turn up in reasonable condition. Which I am happy to say is not the case here.    The leather handle strap is falling to bits however the rest of the cabinet and chassis are in really clean and tidy, original condition.   Often this ivory coloured material gets stress cracks on corners  -  it is all fine here.    As this one runs from 68V HT it might be worth trying strapping a load of PP3 9V batteries together and keep it as a portable set.   The tuning dial is perfect,  clear and operates smoothly.   A real gem, recommended to all.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna - internal frame type
Batteries  68V HT 1.5V LT   
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Dimensions 6.5" wide, 3.5" high, 5" deep  laid on it's back
Price  £55 (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

1948 Marconiphone P20B    Example 2
OK we have another one.   Much the same as before,  the leather handle on this one is more complete.   Chassis and cabinet are both original and in good condition.    Perfect stuff for restoration.
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna - internal frame type
Batteries  68V HT 1.5V LT   
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Dimensions 6.5" wide, 3.5" high, 5" deep  laid on it's back
Price  £55 (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36

Sorry this one is sold.

1958 Defiant A3   
I like the style of this Defiant,  the Co-op own brand of radio.  They got fed up in the 1930's of the other radio manufacturers complaining that the co-op were getting around the manufacturers fixed price selling of the time by offering their dividend stamps which were seen as a discount.   So some right thinking person came up with the name "Defiant" and decided to produce their own radios,  in house.  Can't say I have come across this model before.    Tempted.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna -  internal ferrite rod
Batteries  90V HT 1.5V LT   
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Dimensions 10" wide, 7" high, 3" deep.
Price  £35 (£call overhauled)  UK Delivery £10  Most of EU £20 - £36
Sorry this one has gone.  Sold. 

1954 Ekco U216   
Finally a mains powered valve radio for restoration.   A nice one it is too  -  supplied complete with a good spare cabinet.   The original cabinet has a scratch on one side, it is not cracked but as I have a spare cabinet you might as well make use of it!   AC/DC chassis,  much the same electrically as any other UL41 based superhet of the time.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna -  internal frame with sockets
Restoration Difficulty 1 Easy
Price  £35 (£100 overhauled)   UK Delivery £13  Most of EU £22 - £36
Sorry this one has gone.  Sold. 

C1965 Unitra Figaro Special   
The cabinet finish on this Polish made radio is of a high standard,  they managed to get a very high gloss on most of the export models that were sold to western Europe during the iron curtain days to raise currency.   The innards are very similar to Philips sets of the time and quite easy to work on.  We have the service data for this model.   All in good order bar the wave change slider lever which is missing,  the switch itself is ok so you will need to make up a piece of plastic in a lollipop stick shape to replace this missing bit.   Going cheap  -  oh before I forget this one has a nice DM70 tuning indicator,  that's one of those miniature exclamation marks which glow brightly and stretch or shrink depending on signal strength.  All trim, back panel and dial in good order.
Frequency Coverage  LW/MW/SW
Antenna - simple wire required for general listening. 
Dimensions 11" wide, 7" high, 6" deep
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Price  £22   UK Delivery £12  Most of EU £22 - £35 GBP
Sorry this one is sold.

1955 Ultra U7961 (valve)
Another mains powered ultra,  this one sports the standard U40 series of valves as you would find in a DAC90A or Ekco U319.  Not much between them,  maybe the build quality is not quite there but it should still do a good job given a proper overhaul.  No damage,  plenty of sticky wax capacitors to practice surgery on.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna - internal frame
Dimensions 11" wide, 8" high, 6" deep   
Restoration Difficulty  1 Easy  (if you know how!)
Price  £25  (£90 overhauled) UK Delivery £12 Most of EU £22  -  £35  GBP
Sorry this one is sold.

1947 Philco A547B
Top quality Bakelite offering from the British Philco factory.  Not to be confused with Philco of the USA.  Solid and simple engineering inside and a distinctive dark chocolate coloured cabinet make this quite a stand out model.  It's all in great order bar one thing and that's a ding on the tuning dial glass.   It has a chip out of the top front edge.  Not cracked  -   this sort of resembles the damage you get on a car windscreen hit by a stone.   I wonder if this could be covered up using one of those glass chip filler kits?   Maybe so  -  even a blob of varnish in there would pretty much cover it up and stop the light reflecting.    Internally everything is in good original order  -  it's all standard Octal technology.   There are two short wave ranges which help to spread out the tuning.  Over the years we have overhauled loads of this model and they have always been good performers.   
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW /  2 SW
Antenna  -  simple length of wire needed. 
Dimensions  18" wide 14" high, 7" deep
Restoration Difficulty   1.5 intermediate.
Price £39  (£145  overhauled) UK Delivery £14  Most of EU £28 - £38
Sold.  Off to Stornoway soon. 

C1950  Roberts RMB (valve)
One of the best Roberts valve based receivers,  the RMB is often the one to go for as it not only has SW coverage,  it also has a nice separate chassis internal mains supply.  So no need to mess about with 90V batteries or the hassle of putting together a mains power supply.   This one is in excellent shape all round,  the only thing to mention is the leather on the handle which has gone awol.   The crimson Rexine covering has been well cared for and is clean.   Lovely original condition,  they do not turn up often like this  -  especially in this colour with the correct set of control knobs.   A good project,  treat yourself to a tin of red shoe polish! 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW /SW 
Antenna - internal frame with sockets for external aerials.
Restoration Difficulty 1.5 intermediate
Batteries 90V HT 1.5V LT or use built in power supply. 
Dimensions  12" wide 10" high, 7" deep
Price  £64  (£145 overhauled)  UK Delivery £12  Most of EU £25 - £36
Sold it,  sorry.

1952 Bush DAC90A
Well it's a nice original one apart from a chunk of Bakelite missing out of the bottom of the case,  and the resulting crack which needs gluing back together.  From the top or front / sides it looks great.   Nothing much else to tell you about this really  -  it's a classic.  Going cheap.     A bit of body filler and some careful finger work will put it right. 
Frequency Coverage  LW/MW
Antenna - Internal frame.
Dimensions 12" wide, 9" high, 7" deep
Price  £35   (£150 overhauled / repaired)
UK Delivery £12  Most of EU £25 - £36 Sold it.  Sorry.

1924 GECOPHONE BBC BC3250  two valve TRF 
Here we have another cracking Gecophone wireless,  the two valve version which is in a similar condition to the BC3000  -  it's totally original,  missing the two valves  (which are type D.E.R. Triodes)  Where have the valves gone?   -  that is a good question!   The top copper? Coloured panel needs a polish,   woodwork wise it's another "spent most of its life in a box job"  -  the GEC / BBC labels are particularly good here.     It's a wireless museum piece no less. 
Frequency Coverage :- MW / LW
Antenna -   long wire required.
Restoration Difficulty   -  I'm not going to guess!   
Batteries 120V HT  2V LT
Dimensions   13" wide 5" high, 9" deep
Sorry it is sold.    New items arriving soon.

Wondering where all the transistor radio projects have gone?   We had to make some extra space  -  click the Roberts Radio to go to restoration projects page two.   Lots more valve and transistor goodies to be found here.
We will have some more valve radios as soon as the next batch arrives.     Keep checking the website.