Comments on: Classic Radio Gallery

Classic Radio Gallery

hama7 — Sat, 01 Feb 2003 05:38:07 -0800

The Classic Radio Gallery: Wooden radios, speakers, and more.

By: alumshubby

alumshubby — Sat, 01 Feb 2003 06:02:23 -0800

Sigh. I used to have this beautiful old combination portable AM radio / record player in a finished pine cabinet, dovetail corners, gorgeous to look at...I wish I still had it someplace.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sat, 01 Feb 2003 06:31:09 -0800

I sigh too. I'd love to stumble across an old radio in a thrift shop around here. Wouldn't it be fun to tinker around with and try to find working parts for it? As a companion link, I'd suggest a look at Nipperhead for some gorgeous speakers, phonographs, victrolas, Nipperabilia, and epherema that's out of this world.

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sat, 01 Feb 2003 06:32:05 -0800

That would be ephemera. I have no idea what epherema is.

By: alumshubby

alumshubby — Sat, 01 Feb 2003 09:30:30 -0800

Once I was tinkering with the antenna trimmer on an energized war-surplus shortwave receiver (a tube set). Big flash... When I regained consciousness, I was across the room, under a desk, bleeding from a deep gash in my scalp, with a bad burn on my thumb where it had spark-gapped the screwdriver I'd been holding. There were flames shooting out of the back of the box. I stumbled down the hall, grabbed an extinguisher, staggered back to my room, unplugged the chassis and put out the fire, and at that point I was kind of dizzy and sat down. Various public-safety folks began coming into the picture after that, and I wound up in the hospital overnight for observation with six stitches in my scalp.

By: aladfar

aladfar — Sat, 01 Feb 2003 13:59:32 -0800

I've been intrested in old radio receivers for some time. My pride and joy: A 1930 Philco in working order. The tubes glow, and it receives AM stations with perfect clarity. I often think of generations past listening to FDR fireside chats.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Sat, 01 Feb 2003 19:02:13 -0800

The interesting story of Nipper the dog a stray in London who went on to become a world famous trademark symbol.

By: arto

arto — Sun, 02 Feb 2003 01:16:29 -0800

Y'know, this one probably looks more au courant now than in 1936 (or whenever). Iconomy: My cousin used to collect these. Hard to find 'em cheap, though, most of the decent working ones are probably in antique shops or on eBay nowadays. Finding parts might be hard, too, unless they happen to use the same kind of tubes as guitar amps (which isn't completely farfetched--supposedly, Leo Fender's classic designs were based on hi-fi amps of the time.) (1940's to 1960's.)

By: iconomy

iconomy — Sun, 02 Feb 2003 13:19:58 -0800

Ooh thanks for those links!

By: hama7

hama7 — Sun, 02 Feb 2003 23:06:28 -0800

When I regained consciousness, I was across the room, under a desk, bleeding from a deep gash in my scalp, with a bad burn on my thumb where it had spark-gapped the screwdriver I'd been holding. I can see it perfectly, and it's not a very pretty picture, but eloquently and succinctly described. The closest thing I can compare is nearly conking myself out by knocking my head against the T.V. as a kid. (It just doesn't sound quite as riveting or dangerous though.)

By: hama7

hama7 — Mon, 03 Feb 2003 20:41:13 -0800

Some other links: antiqueradio.org, which has some nice pieces; wooden tabletop radios from the 1930s and 40s, John Rose's Wood Cabinet Radios, American Radios and, Richard's Radios, which is not so easy on the eyes.