01-07-2025, 07:56 PM
All nice looking. Arran, the GE from 1933 may be the GE version of the RCA R-28-P "Radiolette", especially if it has what looks like an add-on Broadcast-Police Band selector. A pix is below:
The radio is rather interesting in that it is a 5 tube has an RF amp, a pentagrid (2A7) convertor, NO IF AMP (!!!???), a biased "power' detector", no AVC, and a 2A5 Pentode power amp (2.5V filament version of the 42). This is an entry level set, likely a "loss leader", that was originally sold for $28.50 without the police band, but RCA had to reduce the price to $19.99 when Philco introduced the 80 Jr. for $15.99, causing an uproar and cries of "Foul!!!" by RCA and others. This radio was likely sold as an RCA Victor, GE, Westinghouse and the example in my collection, Canadian Victor Talking Machines. When RCA was spun off from GE, an agreement between RCA, GE and Westinghouse was that RCA would produce radios for all 3 brands for several years. Previously, all RCA radios were built either by GE, Westinghouse or "Wireless Specialty Apparatus". RCA did not have manufacturing capabilities until they bought the Victor talking Machine Company, which was producing radios themselves at this time. The 1934 R-37 was similar except that they added an IF amp and replaced the power detector with a 2B7 diode detector / pentode 1st AF Amp.
The radio is rather interesting in that it is a 5 tube has an RF amp, a pentagrid (2A7) convertor, NO IF AMP (!!!???), a biased "power' detector", no AVC, and a 2A5 Pentode power amp (2.5V filament version of the 42). This is an entry level set, likely a "loss leader", that was originally sold for $28.50 without the police band, but RCA had to reduce the price to $19.99 when Philco introduced the 80 Jr. for $15.99, causing an uproar and cries of "Foul!!!" by RCA and others. This radio was likely sold as an RCA Victor, GE, Westinghouse and the example in my collection, Canadian Victor Talking Machines. When RCA was spun off from GE, an agreement between RCA, GE and Westinghouse was that RCA would produce radios for all 3 brands for several years. Previously, all RCA radios were built either by GE, Westinghouse or "Wireless Specialty Apparatus". RCA did not have manufacturing capabilities until they bought the Victor talking Machine Company, which was producing radios themselves at this time. The 1934 R-37 was similar except that they added an IF amp and replaced the power detector with a 2B7 diode detector / pentode 1st AF Amp.
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Best Regards,
MrFixr55