Vintage Radio hosts Australia's only discussion forums relating to Australian vintage radio. Members of these forums include those who are quite knowledgable and experienced with all facets of repair, service and restoration of these invaluable pieces of our Nation's broadcasting history. Discussions also include the subjects of vintage television, telephones and other vintage electrical appliances and there is a general discussion forum that allows discussion of off-topic subjects. If any of this subject matter is of interest to you then membership of this website is strongly encouraged.
With RadioFest 2019 over for another year, the radio collecting 'season', if there is such a thing, is winding down a bit as we head towards Christmas although there are still a few auctions and swap meets around the country for interested parties to attend in order to top up collection activities for the year.
As most site members will be aware, since late April the Wanted and For Sale forum has been disabled whilst it has undergone some changes in order to fit in better with members' expectations. I was not anticipating it being disabled for this long however numerous other things have got in the road, as does happen sometimes. I am hoping to have Wanted and For Sale back open for business in a couple of weeks. New rules will apply to the use of this particular forum and I will explain this as the reopening date draws closer.
In 2020, it is my plan to spend some time making the forums match the newer part of the site though it is my plan to take as much time as possible away from web coding and concentrate more on my own radio collecting activities. Unfortunately, due to a change in my employment this year, I seldom have sufficient time to work on new features for the site so this type of work is unlikely to occur in the new year. Time I spend on administrative work on the site will be devoted to simply making sure the site is up and working for as long as possible.
In the photo, we have an AWA Radiola 520M, also known by collectors as The Fridge. This is an upright version of AWA's 1940's Radiola, which came in mains and battery powered versions and in at least four colours. Upright mantel radios weren't all that common in Australia and the Fridge is pretty much the only one that became popular. It is a rare beast in the colour pictured though there are plenty of brown ones around and many collections feature at least one. It is an AM radio with an all-states dial and five valves. At this age, it is a little fragile and should be carried with two hands and not solely with the carry handle that is built into the back panel. Like most Radiolas from this era, they are a basic set that is easy to restore and get working again.