A VERY big 1937 Radio!

[RetroToday]

Although I've been interested in tube radios for a while now and thought I'd seen a lot of what was out there I missed probably what was one of the biggest radios ever produced for the public.

I recently flipped through a 1937 Popular Mechanics magazine I bought years ago at a garage sale and saw this great article about a very big and interesting radio. The text doesn't say who built it, I thought it was just an experimantal gimmicky prototype radio.

So I scanned it and asked around, the other radio collectors answered back quickly - It's a 1937 Crosley model WLW.
Over five feet high and weighed 475 pounds! It was an actual production model, although, only about ten of them were made because they cost $1,500 - in 1937!

Here's my other thread, more info there:
http://antiqueradios.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=91312

Learn something new every day but I'm kind of embarrassed about this one though - I feel like I saw all the zebras running across the savanna and didn't notice the elephant standing right in front of me! What a cool radio.

 

[Flivver]

About 20 years ago, a friend of mine actually found a Crosley WLW...or, I should say, the remains of one. The cabinet was falling apart and several of the amplifier chassis were missing. He traded it to another collector because he deemed it unrestorable and it didn't fit into his area of radio interest anyway.

While he owned it, it sat in the back of his garage. I had plenty of time to examine it and I came away somewhat unimpressed. It certainly was *big* but that was its major claim to fame. It was just a big Crosley, and Crosley radios were never known to be paragons of excellence. Good values, yes...but seldom memorable. At the time, neither of us had any clue that a perfect example would, one day, bring $55,000 at auction!

In 1937, Crosley's radio station, WLW, was the most powerful (500,000 watts) station in the U.S. Its slogan was "The Nation's Station" because of its wide coverage area. I suspect the WLW receiver was created as an advertising gimmick to promote the Crosley radio station.

Speaking of WLW, long after it had reduced its power to 50,000 watts, it was still possible to receive this Cincinatti station from my location in central Massachusetts *all day long* during the winter months. This was in the 1970s. I can only immagine what the coverage must have been like in the 500,000 watt days!

 

[Fletch]

Notice that as big and elaborate as the thing is, it has no phonograph. This gives you an idea of the relative importance of records to radio in the '30s.

 

[kpreed]

Thank You.

Great story, thank you. I have that issue also. I saw your post on the radio forum too. I really wonder how many Fedora Lounge folks read the radio forum also?

 

[RetroToday]

About 20 years ago, a friend of mine actually found a Crosley WLW...or, I should say, the remains of one.....

...In 1937, Crosley's radio station, WLW, was the most powerful (500,000 watts) station in the U.S. Its slogan was "The Nation's Station" because of its wide coverage area. I suspect the WLW receiver was created as an advertising gimmick to promote the Crosley radio station.

Speaking of WLW, long after it had reduced its power to 50,000 watts, it was still possible to receive this Cincinatti station from my location in central Massachusetts *all day long* during the winter months. This was in the 1970s. I can only imagine what the coverage must have been like in the 500,000 watt days!

Great information about the WLW radio and the station Flivver, thanks. Although Crosleys may have not been that great on the inside, many of their radio cabinets of that era and later were beautifully styled. While a lot of radio companies went "Plain Jane" with their cases, Crosley kept standing out with style.

Very cool that you had a friend that had the remains of a WLW, I wonder where that one is today and if it ever got restored. I would love to be able to look at one of those on the inside.

 

[Flivver]

My friend's Crosley WLW went to the west coast, as I recall. I'll bet it got restored and is in beautiful condition today. We still talk about the set and for me, at least, it's a great example of "woulda', coulda', shoulda'".

 

[Fletch]

[...]a great example of "woulda', coulda', shoulda'".

You mean Woulda', Liked-ta', Wished-ta'.

 

[Forgotten Man]

Notice that as big and elaborate as the thing is, it has no phonograph. This gives you an idea of the relative importance of records to radio in the '30s.

Well, I noticed that there seems to be no record player either... however, a lot of higher priced radios didn’t have record players... Scott Radio offered some amazing, large sets that did and didn’t have a turn table... also, Zenith and RCA. But, it wasn't as common in the 30s as it was in the 40s. In 1939 to 1942 RCA and other companies started to make combinations that sold rather well... and were given away on the Chesterfield programs... When Glenn Miller's band was goin' around to air bases and army camps just before he left to Europe; they would give away a radio record combination to one army camp for picking a most requested song.

The 1936 25-tube Zenith Stratosphere is one of the most sought after radios in the world. And at 50 ½ inches tall it is also one of the biggest. This sucker has 25 tubes and originally was sold for $750. in the four year sales sycle... and here again, big radio, no turn table.

In the 30s, most radios didn't have record players... reason being that most people who could afford a radio, they already had a record player... or, they didn't feel they needed one since the radio played all the hit songs in those days. Radio was a totally different animal back in the 30s... it really was entertainment! With radios that had multi bands such as short wave, aviation and police bands, you could listen in to hot pursuits, and just about anything around the world!

That Crosley is large in size, and $1500 bucks is as much as a car in the 30s!!!

=R

 

[RudyN]

Question, what is the web address for the radio forum? You have me curious as I am a Amateur Radio Operater and as a sideline I have made a few crystal radios and have a couple of old radios sitting out in my storage area (garage). Thanks

RudyN

 

[RetroToday]

Question, what is the web address for the radio forum? You have me curious as I am a Amateur Radio Operater and as a sideline I have made a few crystal radios and have a couple of old radios sitting out in my storage area (garage). Thanks

RudyN

Hi RudyN, here you go:

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/index.php

There's a great bunch of resourceful people there who are willing to help or chat about all things radio, etc. Make sure to check out the rest of that website, there is more than just a forum.

Good luck