All-Power Transformers Ltd.
8a Gladstone Road, Wimbledon, SW19 (1932 – c1950)
Chertsey Road, Byfleet Surrey (1951 - 1958)

APT Electronic Industries Ltd.
Chertsey Road, Byfleet Surrey (1958-

APT Electronics Ltd.
Chertsey Road, Byfleet Surrey (1968)
Darwin Close reading Berkshire RD2OTB (1985)

Lektrokit Ltd.
3 Trafford Road, Reading, Berks. RG1 (1974)
Sutton Industrial Park, London Road, Earley, Reading, Berks. RG6 (1979)

APT Electronics Ltd.
Darwin Close reading Berkshire RD2OTB (1985)

Brand: Lektrokit

All-Power Transformers Ltd., founded around 1932, specialized in manufacturing custom mains and audio transformers and played a crucial role during World War II by producing equipment for the Ministry of Defence. The company later evolved into APT Electronic Industries Ltd., introducing the Lektrokit modular system for constructing electronic chassis, which became an essential tool for electronic development in the UK throughout the 1960s.

All Power Transformers Ltd. began manufacturing custom-wound mains and audio transformers around 1932. [1][2] During World War II, they produced special designs, and radar systems for the Ministry of Defence. As part of the war effort, they expanded into manufacturing stabilized power supplies and inverters. [3]

After the war, the company assisted with the design, manufacture, and assembly of components for the MOSAIC (Ministry of Supply Automatic Integrator and Computer) project between 1947 and 1954. This stored-program computer development was led by Dr. A.W.M. Coombes of the Post Office.[4]

Around 1959, the company moved to Byfleet, Surrey and changed its name to APT Electronic Industries Ltd. That same year, they introduced a new product line called Lektrokit - a modular system for constructing electronic chassis using prefabricated components. APT published a handbook describing experimental chassis construction using Lektrokit, as well as leaflets on rack units and decade boxes. [5]

In 1964, APT Electronic Industries Ltd. acquired a majority stake in Cybernetic Developments Ltd., which continued to operate under its own name from APT's facilities in Byfleet. Cybernetic Developments marketed "Cybervox" language laboratories and "Saki" keyboard training machines. [6]

In April 1967 APT set up a separate Lektrokit division and the Lektrokit modular system became the primary prototype development tool for most electronic work in the UK during the 1960s, providing chassis and rack systems for rapid, economical assembly of small production runs. [8]

In 1967, APT Electronics Limited introduced a ferrite core store module for computer memory. [7] By 1971, the company had produced one of the first transformer-less mains-powered supplies in the UK.

In 1972, APT Electronics Ltd. was sold to Unitech of Reading. The power supply operations were moved to Ascot, Berkshire. Unitech rationalized the activities of Coutant Electronics Ltd. and APT Electronics Ltd. in 1973, with Coutant handling standard power supplies and APT focusing on custom units.

By 1974, Lektrokit had been spun off as a separate company based in Reading. It continued to produce electronic enclosures, hardware, and prototyping equipment through the late 1970s. [9]

In 1979, the former APT Electronic Industries Ltd., by then known as Electerminations Limited, entered liquidation.

Lektrokit Ltd., continued to expand their product line into the 1970s & 1980s, offering a complete range of breadboarding and testing devices at affordable prices. These products allowed for quick and easy project building, from simple one-chip designs to complex 1,000-chip projects, without the need for soldering. The company's innovative approach enabled rapid prototyping and design changes, making electronic project construction more accessible and efficient. [10]

 While the ultimate fate of the company is unclear, Lektrokit products remained available well into the 1980s, leaving a lasting impact on the electronics hobbyist and prototyping market.

[1] Wireless & Gramophone Trader Dec 10, 1932, Page 60.
[2] Wireless World Aug 17, 1934, Page Ad 44.
[3] Wireless World Apr 1943, Page Ad 18.
[4] Early British Computers, S H Livington 1980 Page 10.
[5] R.S.G.B. Bulletin Nov 1959, Page 219.
[6] Wireless World Jun 1964, Page 322.
[7] Wireless World Apr 1967, Page 202.
[8] Radio Constructor Apr 1967, Page 533.
[9] Wireless World Apr 1974, Page 106.
[10] Everyday Electronics Dec 1978, Page 885.