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Some of My Radios

Started by LarryInMichigan, January 15, 2015, 01:17:25 PM

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LarryInMichigan

Here is a badly exposed picture of my Airline 14BR-525A which I just reassembled.  This radio should be from 1941.  I discovered that the first two digits of Airline radio models represent the mode year backwards (eg. "14" means 1941), and the two characters following the number apparently represent the manufacturer.  The "BR" would be for Belmont Radio Corp..  There were also many models with "WG" in the model number, and those were probably made by Wells-Gardner.  The Airline name was the Montgomery Ward brand.  Montgomery Ward, Belmont, and Wells-Gardner were all Chicago companies.

Larry

Fabius

Quote from: LarryInMichigan on January 26, 2015, 02:45:33 PM
Here is a badly exposed picture of my Airline 14BR-525A

Nice! There's none on eBay right now but there is a repro back for the model listed.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

LarryInMichigan

The Airline does still have its original back cover, and like the other Belmonts I have, the antenna is on the inside of the cover.  Here is another picture of the radio.

Larry

Dennis Markham

Your Airline radio looks very nice, Larry.  I'll bet it sounds as good as it looks.


LarryInMichigan

#19
1. Philco 48-460 "Hippopotamus" 1948
2. Belmont 6D111 c.1946 (one of the most classic radio designs of all time)
3. Philco 48-250 1948

Larry

Fabius

Philco 48-460 "Hippopotamus" 1948

It wasn't all that long ago that you couldn't give a Hippo away. Now they're popular. I found one in an antique shop in Michigan. It worked but was missing the back. Sold it for a nice profit at a telephone show.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

LarryInMichigan

Quote from: Fabius on January 29, 2015, 11:13:14 AM
Philco 48-460 "Hippopotamus" 1948

It wasn't all that long ago that you couldn't give a Hippo away. Now they're popular. I found one in an antique shop in Michigan. It worked but was missing the back. Sold it for a nice profit at a telephone show.

Mine also came from an antique shop in Michigan, and it is also missing its back.  I was told that people removed the back to improve ventilation.  At any rate, the back cover has nothing important on it on these Philcos.  On many other brands, the antenna is on the back cover.

Larry

Fabius

There are repro backs for this model.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

LarryInMichigan

Quote from: Fabius on January 29, 2015, 12:15:42 PM
There are repro backs for this model.

I know, but it isn't worth it to me.  The radio is not is perfect condition, and the back is not visible to anyone while the radio is on the shelf.  The radio does play very well though.

Larry

LarryInMichigan

Here's an RCA Victor 66X11 (c.1947) that I bought yesterday and just finished restoring.  It will probably end up going to friends.

Larry

Dennis Markham

Larry, you just bought it yesterday and it's already restored?  What took you so long?!

Another nice one.

LarryInMichigan

QuoteWhat took you so long?!

A combination of old age and laziness.

This radio really sounds great.  I wonder how much the designers of these cabinets took acoustics into account in the design.

I am in the process of buying two more radios from a long distance craigslist seller.  Hopefully, they will make their way to this thread soon.

Larry

LarryInMichigan

Here's an Emerson BA-199 c.1938 that I received yesterday from a craigslist seller in PA.

Larry

Dennis Markham

Nice looking radio, Larry.  I really like the dial face.

LarryInMichigan

Quote from: Dennis Markham on February 10, 2015, 12:18:57 PM
Nice looking radio, Larry.  I really like the dial face.
Thank you, Dennis.  Unfortunately, the dial is painted foil on paper, so there is just about nothing that can be done to clean it without ruining it.  The radio works, but not as well as I would like.  It is a TRF radio, so performance will not be as good as a superhet.

Larry