The Notables - The Best of the 1920's
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.
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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 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 but relatively poor performing radio.
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".
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.