Kutztown, PA finds 3 of 4, Scott UCD-10151

[Dave A]

No pix yet. Tomorrow when I can open the box now on my porch.

Now the story. It was in the van of the RCA dealer. As another buyer looked over my shoulder, we pulled it out on the grass. Laying it on it's side as the box was already opened, we slid it out in to the sun.

It is less than you would expect from Scott. The manual calls it a 1956 UCD-10151. Another observer said that it was not the Scott of old. Perhaps a Meck set. It is a very plain wood box, possibly particle board painted black.
The set says "Mirror-Tone" (?) as I remember "by Scott". A very odd trapeziodial back formed around the neck. It is a 21" rectangular.

Stay tuned for the pix,

Dave A

[Dave A]

Now that I am caught up at work, it is time to give it a try. Follow along on the photos below.

It comes from the Scott Radio Laboratories, Plymouth, Indiana. And that is the last reference to Scott I can find other than the "A Scott Instrument" under the controls.

The set is the cheapest thing I have ever seen. The cabinet is Masonite painted flat black. No attempt at anything else. Even one of the supports inside is glued in crooked. The grille cloth is held down with masking tape. There is some plastic rotting of the yoke cover. The center controls are not marked. They are H/On-Off/V. It is called a "Mirror-Tone".

Looking at the tube layout chart, it shows 17 tubes plus the CRT. The set actually has 19 tubes. You can see the extra 5U4 beside the transformer and another tube just forward of the transformer. Yes, the one with the plate cap with nothing connected to it. Not all of the tubes match the chart either. The CRT is not marked in any way and is a 21". Some tubes have "SCR" (Scott Radio Labs?) on them and some Sylvania tubes.

You can also see where some miniatures have been used in spaces meant for large pin bases. The sockets are just riveted to the sides of the large stamping. All very clean and new though. It has a basic tank-type tuner. VHF only.

The variac treatment did get a picture, but a hot can stopped the experiment.

I don't remember the history of Scott in 1956 as this set says it is in the instructions (which has no mention of Scott), but perhaps someone can help on that. It is nowhere near their standards and at best, a bar set, with regrets to real bar sets.

Dave A

[Eric H]

Wow, is this the same EH Scott that used to make the super high quality radios?

Looks like they must have been bought out by Madman Muntz

Still a great NIB find.

[RetroHacker]

Now that is an unusual set - it's just so cheap, so simplistic, and the cabinet style is so utilitarian. I love it! Looks like it's in really nice shape too. Great find!

-Ian

[andy]

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[Dave A]

I just looked closely at the instruction envelope and the blacked out return address in the upper corner. Hold it just right in the light and the address of John Meck Industries, Plymouth, IN barely shows up.

This must have been a closeout or factory second that was so bad even Meck did not want their name on it.

Remarkably, when I bought it, someone in the crowd called this just right. "It looks like a Meck".

As to EH Scott, a little research showed that EH left the company in 1946 and it staggered on in to the mid-50's. Somewhere along the line Meck bought the remnants or the name which did not have EH on it by then.

The original was on Ravenswood Av. in Chicago.

Dave A