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About UsWelcome to 'On The Air''On The Air Ltd.' is Britain's biggest specialist vintage technology centre. Director Steve Harris is a lifelong enthusiast with a background in broadcasting, who has a commitment to providing a professional, friendly service to other enthusiasts. Situated in Hawarden, close to Chester (U.K.), 'On The Air' has been supplying vintage radios, televisions, gramophones and telephones for nearly twenty years. Customers range from private collectors from all over the world to museums, theatres, exhibitions and film and TV companies including the BBC, The National Theatre and Granada LWT. Before establishing the Vintage Technology Centre, ‘On The Air’ set up The Broadcasting Museum in 1994, incorporating an extensive collection of radio and television artefacts, displayed in period settings with interactive audio-visual displays. Over 25,000 people from all over the world visited the museum, which received many accolades from visitors and professionals alike. The Museum closed in 2000 and the collection was bought by the BBC. ‘On The Air’ then became a Limited Company and now focus on the sale and restoration of classic and vintage technology, and as media consultants in the history of broadcasting and technology. Television‘Vintage’ is a relative term, and television technology has changed so quickly that some equipment is obsolete within a few years. At ‘On The Air’ we have a special interest in TV history and production equipment such as cameras, vision mixers, recorders etc. For this reason we have a complete section dedicated to this area, covering a wide range of topics from historic TV studio and outside broadcast photos to articles and information on using and repairing professional equipment. There are overlaps here with the other areas- some studio equipment is mainly of interest to collectors, while other items are mainly for practical use. Professional audio equipment used in a TV context may also feature in the Audio equipment For Sale section. Professional TV equipment was historically made to the highest possible specification with little regard for cost or often for size, so in practical terms it can be difficult to transport and house. Early VTRs for instance may weigh up to half a ton and require dismantling or several people to move them. We have a large quantity of ex-broadcast studio equipment available for sale, and much of this is listed within the For Sale section. We are always looking to buy or exchange items for our own projects. Because the equipment is complex and spare parts expensive or unobtainable, equipment offered as working cannot be guaranteed in any way, but of course every effort will be made to give an accurate assessment of condition. SalesBuying with confidenceWe have been dealing in vintage technology for nearly 20 years and our continuing success is largely due to establishing a good reputation for accurate descriptions, realistic prices and honest, friendly service. The last thing we want is for a customer to be dissatisfied with a purchase and want to return it. We often only have small margins on our goods and to pay two lots of carriage might wipe this out and risk damage, so we would rather lose a potential sale than send out something which might not be what the customer wants. Ideally, we prefer you to see and handle the item before purchase, but obviously this is not always possible. The next best thing is a fully accurate description. We can supply further photos and details by email if you want, as we don’t have the time to describe every tiny detail of each item, but if you want a fully detailed description just give us a ring and ask anything you want, it is a lot quicker than email and more accurate than a photo. If the item is not then as described when it arrives you are completely within your rights to ask for your money back. We want our customers to be delighted with their purchases and come back for more! Interested in something?Please mail us first to find out if it is still available, and to find out more details. We will be able to give a more detailed description and answer specific questions, perhaps sending additional photographs. Why not pay us a visit? You are welcome to browse and can pick up many bargains which will be cheaper than car boot sale prices. You can sometimes by a complete radio for the price of a valve. Because of the bulky nature of some pieces, the cost of shipping them can be more than the value, so obviously we can't really display them here. We do have a number of vintage radios, TVs etc. which are either of little interest to most collectors or are fit only for spares. Take a look at our Bargain Basement. Please contact first to arrange an appointment, as we cannot guarantee to be open at any set times. Payment and shippingWe can accept payment by cheque (in Sterling only, drawn on a Bank with a UK branch), or by most internationally accepted credit or debit cards. (Unfortunately we do not accept Amex.) We are not yet convinced that internet security is sufficiently reliable for direct ordering by card. We do not want either ourselves or our customers to be targeted by fraudsters, so to make a purchase by card we request that you send card details by one or more e-mails, by fax or telephone to (+44) 01244 530300 We can only send goods to the address of the registered cardholder. We want to send your goods by the cheapest method consistent with minimum risk of damage. This varies according to the nature of the item and the destination, but in most cases it will have to be fully insured. Within the UK we usually use an overnight service which is very reliable. This costs £20 for up to 10Kg, plus 50p/Kg above this weight. Insurance for over £250 value is extra at cost. For overseas shipment we will try to find the best deal. Please contact us for a quote. For some items international parcel post can be used, but for larger or more delicate items we use a specialised airfreight agent who can quote us prices door to door or to airport only, which can give an appreciable saving. Shipping outside the EC is not subject to VAT.
Gramophones and Phonographs For HireExhibition and props hire & salesFor many years we have specialised in the hire and sale of vintage technology for Theatre, TV and Film production, as well as for exhibitions, art installations and advertising purposes. We have a range of practical and non-prac. domestic radios, TVs, gramophones and other items that are suitable for props use from stock, and we can also source or even make specialist props either in our own workshop or from a wide range of contacts. Items can be hired or bought depending on production requirements. If you are a props buyer looking for something weird and wonderful, or just an everyday item that is accurately in period, contact us. We expect the unexpected, (although the impossible may take a little longer!) Previous requests include:
Credits include:
InfoWe have an extensive data library, built up over many years, consisting of service manuals and schematics for many thousands of radio and TV sets. (We also have an extensive library of manuals for broadcast equipment, which because of their size are treated separately.) For radio and TV sets we can supply high quality copies at a standard charge of £4.50. We do a special offer of £10 for 3. Please note we do not normally supply data by email, but can do so by request in PDF format for the same charge. Copies are produced on a £10,000 digital duplex copier up to A3 in size, any larger will be provided in sections with overlaps. Quality will vary depending on the condition of the originals. The amount of information and number of pages will vary according to what information we have- it can vary from a basic schematic diagram to a full service manual. We have thousands of valves in stock, but they are not listed- if you require a particular valve just let us know and we can have a look. LinksRestorationMaterials/Supplies Components/Valves (USA) Radio/TV informationZenith Societies/ publicationsBritish Vintage Wireless Society Airwaves'On The Air' has been established in mail order collectibles for over 10 years. AIRWAVES is the bimonthly catalogue and magazine for vintage technology enthusiasts, with articles on the technical, historical and social aspects of this growing interest, as well as our latest selection of items for sale. Why subscribe?As an Airwaves subscriber, as well as the articles and features you will see the latest stock before it appears on this website. You will also receive a £15 voucher annually which is redeemable against any purchases over £100 (excl. P&P). Find out more about AIRWAVESTo receive a free sample copy and details of the money-back subscription scheme, please send a stamped addressed envelope, or an International Reply Coupon to the address shown below. You can also e-mail to: info@vintageradio.co.uk.- don’t forget to give us your mailing address. WantedWe are always looking to buy quality pieces of vintage equipment, and associated advertising, catalogues and other items of interest. Especially wanted are:
We are also interested in early gramophones and phonographs, especially external horn models by quality makers such as HMV, Columbia and EMG. Televisions, especially pre-war are always wanted, as are early post-war models. Most early 50s are also wanted (Generally sets using a round tube) as are some later models of interest. We also buy broadcast television and sound studio equipment, including tube cameras, VTRs, microphones, sound mixers and other equipment. If you have anything you might think will be of interest, email us at info@vintageradio.co.uk or give us a call on 01244 530300. Contacting On The Air
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