Monarch "Hi-Fi Master" Plastic AA5 Tube Midget AM Radio

[Robb]

Bought this Monarch "Hi-Fi Master" Plastic Tube Midget AM Radio on ePay for a reasonable price.
Seemed like it was in near mint condition.
I'm not sure what year it is from, but probably mid 1950's to 1962.
It has the 'CD' markings on it so it pre 1962 for sure.
It is a very small 5 tube radio measuring 6.5w x 4.5h x 3.75d inch

Video here: http://youtu.be/80x6fyxQTR0

[Sandy G]

C'yoot Widdle feller...(Boy, I just LOVE drivin' my Spell-Check Nutz...)

[Celt]

Said it over on AK...that sucker is dead mint!

[Robb]

Originally Posted by Celt

Said it over on AK...that sucker is dead mint!

Close, but it's Aqua color.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Robb

Close, but it's Aqua color.

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by Robb

Close, but it's Aqua color.

"I'm a Barbie Gurrrl, inna Barbie Wurrld..." I've TOLD youse guys DON'T Get Me Started...(grin)

[Robb]

Originally Posted by Sandy G

"I'm a Barbie Gurrrl, inna Barbie Wurrld..." I've TOLD youse guys DON'T Get Me Started...(grin)

lol
I actually owned that CD back in the 1990's...

[maxhifi]

This category of radio is exactly the kind of thing I like, great find!

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by maxhifi

This category of radio is exactly the kind of thing I like, great find!

I just wonder how many of those things were sold. A lot of those were trashed because they were so inexpensive to begin with. A simple repair would equal half the cost of the radio, new.
The one shown, has the Los Angeles inspection label on it. All the Monarch or Monacor line operated products had it.
In some locals, electrical products couldn't be sold if it didn't have approval by a recognized testing agency.

[davet753]

That is one nice looking little radio. I was always partial to the styling of the little imported AA5's from the end of the tube era. The quality was usually a little questionable, but the styling sure made up for it.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by davet753

That is one nice looking little radio. I was always partial to the styling of the little imported AA5's from the end of the tube era. The quality was usually a little questionable, but the styling sure made up for it.

They were really inexpensive and the circuitry was really lacking. It doesn't appear to have any AVC circuit and all of them had a single tuned 2nd IF coil. The IF band width was very narrow, so the fidelity was poor. Coupled to the tiny speaker and output transformer, made it even worse.

[Robb]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I just wonder how many of those things were sold. A lot of those were trashed because they were so inexpensive to begin with. A simple repair would equal half the cost of the radio, new.
The one shown, has the Los Angeles inspection label on it. All the Monarch or Monacor line operated products had it.
In some locals, electrical products couldn't be sold if it didn't have approval by a recognized testing agency.

How many survived ? It's plastic, 1 drop and *bam* - garbage ! lol

btw, I have not seen a smaller sized Tube radio !

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Robb

How many survived ? It's plastic, 1 drop and *bam* - garbage ! lol

btw, I have not seen a smaller sized Tube radio !

You're mentioning the mortality rate. Same thing with the early Japanese transistor and the tube type pocket size portable radios. Combine that with the high cost of operating the pocket tube sets, didn't help either.

[Robb]

Someone on another forum mentioned these are killer radios, meaning they can kill you if you poke inside with a metal object, such as a knitting needle or a straightened paperclip or if faulty, you touch any of the external metal - of which there seems to be quite a lot on the back.

Modern Class II items require two pieces of insulation to break down or get bypassed before danger can arise. 1950s/60s live chassis sets require just one failure or no failures combined with operator error.

Is this true ??

[truetone36]

Yep, it's true. Hot chassis sets can zap you if you touch any of the metal surfaces while there is any power going to the set.