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 Valve radio ID
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 Return to top of page · Post #: 1 · Written at 8:30:50 AM on 14 September 2013.
Dogma's Gravatar
 Location: City, NZ
 Member since 14 September 2013
 Member #: 1413
 Postcount: 8

I have a valve radio and the only identifying mark is a tag which says product of Radio (1938) LTD Auckland NZ. I have no other way of identifying it, other than to say it is part of a radiogram, the record player of which was made in UK by Garrard. I need to ID this radio so I can find schematics and replace parts such as the Tx and valves which have been fried and most likely all the semiconductors too.
I didn't fry it but do want to fix it.

Any helpful advice appreciated. Thanks.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 2 · Written at 9:07:47 AM on 14 September 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

Is there a part of the label missing? NZ, like Australia and the US had their own home-grown company called Radio Corporation and perhaps the word 'Corporation' could be scratched out...

Best to send me a couple of photos when you have the time and I will upload them to your post. Some members here have a good knowledge of NZ radios.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 3 · Written at 9:19:23 AM on 14 September 2013.
Dogma's Gravatar
 Location: City, NZ
 Member since 14 September 2013
 Member #: 1413
 Postcount: 8

No, it's a metal label in pretty good condition nothing missing. Another label says Selex Decal PTY LTD 83586. Google says no matches found.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 4 · Written at 1:31:20 PM on 14 September 2013.
Dogma's Gravatar
 Location: City, NZ
 Member since 14 September 2013
 Member #: 1413
 Postcount: 8

Another question I wanted to ask. The loud speaker is a 12M Rola, I can't see an impedance rating on it, but found online it should be 2 or 15 ohms. I tested it with a multimeter and its impedance is 4 ohms. Does that mean the speaker is shot? I don't know much about speakers but it's either 2x or 1/4 the rated impedance and that doesn't seem right. But maybe someone can educate me?


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 5 · Written at 1:34:56 PM on 14 September 2013.
GTC's avatar
 GTC
 Location: Sydney, NSW
 Member since 28 January 2011
 Member #: 823
 Postcount: 6678

If you haven't already, it may be worthwhile contacting the New Zealand Vintage Radio Society:

http://www.nzvrs.pl.net/.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 6 · Written at 4:19:26 PM on 14 September 2013.
STC830's Gravatar
 Location: NSW
 Member since 10 June 2010
 Member #: 681
 Postcount: 1253

There was a NZ company called Radio (1936) Ltd, different from Radio Corporation, and were for a time the leading radio manufacturer in NZ and exported to Australia.

They were Radio Ltd until they moved into a larger building at a different location in 1936, when they added the 1936.

This might be your radio if you have misread the 1938.

Their main brand was Ultimate but also made for retailers (Courier, Hamilton, Lewis Eady, Luxor, Mc Cabe, Madison, Paramount, Rolls, Sonomatic).

This from one of Stokes books.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 7 · Written at 8:51:39 PM on 14 September 2013.
Dogma's Gravatar
 Location: City, NZ
 Member since 14 September 2013
 Member #: 1413
 Postcount: 8

STC830, you're quite right it's 1936, I must have hit the 8 without realising. I've just searched those names, Ultimate and Courier seemed the most promising, but they all appear to be for the smaller cabinets that you put on the dining table, rather than the big cabinets with the record players.
They also all look to have the brandname on the front of them, so I'm wondering if perhaps there was a decal or badge or something that has been removed at some stage.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 8 · Written at 8:41:10 AM on 15 September 2013.
Maven's Gravatar
 Location: Canberra, ACT
 Member since 23 August 2012
 Member #: 1208
 Postcount: 584

There's a good chance that the "brand" would be a house brand of one of those retailers mentioned by STC830, and you would not find that on the radio chassis, but on the radiogram cabinet-work, perhaps an internal stamp or sticker somewhere. You've not made clear whether you have the radiogram cabinet, or only the radio chassis component of the original setup.

It's likely the chassis would have been used in other retail brands as well, so you really need local knowledge to track down equivalent names and find schematics.

Maven


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 9 · Written at 2:29:21 PM on 15 September 2013.
STC830's Gravatar
 Location: NSW
 Member since 10 June 2010
 Member #: 681
 Postcount: 1253

There are quite a few photos of Ultimate radios in the Stokes book, and one page of those made for retailers. So if you provide some photos, might be lucky to have a match.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 10 · Written at 7:26:20 PM on 15 September 2013.
Dogma's Gravatar
 Location: City, NZ
 Member since 14 September 2013
 Member #: 1413
 Postcount: 8

I still have the radiogram cabinet but it was pretty shabby and has since been sanded and varnished. When I get a chance I'll check the inside and make sure I didn't miss anything.

I should be able to send a pic or two to Brad tomorrow. I trust a photo of the top and underneath of the chassis will suffice?

Thanks.


 
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