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. Find out more by watching our video on this radio - Table Top Monster? - YouTube
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.
Grebe produced many great radios, many collectors consider the MU-1 their best for design and performance.
Five UX- 01a tubes or four 01a tubes with a UX-112a or UX-171a as an audio amplifer tube.
Originally sold for $9.75, the Pup is a TRF radio with regeneration.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
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.
The Atwater Kent model 3945 (model 2) is a TRF (tuned radio frequency) radio.
The model 2 uses one UV-200 for a detector and two UV-201 tubes for two stage amplifier.
There are few factory made 3975's (model 4) in existence. The tube shades on the amplifer tubes are genuine Atwater Kent manufactured ones.
The radio consists of a variocoupler, variometer, detector tube and two tube amplifier.
It is generally believed that, like the model 8, very few were manufactured.
The Westinghouse RA is generally considered the first mass produced radio manufactured for the public, that fact alone makes it a "Notable".
The RA was designed to be used with a crystal detector or the Westinghouse DA detector/amplifier.
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.
The first production run of the DA was November 30th, 1920 at the Westinghouse plant in Pittsburgh, PA.
The DA was designed to be paired with the Westinghouse RA Tuner.
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.
Manufactured to improve reception of the Westinghouse RC, the RT was made to go between the antenna and radio.
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".
The RT's sell for about two and a half to three times what the RC radio/amp combo sells for.
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.
Three one amp 01 type tubes were used in the original tube line-up, this photo shows three 01A tubes.
The original "Boxcars" together, which makes this set one of the "Notables."
In 1922 Atwater Kent started selling the first tube radio manufactured by the company.
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.
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". Check out the video and find out more! - Atwater Kent model 3925 (1) - YouTube
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.
The Radiola Grand had hardware that was gold plated.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
New information has come in about the history of this radio, so here's the update (March 3rd, 2023). Massey Radio Company was a retailer of radios and may have re-badged another brand or, built this one out of parts it sold from other suppliers, which was very common in the 1920s. My thanks to Alan Larsen and Radiomuseum.com for their great detective work.
This radio was basically a basket of parts before being restored by the museum. It's now back in working condition.
As of now, this is the only example of a Massey Radio Company badged radio known to exist. While restoring a radio is always a very satisfying experience, it's even more satisfying knowing it may be the last of its kind. And that makes this radio one of the Notables.
Read more about it here - One Tube Medium Band Receiver Radio Massey Radio Company | Radiomuseum .