A year long project comes to a close. This full console BBC unit, known as the DRD5 was the first iteration of the 301’s use by the BBC (The later version being the PR2/1)
Being a complete console there is a lot more going on here than the standard 301. The brief was to restore and retain as much originality whilst maximizing performance. I can say the original paint on this one was pretty outstanding. This example came from BBC Bristol and seems to have not suffered the many ‘on the fly’ revisions many of the larger BBC studios deemed necessary.
Things were still a learning curve and there is a lot to learn with this particular unit. Stripping down measuring / plating testing and in some cases re machining turned into the proverbial long road with no apparent end. But there was an end…(Although I’m already thinking of things I would do differently / would like to try.
Usually at this point in a self congratulatory review people trot out the ‘Labor of love’ one liner. To be honest, I’d flown past that in month 1. It would be more accurate to describe this project as: ‘Rabbit hole → obsession’.
After such a long time of head scratching it was a happy / sad moment to see it go. It is unlikely I’ll come across another quite like it. Many thanks to @stu for being on hand to offer his considerable brawn getting this down the stairs and off to it’s new owner.