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Any "new" old radios out there in Fedoraville?

K

kpreed

Guest
I have some of both, tube and transistor type radios and yes they all work great,(I do my own tube radio repair) but in this throw away world we live in I find it cheaper to get a new transistor powered radio that looks old, then trying to find anyone to fix it. Just my two cents.
 

Lulu-in-Ny

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Clifton Park, New York
I finally got the camera thing in line, so here's a few shots of my favorite thing:
Radio1.jpg

Radio2.jpg

Radio3.jpg
 

splatt

One of the Regulars
Messages
261
Location
Melbourne, Australia
This is one of my photos of the radio room at the Upper Yarra Museum, where i devote a bit of my time helping out when and where i can.

uym_03.jpg


I adore the radio room and most people who visit the museum are amazed at the amount of radios we have :)

If you are in Australia and are planning to visit the lovely Upper Yarra Valley at some point, check out this thread to see if i am on weekend duty during your visit...then you can drop in and i can give you a personal tour of the place ;)

I'm actually on duty this Sunday, so i will grab a few closeups of the radios while i am there.
 

Lulu-in-Ny

A-List Customer
Messages
433
Location
Clifton Park, New York
splatt said:
This is one of my photos of the radio room at the Upper Yarra Museum, where i devote a bit of my time helping out when and where i can.

uym_03.jpg


I adore the radio room and most people who visit the museum are amazed at the amount of radios we have :)

If you are in Australia and are planning to visit the lovely Upper Yarra Valley at some point, check out this thread to see if i am on weekend duty during your visit...then you can drop in and i can give you a personal tour of the place ;)

I'm actually on duty this Sunday, so i will grab a few closeups of the radios while i am there.
Wow, that phonograph is beautiful.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
Lulu-in-Ny said:
Thank you!
I really need to get in there and get the dust out of it. I didn't realize until I took the picture how dusty it actually was. Yikes!

A great radio!

One of the best parts of the 1929 Victors is the logo embossing on the upper chassis! They even engraved all the metal covers on the amplifier with the logo.

934941103_b3f70ef3a1.jpg


934941747_26d9f19f67.jpg


934941603_126b7601c7.jpg


I picked up this Victor radio chassis and power amplifier for a Victor of your series at a garage sale a while ago. Even without the cabinet, its looks great!
 
Messages
11,579
Location
Covina, Califonia 91722
I don't have any vintage radios but it is one of the items on the list for when I re-do my office at home. I tend to be a Zenith fan, but so many of the Art Deco styled ones are so gorgeous, I can't say what i will settle on.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
splatt said:
The descriptions have been taken from a bit of paper in the room and from what is on the radio's themselves so...if anything is named wrong or if you know what year they may be from, i would love to know it so i can label everything properly :)

Starting with the Gramaphones. .....

Thanks for sharing the pics, cool stuff! Can't wait to see the radios too.

First, it should be spelled Gramophones, not Gramaphones.
Other than that little bit, your info looks good. But I must say that I'm not really as familiar with gramophone models as I am with radios. Looks like the ones in the museum need a little TLC, very tough keeping gramophones in good condition when the public can get their hands on them.
 

missjo

Practically Family
Messages
509
Location
amsterdam
Here is my radio, its a Dutch 1934 radio;
431740031_de5a8def65.jpg


The inside was empty when I bought it so I installed a 1970's tuner inside that I connected to 3 ipods that play 30s music and broadcasts on a loop.
I also listen to the mp3 radiofiles I made myself for living history displays.
It works perfectly, I can actually twist the bakelite knobs to change channels, change volume or turn it off.
I listen to radio Hilversum, Berlin, or London the entire day.
When I get another Ipod I can add radio Paris ;)

PS underneath the radio you will see my suitcase gramophone that we bring to picknicks and such.
 

splatt

One of the Regulars
Messages
261
Location
Melbourne, Australia
RetroToday said:
Thanks for sharing the pics, cool stuff! Can't wait to see the radios too.

First, it should be spelled Gramophones, not Gramaphones.
Other than that little bit, your info looks good. But I must say that I'm not really as familiar with gramophone models as I am with radios. Looks like the ones in the museum need a little TLC, very tough keeping gramophones in good condition when the public can get their hands on them.


Thanks Retro...spelling fixed :eek:

And yes they all need some TLC as they have been left to their devices since they each arrived and have probably never even been cleaned. I joined the local historical society a few months ago and am slowly working through a never-ending list of things to do :confused:

Anyway...I'll post some images of the radios shortly.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
splatt said:
As promised...the first batch of radio's...
Second batch coming soon :)

Even though you seem happy about it, I still felt like such a jerk after I walked away from the computer after correcting the word gramophone, sorry man. I hate correcting spelling, hurts people.

Well, that's a very nice grouping of radio cabinet design! Thanks for sharing those pics. Were all of those items once owned by noted Upper Yarra people? Great stuff.
My favourite is the AWA Radiolet, I love the deco skyscraper styling. Your STC radio pick is a very close second for me, I really like the marbelizing in the bakelite on that one, needs a little grille cloth to complete the look and cover that speaker.

I hope the Upper Yarra museum focuses part of it's budget to at least mount clear plexiglass to the fronts of those shelves with the radios. Appears like some sticky visitor fingers nabbed a few knobs along the way. Until then, hopefully there are more good volunteers like you to keep a watchful eye on them. Just wondering, what is the primary mandate behind the Yarra museum? The website really needs to be a little more explanatory. And... maybe show a little more of the area's unique history through archival photos?
 

splatt

One of the Regulars
Messages
261
Location
Melbourne, Australia
No problem with the spelling thing Retro...i've spent way to many years tapping away at a keyboard to let one spelling mistake correction worry me ;)

Back to the radio's...I doubt that the radio's (like the rest of the museum items) all came from noted Upper Yarra residents...but at least all of the items have been donated by local residents and not brought in from outside the region.

Most of the other rooms have glass fronts to the display cabinets, but the radio room has been left to own for some reason. If we can clear some of the space out and work out what everything is in that room, the idea has been floating around for a while i gather to turn the room into a replica of a 1930's/1940's radio store...which would be a really cool way to display them :)

There are about 300 or 400 photos on display (some on boards and some in archival photo books) and about another 2000 or 3000 currently being sorted...i just need to set them up so they can be scanned at the same time so all of the originals can go into archival storage.

Since i started with the society, i have also commissioned a new logo design from an award winning graphic designer friend of mine and the website will quickly follow that.

Like I said...lots of work to do :eek:
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
splatt said:
No problem with the spelling thing Retro...i've spent way to many years tapping away at a keyboard to let one spelling mistake correction worry me ;)

Back to the radio's...I doubt that the radio's (like the rest of the museum items) all came from noted Upper Yarra residents...but at least all of the items have been donated by local residents and not brought in from outside the region.

Most of the other rooms have glass fronts to the display cabinets, but the radio room has been left to own for some reason. If we can clear some of the space out and work out what everything is in that room, the idea has been floating around for a while i gather to turn the room into a replica of a 1930's/1940's radio store...which would be a really cool way to display them :)

There are about 300 or 400 photos on display (some on boards and some in archival photo books) and about another 2000 or 3000 currently being sorted...i just need to set them up so they can be scanned at the same time so all of the originals can go into archival storage.

Since i started with the society, i have also commissioned a new logo design from an award winning graphic designer friend of mine and the website will quickly follow that.

Like I said...lots of work to do :eek:

Wow, very cool. I enjoyed hearing your ideas a lot, I think it will be a very successful update to the Upper Yarra Museum.

A "radio store" concept is a great way to show off all of that radio collection, maybe do the same with the gramophones. A big key to that is sales signage, if you can't find any original radio branded store signs and display signs, maybe that graphic designer friend of yours will create suitable substitutes.

Very excited to see what you come up with, so much potential with that collection. But yes, it will definately take some time!

Good luck, hope I can help in some way.
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
A great bunch of vintage radios, thanks for posting all those shots. Love the Raycophone and the Astor, beautiful deco styling on both.

Hopefully those numbering stickers on the wooden radios aren't stuck on with something that has a lot of tack, you might find when they're removed that part of the finish comes with them. :eek:
Better to put those numbers on the backs of the radios for identification and then put separate numbers (for guests) mounted to the shelves, not the radio fronts.

Again, good luck with all your efforts at the museum. :eusa_clap
 

UH34D

New in Town
Messages
27
Location
Ohio
I've got my Dad's old Philco. It's a console type radio with a door that pulls out to get to the record player. I'll get the model number tonight and list it.

I remember the family sitting around the Philco before we got a tv. The radio still works, takes about 5-10 to warm up and away she goes. The record player seems to have retired.
 

UH34D

New in Town
Messages
27
Location
Ohio
Checked for the model number of the Philco, it's a 48-1263 code 121. If anyone knows the history of this model like if it's a bargin basement model or what, pass it on, it would be interesting. Thanks
 

RetroToday

A-List Customer
Messages
466
Location
Toronto, Canada
UH34D said:
Checked for the model number of the Philco, it's a 48-1263 code 121. If anyone knows the history of this model like if it's a bargin basement model or what, pass it on, it would be interesting. Thanks

Hi UH34D,
Check out this page for info on your Philco:
http://www.philcoradio.com/gallery/1948.htm

And please get the Capacitors redone by a repair person before you use it any more. Could save you the headaches of having to fix larger problems in the future when they fail and let too much voltage in.

*By the way - It shouldn't take 5-10 minutes to warm up, that's an indicator of problems.

Many times all the non-functioning record player section needs is new rubber for the turntable wheels
- They tend to dry up and shrink over time, so they lose contact with the other mechanisms they work with.
 

UH34D

New in Town
Messages
27
Location
Ohio
Retro, Thanks for the info and the link. That was pretty nice seeing the Philco info. I guess I have to find someone who has experience in old time capacitors? That radio sat in my Dads basement for at least 25 years after they moved, I was extremely suprised when I got it home and plugged it in.
 

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