My library radio display

[hanks73340]

OMG!....Crystal Radio Kit and you even have the box. My brother and I each got one for Christmas once. Had a blast. Thanks for the pics Mike.

 

[Lets Roll]

I had a old bakelite phonograph once..hmm, I have no idea where it went.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

OMG!....Crystal Radio Kit and you even have the box. My brother and I each got one for Christmas once. Had a blast. Thanks for the pics Mike.

I didn't have enough room in the display to include this one. I had the Remco version. My brother and I had an antenna running from our second floor bedroom window to the garage roof. The garden hose tap was directly under that window, so we ran a wire to it for the ground connection. To this day it still amazes me that a radio can function just with the energy contained in a radio wave.
In WWII soldiers made "foxhole radios" using a rusty razor blade and a safety pin as the diode. I guess they would hand wind a coil and "borrow" some headphones.

 

[Turboomni]

The caps were replaced about 25 years ago. Would you say then it is still good to go?

It's called a variac. Actually, more important than using one is to replace the electrolytic capacitors. The electrolyte in them dries up, and then problems can ensue. Most people in the hobby replace those automatically before any power up.

If it was a Zenith from that era, it was probably a Royal 500, of which there were many iterations. They are commonly called "Owl Eyes" radios for obvious reasons. Do either of these jog your memory?
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[Mike Szadaj]

The caps were replaced about 25 years ago. Would you say then it is still good to go?

Hard to say. That's pretty old. The fact that they are not original is a good sign. If the radio has a power transformer, that is the expensive and hard to replace item that shorted caps can fry. If the radio does not have a transformer, catastrophic damage is very unlikely. Do you have model numbers?

 

[Turboomni]

Do you have model numbers?

Not handy as they are in storage.

 

[khryslerkid]

Thanks for sharing Mike

I bet the kids seeing them on display will wonder how can you play games on those things!

I've been hanging on to this Zenith "Wave Magnet" for a long time. Wish I still had some of the portable ones when I was a kid. Love the smell of bakelite and electronics.

 

[Don Frelier]

We have an antique wireless museum right in town nearby in Bloomfield NY.
They have a large building with all types of radio equipment.

 

[Outlaw525]

Very cool collection.

 

[Dreamcatcher]

My city library has a display case with a different display every month. After cars, my

My city library has a display case with a different display every month. After cars, my other big passion is radios and electronics. I volunteered to put some of my radios on display for November.View attachment 858975 View attachment 858977 View attachment 858978 View attachment 858979 View attachment 858980 View attachment 858981 View attachment 858982

Very cool display. I recognize a lot of them from years ago when they were still being used. (which might date me a little)

 

[HD539]

Thanks for sharing, very nice collection

 

[SteveSS]

That looks great. It made me look at the one in Mom's garage. It's an Admiral in that brown bakelite. It still works fine.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

I've been hanging on to this Zenith "Wave Magnet" for a long time. Wish I still had some of the portable ones when I was a kid. Love the smell of bakelite and electronics.

It looks like that is a model 6-D-315 from 1938.
Wavemagnet was a Zenith marketing gimmick. It was attributed to many of their antennas. They even emblazoned some with graphics of magnets. The first antenna is from a portable radio, and includes suction cups to attach the antenna to a wall, window, or other smooth surface. The second is from a console radio. It would be inside the cabinet, and could be turned for best reception as mentioned on it.

 

[Mike Szadaj]

Nice museum, Don. Would like to see it.

 

[khryslerkid]

It looks like that is a model 6-D-315 from 1938.
Wavemagnet was a Zenith marketing gimmick. It was attributed to many of their antennas. They even emblazoned some with graphics of magnets. The first antenna is from a portable radio, and includes suction cups to attach the antenna to a wall, window, or other smooth surface. The second is from a console radio. It would be inside the cabinet, and could be turned for best reception as mentioned on it.

View attachment 862581 View attachment 862582

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On the back...

 

[Mike Szadaj]

khryslerkid, I am not sure I gave you the right model number. Does yours have one on a label on the bottom of the radio?