Silverstone 2 channel

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KeyboardKid
Posts: 30
Joined: 29 Sep 2021, 04:43

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

Ground based Tx.jpg
Howdy Lads,
If you want some real history more in keeping with the spirit of this forum how about the attached.
The original ground based Silvertone single channel TX.
Eight foot four inch antenna, 180V HT battery and a 1.5 V filament battery.
One click for left, two clicks for right. Produced from about 1950 to 1964.
Cheers,
KK
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KeyboardKid
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Joined: 29 Sep 2021, 04:43

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

Alderman Hills and Silvertone SC TX.jpg
Or perhaps a step up.
The first Silvertone Hand Held TX.
135V HT, 1.5V filament.
Hi Lo power switch.
The photo shows the scene when Alderman Hills open two new buildings in Sydney by pressing the TX button and releasing flags on each building.
The buildings were a mile apart.
Heady days indeed.
Cheers,
KK
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KeyboardKid
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Joined: 29 Sep 2021, 04:43

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

XPT800 TX.jpg
And the final development, the Silvertone XPT800 fully transistorised single channel TX.
800mW, 18V HT with a high/low power switch.
It was mainly used with the OS Pixie S/C Rx much to my horror.
Cheers,
KK
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KeyboardKid
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Joined: 29 Sep 2021, 04:43

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

Bob TX 2.jpg
Finally I think someone mentioned Animetronics in a previous post.
Here I am on the set in Los Angeles working on the pilots of Safe Eddy and Alakazam, a kids TV series designed to teach children their ABC.
The TX on my lap is a 32 channel digital TX which is programmed from an audio tape recorder.
I used to program the episode at night and do the filming during the day.
It was all such fun. I loved it. I think I went to LA three times all told for about 6 weeks at a time.
Cheers,
KK
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KeyboardKid
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Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

Magic carpet.jpg
Last one.
The cast of Alakazam and Safe Eddy on the Magic Carpet.
Violet was the only human in the show.
Alakazam was a robotic puppet and Safe Eddy was a robotic car.
The film crew was the original Star Wars film crew and they hated the thought of working with robots again when we first started.
However at the end they voted me an Honourary Puppet Master in a little ceremony held at the closing of the filming.
They even put me forward to radio control the cameras for the Dukes of Hazard TV series but sadly that did not eventuate.
This was around 1977 - 1980. Silvertone built all of the robots and the electronics.
Fun, fun, fun!!
Cheers,
KK.
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PaulJ
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Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 19:01
Location: Ipswich, UK

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by PaulJ »

'Love it! :P Are there any videos on Youtube? :?

Paul
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KeyboardKid
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Joined: 29 Sep 2021, 04:43

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

Hi Paul,
I am afraid not. I was never allowed to bring home any photos or videos.
The few photos I do have were sent to me by Violet's mother after the filming had finished.
She seems to have smuggled them out, an act that I am very grateful for.
Cheers,
KK
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KeyboardKid
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Joined: 29 Sep 2021, 04:43

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

Valve RX 2.jpg
Howdy All,
The attached photo is of the Silvertone S/C relayless RX. Note the valve.
I never got around to a fully transistorised superregen S/C RX as I was too busy doing the Superhet 10 channel reed RX and closely followed by the first prototype Superhet Digital Proportional system.
The OS PIxie S/C RX was a very good RX and most of my customers were happy with the Silvertone TX/OS Pixie RX combo.
This Silvertone S/C RX used a 22.5V HT battery and a 1.5V filament battery.
I took over Silvertone from John Marquette in July 1963 and he was producing valve S/C RX with relays and a 10 channel reed set (Valve superregen)
By 1965 I have converted the reed sets to superhet, all transmitters to fully transistorised and designed and built my prototype proportional set.
Believe me I did not get much sleep in those early days.
Cheers,
KK
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Wayne_H
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Joined: 17 Feb 2018, 05:26
Location: Temora, NSW. Australia
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Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by Wayne_H »

KeyboardKid wrote: 29 Sep 2021, 13:21 ......Thanks once again for your kind remarks and yes I am still here, doing well at 84 years of age, and still building models.

Cheers,

KeyboardKid.
Really great to have you on the forum Bob, and to see you still so active :) .

Unfortunately I've lost contact :cry: with John Harren, Peter Cranfield, Danny Maslowicz, and other guys from those days. If I recall correctly, you flew with Col 'Tubby' Taylor at the Pensacola(?) Aerobatic World Championships. Last I spoke with Col, he was enjoying retirement and his Air Tourer & living near Merimbula.

There are a number of retro pattern flyers on the forum. Do you have any pics of your Stingray you could post? I'm certain they would be of much interest ;)

Keep on fly'n
Cheers,

Wayne
Once a Retrobate, always a Retrobate............ ;)
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KeyboardKid
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Joined: 29 Sep 2021, 04:43

Re: Silverstone 2 channel

Post by KeyboardKid »

Old and new 2.jpg
Hi Wayne,
The attached photo shows Silvertone Stingrays Mark 1 and Mark 2 taken in the new Silvertone factory in Wagga Wagga NSW.
The Mk1 dates back to 1974 and the Mk2 dates back to about 2000.
I flew in the 1971 World Aerobatic Championships held in Pennsylvania and my team mate was Brian Green of Kraft (Australia) fame. We were the first Australian team to enter a World Aerobatics contest.
The Stingray was a proof of concept model to demonstrate to the Australian Defense Force (Army) that Silvertone could build an all fibreglass UAV or RPV as they were then known.
Silvertone had designed a training program for Redeye Missile operators which was built around the Silvertone Weightlifter RPV.
More on this to follow.
heers,
KK
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