The Notables - The Best of the Early Radios
Federal Telephone & Telegraph Model 61 - 1924
The Federal radios were among the premium radios manufactured in the 1920's and this monster with sixteen dials and knobs may have been the largest tabletop radio produced in this era. It measures 23.75 x 16.5 x 11.75 inches. If you know of a larger one, let me know! The sign at the left is 3.5 x 5 inches for comparison.
With a one dial primary tuning control knob, the Federal 61 receiver used three stages of radio frequency amplification and two stages of audio amplification. The set covers the 225 to 550 meters wavelength.
The Federal 61 uses a six tube line up, one UV-200 and five UV- 01a tubes.
Grebe Synchophase MU-1 radio - 1925 ( Grebe, A.H. & Company of Richmond Hill, New York)
Beautiful Radio Design
Grebe, A.H. & Company introduce the MU-1 in 1924. The one pictured here is a 1925 mid year update (perched on its matching battery box) when the three dials were chained together to synchronize tuning.
The Pinnacle
Grebe produced many great radios, many collectors consider the MU-1 their best for design and performance.
Five Tube Line Up
Five UX- 01a tubes or four 01a tubes with a UX-112a or UX-171a as an audio amplifer tube.
Crosley PUp (Sky terrier) radio - 1925 (Crosley Radio Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cheap - $9.75
Originally sold for $9.75, the Pup is a TRF radio with regeneration.
Easy To Remember Tube Line-Up
The Pup was designed to use the WD-12 tube. , which unfortunately is not a great tube. Substituting an 01A or similar later model tube improves the performance of this radio significantly.
The "Sky Terrier"
This little radio is very popular among collectors and one in good condition can sell for over $400.00, not bad for a cute and decently performing radio for the money.
Deforest Interpanel Mr-6 radio - 1922 (Deforest Radio telephone and telegraph company, New York city, New York)
A Four Part Radio
The MR-6 consists of a Multi Wave Tuner (MT-200), Audion Control Panel (MP-100), plus two One Step Audio Amplifiers (MP-200). The radio uses a three tube line-up consisting of a UV-200 detector and two UV-201 amplifier tubes.
A Long Restore
This particular radio restoration ran about 6 months (on and off) until it was running. Both transformers were rewound by Heyboer Transformer in Michigan and great assistance in restoring this radio was rendered by Charles (Chas) Days and others from the Antique Radio Forum. Was it worth it? It certainly was.
Deforest/Radio-Craft
Deforest Radio Company bought a bankrupt company in 1922 called Radio-Craft to obtain their Armstrong License so they could produce radios with regeneration. This radio was sold under the Radio-Craft label and does have regeneration.
Rca Radiola III - 1924 Manufactured by RCA Victor Company, New York City, New York
A Top Seller
One of the most popular radios sold in the 1920s with a selling price of $24.50, which is why so many are still around today, 95 years later!
The Tubes
The Radiola III is a broadcast band radio with TRF tuning, and regeneration in a single AF stage. Designed for the WD-11 tube, the tube sockets have a four pin pattern with the unusual one large pin and three smaller pin layout. Later RCA recommended the use of two UX-199 tubes for better reception of weak signals or one UX-199 and one UX-120 for better amplification, both tubes required adapters to fit the tube sockets in the Radiola III.
Barkelew Switch
That funny switch hanging over the side of the radio is a Barkelew switch. The antenna wire on the Radiola III had to be moved around to pick up different parts of the broadcast band. The Barkelew switch, an after market product, eliminated having to move the antenna wire around. With the switch all you had to do was adjust the two knobs to move up and down the BC band.
The switch was manufactured by Barkelew Electric Manufacturing Company, 1905 Columbia Avenue, Ohio. It was founded in 1904 when Charles S. Barkelew started the company. The Barkelew Electric Manufacturing Company manufactured switches and other electrical devices for industrial use.
Radiodyne 4340 (Model 10) 1923 - ATWATER KENT MANUFACTURINg
The " illegal" Radio
The first version of the model 10 radios had its production ended after roughly two months when it was discovered that Western Coil Company of Racine, Wisconsin had the sole rights to the "Radiodyne" name, making the Radiodyne one of the rarer and more desired "Open Sets" among collectors today.
Three Tuning Circuits
With three resonant tuning circuits consisting of an antenna stage on the left followed by two tuning stages with RF amplifier tubes and finally a detector/two stage amplifier, the Radiodyne could easily handle tuning in the over five hundred and fifty stations that existed in 1923.
Most Advanced
The improvements to design making this the finest receiver Atwater Kent had made to date, the Radiodyne name issue and resulting low production makes this radio one of our "Notables".
Zenith 4R (1923) Zenith Radio Corp, Chicago IL
Early Version
This is the early version or the 4R with a port for viewing the tube. The 4R was the last Zenith radio to carry the "Chicago Radio Laboratory" name on it.
A Rare and Popular Radio
This early version 4R is hard to find and highly sought after by collectors. Like almost all the radios at this museum, this is a working radio. It has been restored with great assistance from renowned radio expert Robert Lozier. I am grateful for his help in making this radio "sing" once again.
Inside
The Zenith 4R is designed to use four "01A" type tubes, one detector and the others for three stages of amplification. On the right are three non-original battery packs which provide the three different bias voltages needed to operate the radio.
Atwater Kent 3945 (model 2) 1922 Atwater kent manufacturing
A Very Rare Radio
The Atwater Kent model 3945 (model 2) is a TRF (tuned radio frequency) radio.
The 3945 was the second tube radio that Atwater Kent manufactured and sold.
T/A Tube Island
The model 2 uses one UV-200 for a detector and two UV-201 tubes for two stage amplifier.
ATWATER KENT 3975 (MODEL 4) 1922 ATWATER KENT MANUFACTURIng
None Survive?
There are no known factory made 3975's (model 4) in existence. The photos are of a working replica. The tube shades on the amplifer tubes are genuine Atwater Kent manufactured ones.
The Components
The radio consists of a variocoupler, variometer, detector tube and two tube amplifier.
Very Few Made
It is generally believed that, like the model 8, very few were manufactured.
Westinghouse RA Tuner 1921 RCA Victor Co. , New York
First mass produced receiver
The Westinghouse RA is generally considered the first mass produced radio manufactured for the public, that fact alone makes it a "Notable".
Two Ways To Go
The RA was designed to be used with a crystal detector or the Westinghouse DA detector/amplifier.
The Badge
The badge on the RA's changed over the 18 months it was produced. The badge on this one shows it was manufactured around the end of May in 1922, the last production run of this model radio.
WESTINGHOUSE Da Detector/Amp 1921 RCA VICTOR CO. , NY.
First Production Run
The first production run of the DA was November 30th, 1920 at the Westinghouse plant in Pittsburgh, PA.
A Mate For The RA
The DA was designed to be paired with the Westinghouse RA Tuner.
Three Tube Lineup
Designed for early type 01 tubes, the DA could be modified for what were at the time, the newer 01A tubes. At the top is the detector tube and below it are the 1st and 2nd stage amplifier tubes.
Radiola RT Antenna coupler (1922) RCA Victor, New York
Improving Selectivity
Manufactured to improve reception of the Westinghouse RC, the RT was made to go between the antenna and radio.
First Sold In 1923
From the serial numbers it is estimated that only about 2500 RT's were manufactured compared to over 65,500 RC's . The scarcity and demand from collectors today for the RT make them another "Notable".
Relativity Few Around
The RT's sell for about two and a half to three times what the RC radio/amp combo sells for.
Westinghouse AR (1922) RCA Victor Co. , New York
The Westinghouse AR is a radio frequency amplifier.
Westinghouse AR's were designed to be used with the Westinghouse RT and RC , or the RT and the earlier separate RA and DA units.
This AR was built at Westinghouse's Springfield Works in Massachusetts. Far fewer AR's were manufactured than RC's , RA or DA's. That makes the Westinghouse AR a "Noteable".
The AR used three coils and three tubes in a circuit designed to amplify radio frequencies.
Tube-lineup
Three one amp 01 type tubes were used in the original tube line-up, this photo shows three 01A tubes.
Westinghouse RT, RA, DA and AR Together
The original "Boxcars" together, which makes this set one of the "Notables."
ATwater Kent 3925 (Model 1) 1922 ATWATER KENT MANUFACTURING
Atwater Kent's First
In 1922 Atwater Kent started selling the first tube radio manufactured by the company.
RCA Patent End Around
To avoid having to pay RCA to license its patent on regeneration, Atwater Kent sold the Model 1 without the center mounted variometer. The store would sell it separately to the customer so they could add it to the radio themselves, giving them regeneration.
Tube Line Up
The Model 1 was designed to use a type 00 tube for a detector and a type 01 tube for amplification. In 1922 the radio originally sold for $32.00.
The Model 1 being the first tube radio sold by Atwater Kent, the largest manufacturer of radios in the 1920s , makes this radio one of the "Notables".
Radiola Grand 1922 Rca victor company, new york
Rare Find
The Radiola Grand first appeared in advertising in December of 1922 and was manufactured for a little over one year, ending production in February 1924. It sold for $350.
Gold Plated Edition
The Radiola Grand had hardware that was gold plated.
"C" Power
The bias power, also known as the "C" voltage, was supplied by a three volt battery mounted on the chassis. On this Radiola Grand a battery box with two AA batteries is used to supply the bias power as the battery for this radio hasn't been made in many decades.
Rushed Into Production
The Aeriola Grand was a very poor receiver and sales reflected that fact. The Radiola Grand was rushed into production to replace the Aeriola Grand. The larger opening for the detector tube on the far right was a change made later in production.
Tube Line Up
Above, the Radiola Grand used four WD-11 triode tubes.
To the right, original tags to designate the power connections. The wooden bar on the right was a "hold down" for the "B" power battery.
Easily A Notable
The Radiola Grand with gold plated hardware and beautiful mahogany cabinet plus the radios short production run make classifying this radio one of "The Notables" an easy call.
Atwater Kent Model 9860 (49) 1928 Atwater Kent Manufacturing
The Last Battery Radio
In 1927 electric radios were being sold by the majority of major radio manufacturers, it was the beginning of the end for battery powered radios. The model 49 came out in 1928 and was the last battery powered radio built by Atwater Kent.
Tube Line-Up
Six 01A tubes or four 01A tubes with a type 00A tube as a detector tube and a type 12A tube as the final amplifier tube.
A Rare Bird
Not many model 49 radios were sold as most consumers wanted to switch to electric powered radios. As Atwater Kent's last battery radio the model 49 easily qualifies as one of radio history's Notables!