Adam's Antique Radio Page

Old radio links

Phil's Old Radios
Padgetts TransOceanic Page (for fanatics only)
Antique Radio and Phono Newsgroup
My crystal radio page
My Trans-Oceanic page
My boatanchor radio page
For more old radio links, see my links page!


Radios in my Collection (in order of acquisition)


Welcome to my antique radio page!

I have an affinity for old radios as well as old computers. My first find was a Ray-Jefferson 630/RDF multiband marine reciever, which was given to me by a relative. Meant to be used on a boat, it has inputs for 12 volts DC only, though it also takes batteries. The five bands are AM, FM, MB (marine band; just above the AM broadcast band), LW (longwave; below the AM broadcast band) and VHF (above the FM broadcast band). It's distinguishing characteristic is a large, rotatable directional antenna (with a compass ring surrounding it), designed to fine-tune signals coming from all different directions (it's meant to be used with MB, though it may also work with AM and LW). These sets aren't particularly common, but they made several different versions, some even including LCD digital tuning.

My second find was a Hallicrafters S-118 communications reciever. In it's time, Hallicrafters was a well-known manufacturer of quality communication recievers. Many are still in good working order even today. The Hallicrafters S-118 was produced in 1962, and cost $100 when new. It features nearly-continuous coverage from 190KC to 30MC, split up into 5 bands: LW (longwave, covering 190KC to 420KC), BC (broadcast AM band, covering 495KC to 1.6MC), and SW (shortwave, covering 1.6MC to 30MC in three bands). The radio has a separate dial for bandspread (allowing for very fine tuning adjustments), as well as a sensitivity control (a bit scratchy), a BFO (Beat Frequency Oscillator, allowing for reception of single sideband (SSB) transmissions) switch, a receive/standby switch, an input/output jack on the back (used as an output when in receive mode, and as an input when in standby mode), and ANL (Automatic Noise Limiter) switch, and other functions. All in all, a terrific reciever. (See more about it on my my Hallicrafters page ).

My third find was a Zenith K615 AM table radio. It was produced in 1963, and has a plastic cabinet (like many of my other radios). It has six tubes, unlike standard "All-American 5" AM table radios, making it an "All-American 6." The radio has excellent reception and sensitivity due to the extra tube in the RF section and what Zenith called a "Filter Magnet" antenna (Zenith had many nicknames for their radio antennas; another of which is the "WaveMagnet" as seen on the TransOceanic series). A picture of my K615 can be found here.

My fourth find was a GE T238B AM/FM table radio. This was my first tube radio with FM. I haven't been able to find this radio on any of the antique radio web sites I've checked. Does anyone know when this radio was made, or any other information? If so, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page. a picture of it can be found here.

My fifth find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" B-600 portable tube shortwave radio. It is a good performer, and picks up many shortwave stations. See more about it on my TransOceanic page.

My sixth find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" H-500 portable tube shortwave radio. Unfortunately, unlike most of my radios, this one is dead (hums on AC, is silent on batteries). I am considering trading it for another T-O model. More about it can be found on the TransOceanic page. 6/17/19108 UPDATE: I decided to sell this set at the April 2008 NEARC swapmeet. Hopefully, it's new owner will be able to do something with it.

My seventh find was an Automatic Radio "Tom Thumb" tube portable AM-only radio. This was my second Automatic Radio (the others are transistor car/portables that I have not made a page about; I will make a page about my transistor radios later). I haven't plugged it in yet. Here's a lengthy description that I posted on the rec.antiques.radio+phono newsgroup:
"It looks like a tall but skinny lunchbox (reminds me of the napkin dispensers found at some restaurants). It is AC/DC/Battery. It is mostly leather-covered except for the plastic surrounding the front and back covers, which is a weird swirled brown plastic. Molded into the plastic above the door and colored orange are the words "Tom Thumb". On the front, only the leather that the plastic surrounds opens as a door. Under the front cover there's frequency numbers molded into the plastic (the scale goes from 155-54, not 54-155), a tuning knob (works like a vernier dial; there's supposed to be a pointer attached underneath the knob, but it is missing; anyone got a spare?), a volume knob, a power switch, the words 'Automatic Radio', a weird-looking square speaker grille, and a BATT./AC-DC/CHARGE (?) switch. The back looks identical, although the entire back cover, plastic and all, opens. The "chassis" (not a box, but just a flat piece of metal) is the oddest I have seen in all the radios I have. On top of the plate is the tubes, IF/RF transformers, tuning capacitor and selenuim rectifier. Underneath is exposed electronic parts (wax capacitors, resistors, wiring; looks to be a real shock hazard). Underneath the parts is a can capacitor, speaker, back of the potentiometer, an output transformer, a pair of snap connectors for a B battery, and a weird battery case with a hinged top for some sort of A batteries (C cells I think). Behind the back cover is a spiral molded into the plastic in which the cord is held. The plate on the back of the back cover reads 'Automatic Radio serial no. 508878 model Tom Thumb. Automatic Radio Mfg. Co. Inc. 122 Brookline Ave. Boston, 15, Mass. Made in USA. This apparatus uses inventions of United States patents licensed by Radio Corporation of America and other patents licensed to this company, particularly No's 22221996, 2262979, 2265958'. The handle that's supposed to be on top is missing. From the back I could only see three tubes. When was this radio made? I'm guessing late 40's to early 50's, but I'm not sure. As far as I can tell, it uses all miniature tubes. How do I get the chassis out of the case? I could only find one screw on the back I could unscrew, and that didn't allow the chassis to be removed. The only tube number I can see is VT173. What type of tube is this? Also, what is the function of the charge position on the power selector switch? What rechargeable batteries did they have in the late 40's-early 50's? Did the charge switch have some other function than charging batteries. What type of B battery does this radio take (22.5? 45? 67.5? 90?)?"
I will post pictures as soon as I can have some scanned in. If anyone can help me with the above questions, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page. 9/7/19100 UPDATE: I've finally found someone who has a radio like mine! A picture of a radio like mine can be found here.

My eighth find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" Royal 1000. It is my first solid-state TransOceanic. More about my Royal 1000 can be found on my TransOceanic page.

My ninth find was a Zenith 6D030Z "Consol-tone" wooden-cased AM table radio. The graphic-arts instructor at the technical high school I attend once brought me a 6D030 to look at, and now I have my own, which I bought at the October 2000 NEARC swap meet. It has some veneer damage, but otherwise looks fine. It appears to be a AA6-type radio (35L6GT, 35Z5GT, 12SJ7, 12SA7, 12SQ7, 12BA6). I am not going to power it up until I can slowly power it up with a variac. A picture of a radio like mine can be found here. 08/18/19106 UPDATE: I sold this radio at the July 2006 NEARC swapmeet. It's new owner should get much enjoyment from it.

My tenth find was a RCA 67-QR-53W AM/SW table radio. I purchased this one at the October 2000 NEARC meet as well. Despite the American brand name, it's actually a European radio. I know next-to-nothing about it, and little information is available pertaining to them. The tube count is 6BE6, 6BA6, 6AV6, 6AK5, and 6X4. A label on the underside has the following note:

MADE IN WEST GERMANY FOR
Radio Fernseh Elektro G. m. b. H.
AN ASSOCIATED COMPANY OF
RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA

If anyone has any information on this radio, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page. 6/17/19108 UPDATE: I sold this set at the April 2007 NEARC swapmeet. Hopefully, it will make an interesting set for it's new owner.

My eleventh find was a Zenith H723Z2 AM/FM table radio. I bought it at the March 2001 NEARC meet for $30. It has a bakelite plastic case, which is in good shape. AM works fine; however, FM seems to have fading problems. If anyone can supply me with a schematic for this radio, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page. A picture of a radio like mine can be found here.

My twelfth find was a Zenith 7H922 AM/FM table radio. I bought it at the July 2001 NEARC swap meet for $25. This is my second Zenith AM/FM table radio. I'm not entirely sure of the date of this radio. It looks entirely different than my H723Z2, as it has a plastic dial cover with a pointer underneath it. The front emblem looks like an eagle sitting over a lightning Z, unlike the Zenith shield seen on my H723Z2. I haven't tried this radio, as it needs a new line cord. It appears to have been modified with a phono input and radio/phono switch sometime in the past. A picture of a radio like mine can be found here. 1/4/19102 UPDATE: Since I felt I had too many projects to catch up with, I decided to trade my 7H922 for a Fisher FM-50-B tube tuner. Its new owner, a table radio collector, was quite happy with the trade, as was I.

My thirteenth find was a Sony TFM-9440W AM/FM radio. I bought it at the July 2001 NEARC swap meet for $10. It's a solid-state table radio from the 1970s, though it could be newer. It resembles many of the AM/FM table radios of the era, with its vertical dial, but the sound quality is very good for a table radio. It has some dirty controls, the dial is a bit off on FM, and the filter capacitors need to be replaced, but other than that, it works good. A picture of a radio like mine can be found here.

My fourteenth find was a Zenith X316 AM/FM table radio. I bought it at the October 2001 NEARC swap meet for $5. It's the newest tube radio I own, which possibly dates back to 1967. The brown case is somewhat scratched, but the radio works. It appears to be in a style similar to my GE T238B, with a large round dial.

My fifteenth find was an Arvin 30R12 FM-only table radio. I bought it at the October 2001 NEARC meet for $5 along with the Zenith X316. I often come upon AM-only radios in my searches, but rarely FM-only radios. Like the Zenith, this one works as well. Quite an interesting set.

My sixteenth find was a Telechron 8H67 "Musalarm" AM clock radio. This is my very first tube clock radio, and my first AM-only radio in some time. I bought it at the January 2002 NEARC swap meet for $20. This is apparently one of the first tabletop clock radios. At one time, Telechron was the biggest manufacturer of electric clocks, and made the clock mechanisms for other manufacturers clock radios. What many people don't know is that Telechron had their own line of clock radios in the late '40s. The only way you can tell the brand of the set is from the small Telechron logo on the clock dial. The tuning control is a small numbered thumbwheel above the clock dial area, and the volume control is a somewhat-awkward-to-use thumbwheel under the clock dial area. The alarm is set by a small knob in the 12 o'clock area of the dial, and the radio/alarm function is selected by a knob in the 6 o'clock area of the dial. The clock itself is set by a knob on the rear panel. Both the clock and the radio in this set work, although the radio has hum to it. The 8H67 I bought has a dark brown bakelite case, which I prefer over the blue case 8H67 (which I saw at the same swap meet on a different table).

My seventeenth find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" Royal 3000-1. I paid $120 for it at the Radio XXXIII swap meet in Westford. It is my fourth Trans-Oceanic, my second solid-state Trans-Oceanic, and my first Trans-Oceanic to have built-in FM (I've hooked a car-type FM converter to my B600, but it's not quite the same). It works quite well. More about my Royal 3000-1 can be found on my TransOceanic page.

My eighteenth find was a Zenith X375 AM/FM clock radio. I bought it at the April 2002 NEARC swap meet for $5. This is my second tube clock radio, and my first tube clock radio to have FM. It seems to be from 1967, the same year as my Zenith X316, and shares many of its features. Its dial is similar to that of my GE T238B, which is also from the mid '60s. It works, although it has a slight hum in the audio, and is missing the sleep timer knob. I have been able to find nothing about this particular model on the web; if anyone has any information about it or a picture of one, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page.

My nineteenth find was a Columbia "Masterwork" 2894 portable AM/FM/LW/SW radio. I bought this set at a local yard sale for $9. From the looks of it, this set was meant to be a competitor to the later Zenith TransOceanics, but there are several differences. For one thing, it uses one dial scale for all six bands; this may be more conventional, but it also makes this set a bit confusing to tune (especially since there's nothing to indicate what band you're set to apart from the pointer on the rotary band selector control). Also, it has continuous coverage from 1.7MC to 18MC, which is split into 3 SW bands (1.7-4.2MC, 4.0-10.0MC, and 10-18MC); while this may be a bit difficult to tune, there is a electronic-type fine-tuning control (it does not move the dial pointer). Another feature of this set is a built-in power supply, which T-Os prior to the Royal 7000 series lacked (this set can run on either 120V or 6 C cells). Also, the antenna it uses is more conventional, although it is able to swivel 360 degrees (thanks to an interesting-looking pivot mechanism which seems to resemble a large ball-bearing). This set works well, and comes pretty close to matching my solid-state T-Os in performance, although it seems less rugged. If anyone has more info or some pictures of this set, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page.

My twentieth find was a Motorola 61T21 AM/SW table radio. I bought it at the July 2002 NEARC swap meet for $20. From around 1941, it is one of the oldest radios I own. It has a large wooden case and a 5" speaker, which make for excellent sound quality. At first it had some problems receiving shortwave stations, but cleaning the bandswitch solved that problem, and it works beautifully on SW as well as AM. If anyone can supply me with more information on this model, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page. A picture of this set can be found here.

My twenty-first find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" model 8G005YT. I was sent this radio for free by a fellow collector as a fixer-upper. It is my fifth TransOceanic, and my first loctal-tube TransOceanic. It is currently partially disassembled, but should restore fairly nicely. More about it is available on my TransOceanic page.

My twenty-second was an Admiral 12X12 television. I bought it at the October 2002 NEARC swap meet for $20. This is my first tube television set. From around 1950, it employs a round CRT (type 12LP4) like all TVs from that era. Also, like many TV sets from that era, it doesn't work all that well in its current unrestored state. The audio section does work, but the video section can be described as being unstable at best. Some screenshots of this set in "operation" can be found here and here. The first picture is of it receiving a station, the other is of it tuned to a dead channel. Obviously, a total recapping of this set is long overdue. If anyone has a copy of the schematic or service manual for this set, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page. A picture of this set can be found here. Stay tuned!

My twenty-third find was a Philco 53-958 AM/FM table radio. I bought it at the January 2003 NEARC swap meet for $29. This is my very first Philco radio. Unlike most of the '50s radios I've come across, this one has a wooden case. While the styling is rather plain for a wood set, it does have some interesting elements to it nevertheless. This radio has a seperate dial for each band, and changing bands will cause the previous band's dial to go dark, and the dial of the band now switched in will light up. This radio works at the moment, but I'm sure that it needs some servicing (the tube chart on the bottom shows no rectifier tube, so it probably has a selenium rectifier). 4/22/19106 UPDATE: Due to an extreme backlog of radios requiring restoration work, I decided to sell my 53-958 at the April 2006 NEARC swap meet. I'm sure it's new owner will enjoy it!

My twenty-fourth find was an EAC R-390A/URR military communications receiver. I acquired this set through one of the teachers at the technical high school I used to go to. It is up and running, and puts many of my other shortwave radios to shame. More about this set can be found at my boatanchor page.

My twenty-fifth find was a Collins R-392/URR military communications receiver. This set is essentially the vehicular equivalent of the R-390A/URR's predecessor, the R-390/URR. More about this set can be found at my boatanchor page.

My twenty-sixth find was a Espey R-48/TRC-8 military communications receiver. I unfortunately don't know much about this VHF receiver, which was meant to be paired with a VHF transmitter. More about this set can be found at my boatanchor page. 4/22/19106 UPDATE: I sold this set to Allan H. Weiner, owner of the shortwave radio station WBCQ, at the April 2006 NEARC swap meet. I'm sure he'll get some enjoyment out of this neat set!

My twenty-seventh find was a Philco 38-12 AM table radio. I bought it at the April 2003 NEARC swap meet for $45. From 1938, it is one of my oldest radios. This was also my first set not to use either octal or miniature tubes (every tube in this set is an ST-type 5- or 6-pin tube). It is a simple 5-tube BC-only set, but it does employ a power transformer. Apart from a lack of sensitivity, this set works fairly well.

My twenty-eighth find was a Zenith 6S511 AM/SW table radio. I bought it at the July 2003 NEARC swap meet for $41. This set is from 1941, and is my first old radio with pushbutton tuning. This is also my first table radio to employ loctals (used in every tube position except the output tube and rectifier) This set has a plastic case with woodgrain-like brown coloring (it was also made in ivory as the 6S511W). I'm currently not sure of the working condition of this radio, though I have been told that it had been sloppily-repaired sometime in the past. Stay tuned! 6/17/19108 UPDATE: I sold this set at the April 2008 NEARC swapmeet. It should make an interesting project for it's new owner.

My twenty-ninth find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" H-500 portable tube shortwave radio. I bought it at the October 2003 Hosstraders hamfest for $60. It is my sixth TransOceanic. This set is in better condition than my other H-500, since it actually works to some degree, and the case looks pretty nice. More about it can be found on my TransOceanic page.

My thirtieth find was a 1950's Zenith AM/FM rable radio. I bought it at the January 2004 NEARC swap meet for $15. Unfortunately, the bottom sticker doesn't include model number information, only a chassis number (coming soon). It resembles my 7H922, but with no side control. As of yet, I haven't been able to determine it's full working capacity, but I suspect that it has a bad cap in one of the IF transformers (FM reception seems intermittent at best). More later! 4/22/19106 UPDATE: I decided to sell this set at the April 2006 NEARC swapmeet. It's true identity will likely remain a mystery...

My thirty-first find was an RFT "Teraphone" Super 5080C MW/SW table radio. I bought it at the Radio XXXV swap meet for $20. This radio was made in (now-defunct) East Germany. It doesn't quite fit the usual European radio stereotype, being shorter than most of them, with the speaker to the side of the dial rather than above it. The sides of the cabinet are veneer-covered wood, but the front panel is of a white plastic, which contrasts sharply with the cabinet. It features three shortwave bands, covering 2.4-26MC. Like most European sets, this one uses "piano keys" to change bands. Other than a slight hum and a bit of scratchiness in the bandswitch, this set works surprisingly well. More info, including pictures, coming later!

My thirty-second find was a Grundig-Majestic 2120-U MW/FM/SW table set. I bought it at the April 2004 NEARC swapmeet for $25. Unlike RFT, Grundig was based in West Germany, and this set looks much more like a typical European radio. This is my first European radio to feature FM, and also my first radio with an eye tube (an EM84). Cosmetically, this set is in great shape, but because the line cord has seen better days, I haven't tested it yet. More later!

My thirty-third find was an Atwater Kent 55C AM radio chassis. I bought it at the October 2004 NEARC swapmeet for $45. This was my first Atwater Kent radio, and formerly held the place as the oldest radio in my collection (1929). Atwater Kent was one of the first major radio manufacturers, putting out several well-known kit/breadboard radios such as the legendary Model 10. Mine is from the approximate middle of the life of the A-K corporation, when they were starting to make AC-operated sets as well as battery-operated ones. The 55C chassis was usually found in a console cabinet (made by any number of companies such as Pooley, Red Lion, etc.) or a Kiel table, as opposed to the standard metal A-K cabinet which housed the 55 chassis. Mine, however, is not in any sort of cabinet, just an exposed chassis (save for a cover over the tuning/RF section). This set has been tested, and it works well (though the audio level is a bit low). Amazingly, my set still has it's 45 tubes present, and several globe tubes. Also, it came with an F-2 speaker, which is not the type specified for this particular model (the F-4 was made for 60Hz-operated sets, and the F-2 was made for 25Hz-operated sets, meaning that the B+ voltage is a bit low when used with a 60Hz set), and is in rough shape (missing it's grillecloth, and has some patch-up spots on the speaker cone), but it works ok. If anyone has a source for a cabinet, a correct F-4C (or F-4/F-4A) speaker (would be willing to trade my F-2 speaker for it), or a tracing of the knob opening found on one of the console cabinets, please email me using the email address at the bottom of the page. 2/20/19107 UPDATE: After a long wait, I finally have a Kiel table cabinet to install my 55C chassis in! It's been painted green, and some of the wood has seen better days, but it's otherwise in great shape. Just need to refinish it, and find a proper F-4C speaker to install in it, and it should be all set to go.

My thirty-fourth find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" Royal D7000Y portable multiband receiver.I bought it at a local flea market for $5. It is my seventh TransOceanic, and my third solid-state TransOceanic. It is in rough shape, with a broken hinge on one of the covers, some slight dial warpage, and some dents and dings, but I did well for the price paid. Every band I've tested so far works, although there is some slack in the tuning mechanism. More about it can be found on my TransOceanic page. 08/18/19106 UPDATE: I sold the Royal D7000Y at the July 2006 NEARC swapmeet. It's new owner is very happy with it, despite it's flaws.

My thirty-fifth find was an Atwater Kent 20 (type 4640) AM table radio. I bought it at the January 2005 NEARC swapmeet for $100. This is my second Atwater Kent radio, and holds the title as the oldest radio in my collection (1924). I bought it along with an Atwater Kent model L horn speaker, which seems to match the set. I have a set of tubes for it, but unfortunately, a couple of the resistors are open, so it currently doesn't work, though that should change soon. More later! 2/20/19105 UPDATE: After replacing the two aforementioned resistors, as well as a weak/gassy tube, the radio now works great! Pics coming soon!

My thirty-sixth find was a Philips "Sagitta" 373. I bought it at the April 2005 NEARC swapmeet for $25. I do not know much about this set. It has a bit of veneer damage, and could use a bit of inner restoration, but seems to work rather well. Like my Grundig, it is equipped with FM, but unlike my Grundig, it is not an import set, so the FM band only goes to 100MHz. If anyone has information and/or schematics pertaining to this set, please email me using the email address listed at the bottom of the page. 4/22/19106 UPDATE: I decided to sell this set at the April 2006 NEARC swapmeet. It should make someone an excellent radio!

My thirty-seventh find is a Zenith H725 AM/FM table radio. I bought it at a flea market for $25. I don't know much about this particular set, other than the model number (which I didn't learn until long after I bought the set). One of the knobs is wrong, and the case is in desperate need of a polishing, but it otherwise seems to be in good shape. I have yet to test this set. More info later.

My thirty-eighth find was a Hallicrafters S-72 multiband portable receiver. I bought it at the July 2005 NEARC swapmeet for $50. From around 1950, this set predates the Trans-World series of Trans-Oceanic clones which Hallicrafters put out later. It uses 8 tubes, like the Zenith 8G005 series, though all of them are miniature tubes. Unlike the Trans-World/Trans-Oceanic sets, the S-72 has a different approach to the layout; it is horizontally-oriented like a standard table radio, but meant to sit so that the dial and speaker are facing the top rather than the front (with the cover closing over the top panel). Though it works to some degree, the bands are largely dead at the moment, so it likely needs to be cleaned, as well as recapped. More later!

My thirty-ninth find was a Philco 38-9 AM/SW table radio. I bought it at the October 2005 NEARC swapmeet for $55. This radio dwarfs my other 1938 Philco (which, coincidentally, I bought from the same seller!). The dial on this set looks akin to one used in a tombstone or console Philco. The cabinet on this set is in good shape, and the set works fairly well.

My fortieth find was a Hallicrafters SX-42 communications receiver. It was given to me by a friend. The SX-42 was Hallicrafters' top-of-the-line radio when it was released, and one of the first to feature FM reception. The case is in rusty shape, some of the knobs have seen better days (fortunately, not the metal bandspread knob!), and the guts will probably require a full restoration, but you can't beat the price! I will soon have more info and pics of it on my boatanchor page.

My forty-first find was a Crosley 51 AM table radio. I bought it at the January 2006 NEARC swapmeet for $100. This is my first regenerative receiver. It uses two tubes, apparently 01As (like my Atwater Kent 20, it didn't come with any tubes). The book-type tuning capacitor is sticky, but other than that, the innards are in pretty good shape. Hopefully, I'll be able to test it soon. 3/25/19108 UPDATE: After lubricating the condenser and refitting the tuning knob, I tested the set out, and it works great! Not quite up to snuff with the Atwater Kent 20, but pretty good for a radio which cost less than a fifth of the price ($18.50 as opposed to $100) when new...

My forty-second find was an Atwater Kent 545 AM/SW table radio. I bought it at the Radio XXXVII swap meet for $170. This was my third Atwater Kent radio, and my first tombstone radio. One of Atwater Kent's later sets, it features a small airplane dial, and shortwave coverage from 1.7 to around 8MC (I was even able to pick up a "spy numbers station" with it, which I pinpointed to 8.098MC with my R-390A/URR). The total restoration of this particular radio was featured in the February 2002 issue of Antique Radio Classified. According to John Hagman, the man who restored it, the cabinet was in several pieces when he found the set. This would make it a basketcase to most collectors, but fortunately for me, John is not most collectors! The set looks great, and works perfectly.

My forty-third find was a Zenith "TransOceanic" Royal 1000. I bought it at the July 2006 NEARC swapmeet for $140. This is my eighth TransOceanic, and my fourth solid-state TransOceanic. Unlike my other Royal 1000, this one is complete (including the battery box and the detachable Wavemagnet), and is in great shape (very little chrome pitting). More about it can be found (soon) on my TransOceanic page.

My forty-fourth find was a Zenith Royal 2000 portable AM/FM radio. I bought it at the October 2006 NEARC swapmeet for $20. The Royal 2000 is considered a "companion set" to Zenith's TransOceanic series of radios (documented elsewhere on this site). Not a whole lot of info is online about the Royal 2000. From what I've seen, there appear to be at least two variations of this set: one with markings on the knob and detent lines for BASS and TREBLE, and one with no detent lines or markings beyond the word TONE; my set falls into the latter category. On my set, some of the paint has worn off, and the chrome is mildly pitted, but it works perfectly, and sounds great.

My forty-fifth find was a Philco 70 AM table radio. I bought it at the October 2006 NEARC swapmeet for $250. It is my first cathedral radio (and what a way to start...). The Philco 70 cathedral, along with it's bigger brother, the 90, share one of the most famous radio designs in history. It has been copied several times for reproduction radios; even Philco themselves (as Philco-Ford) later produced a transistorized AM/FM version of the Model 90. As for my 70, it is in very good shape; the chassis has apparently been recapped (have yet to remove the chassis to check), and the (apparently original) finish looks good. It works quite nicely, though there seems to be a slight intermittent hum.

My forty-sixth find was an Atwater Kent 30 AM table radio. I bought it at the Radio XXXVIII swap meet for $100. This was my fourth Atwater Kent radio. For the most part, it is similar to my Atwater Kent 20, though the case is smaller, uses six 01As, and it only uses one knob for tuning as opposed to three (a big development in 1926). My example of the 30 is one of the earlier versions, where they used a case originally meant for the Atwater Kent 20C (parts of the inside of the rear panel were carved out to accomodate the larger parts, and a few holes were plugged). As found, the case is a bit scratched up, and the pot-metal tuning pulleys swelled up over the years, causing the brass bands (which allowed the two outer tuning capacitors to track along with the middle one) to snap, but it's otherwise in excellent shape. Due to the tuning issue, I have yet to test it. More later! 6/17/19108 UPDATE: I sold this set at the April 2008 NEARC swapmeet. Hopefully, it's new owner will be able to solve it's many problems.

My forty-seventh find was a Grundig Transistor 500 portable multiband receiver, which was given to me by a neighbor. A product of the mid 1960s, it could possibly be considered a companion set to their Satellit 205 portable multiband receiver (known in the US as the Transistor 5000), similar to Zenith's "Universal" or "Global" TransOceanic companion sets. It offers basic shortwave coverage, along with MW, FM, and LW. This set was more commonly known in Germany as the Music Boy 206, with an 88-100MHz FM band (the Transistor 500 sports the US 88-108MHz FM band), and German markings. This set is complete, including an original Grundig battery eliminator (meant to take the place of the "PP9" battery more commonly found in Europe than the US). Apart from a few minor issues, this set works fairly well.

My forty-eighth find was a "Zenith TransOceanic" Royal D7000Y portable multiband receiver. I bought it at the October 2008 NEARC swapmeet for $85. It is my ninth TransOceanic, and my fifth solid-state TransOceanic. It is in nicer shape than the first D7000Y, with no major cosmetic damage (apart from some pitting in the chrome). Every band I've tested so far seems to work fine. More about it can be found on my TransOceanic page

My forty-ninth find was a Zenith Royal 500E transistor radio. I bought it at the April 2010 NEARC swapmeet for $20. The original Royal 500 was Zenith's first transistor radio, and the beginning of a successful model series which ran from 1955 to 1965. The Royal 500E was introduced in 1959, eschewing the matching-color knobs in favor of clear outer knobs, with the volume/tuning markings printed on a silver center disc within each knob. The circuitry was similar to the Royal 500D, which added an eighth transistor to the circuit as an additional RF amplifier, making it a very sensitive receiver. At first, the performance of my Royal 500E was poor, and two of the batteries heated up after being inserted. After removing the chassis, I discovered that one of the battery terminals had come loose from the rear of the battery holder, causing a metal strip between the dual-section battery holder to touch the speaker frame, creating a short circuit. I used electrical tape to hold the terminal in place, as well as insulate the metal strip, and the set now works perfectly. Cosmetics-wise, the gold-tinted chrome around the knobs is heavily pitted, but the maroon plastic case is in decent condition.

My fiftieth find was a Hallicrafters S-38B communications receiver. It was given to me by a friend. The S-38 series of radios was Hallicrafters' entry-level communications receiver for many years, replaced by the S-120 (cousin to my S-118) in the early '60s. It likely needs a restoration, but is in decent shape otherwise. 1/6/19113 UPDATE: I gave this radio to a friend. Hopefully, he'll be able to learn more about tube radios from it.

My fifty-first find was a Bendix (I think) R-1051B/URR military communications receiver. I bought it from a friend for $50. Developed as a follow-up to the R-390A (among other receivers), the R-1051 series was designed to be easy to use, as well as to be useful for SSB reception, equipped with frequency synthesized circuitry, and the 1960s equivalent of digital tuning. More info and pics of it can be found on my boatanchor page.

My fifty-second find was a Zenith 6S511W AM/SW table radio. I bought it at the April 2011 NEARC swapmeet for $40. This is my very first plastic radio to sport a painted finish; it is similar to the 6S511 I used to own, but it's bakelite cabinet was painted ivory at the factory. For some reason, Zenith opted to put brown pushbuttons and knobs on the ivory-painted version, while using ivory pushbuttons and knobs on the standard brown 6S511. Anyway, I haven't done much testing of this set, but it seems to work fairly well. The ivory paint could use a touch-up in some spots, but is overall in decent shape.

My fifty-third find was a Zenith H845 AM/FM table radio. I bought it at the April 2011 NEARC swapmeet for $8. The H845, and it's brethren, are somewhat of a "sleeper" in the tube radio world: they included an extra tube in the AM section as an RF amplifier, and outfitted it with a large 8" speaker, as well as a small tweeter. This gave it better AM reception and audio fidelity than one of their standard 7-tube AM/FM table radios. It could stand to be recapped, and the plastic is a bit yellowed, but it works surprisingly well given it's age, and is in decent cosmetic shape.

My fifty-fourth find was a FADA 192A "Neutrolette" AM table radio. It was given to me by a friend. The Neutrolette was a popular "neutrodyne" set of it's day. For reasons unknown, this set was stripped of it's original bakelite front panel (I'll have to put together some sort of substitute someday), but is otherwise in decent shape. It originally ran on batteries, but somewhere along the line, someone crudely converted this set to run on AC (it sports a holder for 4 D cell batteries likely intended to power the tube filaments, but it's disconnected). I have yet to trace the wiring of these added supplies, to see whether or not it's safe to power up (at the least, it likely needs new filter capacitors, since the conversion was done in the 1960s or so).

My fifty-fifth find was a Hammarlund HQ-129X communications receiver. I bought it at a yard sale for $60. The HQ-129X was one of the first communications receivers introduced for public sale after the end of WWII, in late 1945 or so. It was extremely popular, owing to it's impressive performance for the initial release price, and remained popular even after the price increased. Apart from needing a recap, and having mild cosmetics issues, it's in very good shape. I will soon have more info and pics of it on my boatanchor page.

My fifty-sixth find was an Atwater Kent 55 AM table radio. I bought it at the June 2012 NEARC swapmeet for $35. This is my second Atwater Kent 55; unlike my first one, this one is installed in a green and black metal cabinet, meant for tabletop use. I'm not sure how many of these were sold in this fashion as compared to the 55C chassis (as intended for installation in custom cabinets), but I'm guessing they're a bit harder to find. Also unlike my other 55, this one actually came with the correct speaker, a F-4A external type. Since this set has been stripped of most of it's tubes, I will likely use the speaker with my 55C chassis until I can figure out what to do with this one.

My fifty-seventh find is an RCA Radiola III AM table radio. I bought it at a yard sale for $40. Designed by Westinghouse, the Radiola III was RCA's "entry-level" set for 1924, using two tubes, and retailing for $24.50. It's of the basic "regenerative" type, similar to my Crosley 51 as seen above, and only able to drive headphones (they sold an upgraded IIIA model, as well as an outboard balanced amplifier for the III, both meant to drive a horn loudspeaker). It was meant for dry cell battery operation, utilizing a pair of WD-11 tubes, which are extremely fragile and rare. My set came with two pairs of headphones (Brandes "Superiors" and Murdock Radio 3000 ohm), a pair of RCA branded WD-11s (along with their original Radiotron boxes), and a Knight DX-200A tube (likely pulled from whatever radio replaced the Radiola). Unfortunately, one of the WD-11s is a dud, which isn't surprising given how fragile they are, but there are ways to replace them with different tubes. Otherwise, however, the set is in excellent condition for it's age, given that it was once used as a mouse nest (amazingly, the battery cable is in near-perfect condition, as is the patent label on the back). I will test the set once I can solve the tube situation. 2/20/19113 UPDATE: I have now acquired another WD-11 tube with an intact filament. I will carefully test this set once I have a chance to hook it up to my ARBE-III battery radio power supply (normally used with the Atwater Kent 20, and occasionally with the Crosley 51).

My fifty-eighth and latest find is a Benrus 10B01B15B AM clock radio. This is my third tube clock radio. I bought it at the September 2012 NEARC swapmeet for $40. Benrus was a wristwatch manufacturer, and this was their sole, brief foray into the radio business. They apparently sold this set through their network of watch dealers only in 1955. It is fairly small, yet weighs quite a bit due to the solid brass case, and the glass dial crystal (my guess is that it was fairly expensive). The clock face takes up the entire front panel, with the radio and alarm controls on the sides and rear panel, respectively. Mine sports an off-white face, while others were fitted with a brass-colored face (supposedly, the ones with white faces are rarer than the brass face versions, though I'm not entirely sure). The clock mechanism uses a Telechron rotor, which still runs, though I'm not entirely sure whether or not the alarm part works. The radio part needs to be restored, as usual.

Currently, I have 'only' forty five old radios (and one old television). If you have any old radios you are looking to get rid of, please email me using the email address below.

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