Museum

Here are some examples from my little "museum".

Radios

radio01.jpg (10201 bytes) This is the one that started it all. Bought it for about 2$. Took only a few things to make it work.

Make: Audiola, type no:US248
Origin: Denmark
Year: 1948 (like myself)
Condition, functional: Working
Condition, physical: Very good

radio02.jpg (11763 bytes) Interesting one, I know of three here in Denmark; I own two of those, but the make is different, although it's basically the same radio. This is the only one I have seen so far where the vulnerable scale glass on top is intact. The scale print is unreadable, however.

Make: Philips, type no:209U
Origin: Dutch
Year: 1945-1946
Condition, functional: Working but scratchy
Condition, physical: Good (scale pointer missing)

radio03.jpg (11541 bytes) Same radio as the Philips above, but this one is a Pope. Only difference is the grille design.

Make: Pope, type no:RA137U
Origin: Denmark
Year: 1945-1946
Condition, functional: Working but scratchy
Condition, physical: Fair; entire scale system missing, cracks and minor damages to cabinet.

dsc00005.jpg (1406757 bytes) Another Pope. Both Pope and Philips (basically the same brand) were manufactured in Denmark as well as in Holland. The "RA" in the number indicates that the radio is made in Denmark. This one is slightly newer than the one above. It is also a bakelite cabinet, but factory painted, so it is beige. This was the European way to get around the dark bakelite colors.

Restored with silicon rectifier (non-functional rectifier tube in socket for looks).

Make: Pope, type no: RA324U
Origin: Denmark
Year: 1950-55
Condition, functional: Good
Condition, physical: Good. Print on glass scale somewhat damaged.

radio04.jpg (13990 bytes) A somewhat newer model, this one has FM.

Make: Aristona, type no:RA412U-17
Origin: Danish.
Year: 1951?
Condition, functional: Excellent
Condition, physical: Perfect

radio06.jpg (15785 bytes) Another example of different brand, same radio. This one is a Philips, but despite different exterior, it is the same radio as the Aristona above.

Make: Philips, type no:BDK243U
Origin: Denmark
Year: 1954?
Condition, functional: Poor (repair not yet attempted, but hopeful)
Condition, physical: Perfect

radio05.jpg (11586 bytes) A Danish radio manufacturer of the fifties, Bravour survived into the late sixties, then vanished like most others.

Make: Bravour, type no:2056
Origin: Denmark
Year: 1956?
Condition, functional: Poor (repair not yet attempted)
Condition, Physical: Perfect

radio10.jpg (10698 bytes) Another Danish manufacturer that is no longer with us, TO-R, Danish for Two R, from the initials of the founder and owner, Rasmus Rudholt. This radio is newer than its design style suggests.

Make: TO-R, type Mars C1U
Origin: Denmark
Year: 1950-1955
Condition, functional: Poor (repair not yet attempted)
Condition, physical: Intact but somewhat wheathered; looks like it has spent some time in an unheated area, attic or garage.

Tubes: UCH12, UF41, UBC41, UL41, UY41.

radio09.jpg (10267 bytes) Hede Nielsen's Fabrikker A/S in Horsens made the Herofon, and later Arena radios. It existed into the late sixties, but after a major fire, the company never got its foothold back in the radio/TV business.

The Hede Nielsen company is still going strong, but in an entirely different branch.

Make: Herofon, type 630U
Origin Denmark
Year: 1945-1950
Condition, functional: Poor (repair not yet attempted)
Condition, physical: One knob missing, otherwise perfect. 

Tubes: 12K8, 12K7, 12Q7, 35L6, 35Z4.

radio11.jpg (12146 bytes) About a decade later, a Herofon looked like this. Now with FM. Radios of this type are still seen in Denmark, you often see them on flea-markets, and the odd one may still be in use here and there.

Make: Herofon, type Petite
Origin: Denmark
Year: 1957-1963
Contition, functional: Good
Condition, physical: Perfect

Tubes: UCH81, UCC85, UF89, UABC80, UL41.

radio13.jpg (9994 bytes) As american as apple pie, Hallicrafters receivers are classic. This model was produced betwee 1947 and 1952. Notice how different the style is from the European radios.

Make: Hallicrafters, type S-38B.
Origin: USA
Year: Ca. 1950
Condition, functional: Needs new capacitors.
Contdition, physical: Good (some scratches in paint)

Telefunken.jpg (1786288 bytes) Telefunken. German radio, a typical Eurpean 4-tube construction. Modern machining of chassis, but old 11 series tubes, two of them steel tubes, a typical immidiate post-war product, using whatever was available. This radio has been restored sometime along the way by someone with a caring hand. I bought is at a jumble-sale for 100dkk (appr. 15US$).

Make: Telefunken, type 2B54GWK
Origin: Germany
Year: Ca. 1946
Condition, functional: Excellent
Condition, physical: Excellent

Philips-bx190u17.jpg (816066 bytes) Philips. A really compact model, AM with 40 series tubes. A model from just before FM became common in Europe. I bought this together with another of same model, but in dismal condition (see "basket case" below).

Make: Philips, type BX 190 U/17
Origin: Probably Denmark
Year: 1955?
Condition, functional: Fair; works, but scratchy.
Condition, physical: Fair: a small corner of cabinet (rear) broken off. Some scratches.

Philips-bx190u17.jpg (816066 bytes) Philips. Yes, just now it is the same picture as the one above, and they are almost identical (need to take photo of the actual unit). However, this is an FM adaptor. Visually it is in virtually mint condition (scrounched from a container), but I have not tested it functionally. It has no AF output or speaker, so it must be meant for connecting to another radio or other amplifier.

I hope to get around to this one.

radio07.jpg (6993 bytes)
radio08.jpg (10316 bytes)
The mystery box. This one came with a radio that was a gift from a friend. But it has nothing to do with the radio. Its a spare tube set of Chinese origin. The excellent woodwork box contains two 6L6 output penthodes, a 5Z3 rectifier tube, a small penthode similar to an EF95, and a 6N2 double triode, all of Chinese make, a small neon lamp, a fuse and a strange tube in a box. The designation of this is GDB-2, and there is a data sheet with it, in Chinese. I have had it translated, and the tube turns out to be a photo sensor.

So the questions are:

- What strange kind of equipment do these parts belong to? -- OK, several people have suggested that this is for the sound system of a movie projector. That makes a lot of sense, so only one enigma remains:

- How did this end up in Denmark sometime between 1950 and 1980, when Red China was deep behind the Bamboo Curtain?

basketcase.jpg (824195 bytes) The basket case

The wreck of a Philips BX 190 U/17. Cabinet severely damaged, Speaker and other important parts missing, this radio is beyond restoration. Had it been an old, rare specimen, restoration might have been advisable, or just keeping it in its present condition, but as this is not a particular rare radio, it will be just a source of spare parts. C'est la vie! (Or rather, la mort)

Other stuff

This "Type A" tube is really old, probably before 1930

tube02.gif (131195 bytes)

Picture is about life-size

tube03.jpg (36538 bytes)

They don't make  make boxes like this anymore

- Presumably, you can buy a perfectly good radio these days for the equivalent cost of this tube, back then.

   More tubes, these are transmitter triodes, pre- WW2 stuff, although they stayed in use way into the sixties. A pair like these were the output stage of a 1131K VHF transmitter ... all of 30W, AM:

cv315.jpg (1233442 bytes)

 

Finally, a little silly thing I made when I was about 16: Two UM4 eye tubes connected as a multivibrator, blinking. The power supply was a real fire-bomb; an undersized ballast resistor and a sick selenum rectifier, it is a wonder it never blew up. I have later updated it with a small filament ransformer and a silicon diode for rectifier, but otherwise, its still as it was then. We used to place it in the bushes and startle people going by .... oh, well.

Eyes on.jpg (1363342 bytes)

Yep, its a cigar-box held together with adhesive tape; the vent holes almost look like they were made with an air rifle. Still works, though, although I have updated the power supply a bit. Originally it used an under-dimensioned ballast resistor constantly threatening to set fire to the box, and a selenum rectifier. It now has a small filament transformer and a silicon diode rectifier, making the whole thing somewhat less unsafe.

Back to radio page

Odds and ends

This section is for various other old items that I have been unable to resist buying, over time.

 

This is, obviously, a model engine (the picture is app. actual size). The brand is Deezil. As the name indicated, it is a diesel, that is, it uses compression ignition.It was marketed around 1950, as a DUI kit. It had a distinct reputation of not running, which is really not too surprising, when you look at it in detail: The craftsmanship is very mediocre, and few home-builders would have been able to grind a piston and cylinder (yes, you were supposed to the THAT!) well enough the get sufficient compression.

I have not tried to make mine run. First of all it misses a couple of parts (propeller nut, fuel tank), but it does not have a very convincing compression. It shows no sign of having ever run, so there is probably one dissappointed hobbyist somewhere in its past.

 

..... More to follow ;)