Radio equipment made for Brighton Borough Police, 1933-1939

Made:
1933-1939 in United Kingdom
Radio equipment made for Brighton Borough Police by The

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Radio equipment made for Brighton Borough Police by The
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Radio equipment made for Brighton Borough Police by The Wireless Telephone Company Limited, British, 1933-1939. Comprising two bakelite-case single-valve receivers (inscribed no. 1 and no. 18 respectively) together with one earphone/calling unit

Radio equipment made for Brighton Borough Police, made by the Wireless Telephone Co. Ltd., British, 1933-1939. Comprising two bakelite-case single-valve receivers (inscribed no. 1 and no. 18 respectively) together with one earphone/calling unit.

Brighton Borough Police were early pioneers of police radio systems when they adopted these single-valve pocket radio receivers for communication. The receivers themselves worked well, but there were limitations that made widespread development impossible. Brighton shared a channel with Glasgow, meaning that occasionally policemen in Brighton would receive interesting but completely useless messages meant for their colleagues in Glasgow. Thirty of the sets were in daily use. Because of the risk of transmissions being picked up by amateur radio users, a code was developed: burglary was brick, fraud was frog, murder was monk, and so on. Policemen were given cards with these codes on. Because the radios could only receive calls, officers were sent messages telling them to go to the nearest call box and ring the station. The sets remained in use until the start of the Second World War, when the wavelength they operated on was withdrawn.

Details

Category:
Radio Communication
Object Number:
1983-1254
Materials:
bakelite and metal (unknown)
Measurements:
overall (receivers): 165 mm x 120 mm x 35 mm, .42 kg
overall (earpiece plus cord): 370 mm x 65 mm x 40 mm, .64 kg
type:
radio receiver
credit:
Lunson, H.T.

Parts

Radio receiver made for Brighton Borough Police, 1933-1939

Radio receiver made for Brighton Borough Police, 1933-1939

Radio receiver made for Brighton Borough Police, made by the Wireless Telephone Company Limited, British, 1933-1939. Bakelite-case single-valve receiver marked 'no. 1'

Measurements:
overall: 165 mm x 120 mm x 35 mm, .42 kg
Materials:
bakelite and metal (unknown)
Object Number:
1983-1254/1
type:
radio receiver
radio receiver made for Brighton Borough Police, 1933-1939

radio receiver made for Brighton Borough Police, 1933-1939

Radio receiver made for Brighton Borough Police, Wireless Telephone Company Limited, 1933-1939. Bakelite-case single-valve receiver marked 'no. 18'

Measurements:
overall: 165 mm x 120 mm x 35 mm, .64 kg
Materials:
bakelite and metal (unknown)
Object Number:
1983-1254/2
type:
radio receiver