Stromberg-Carlson FR-503
 

Hello. I am not looking to sell this, but I am looking to find out some information about a radio console that my grandmother gave me when she moved. What I know is that it was custom built for a doctor that owned her house previous to her and he included it in the sale of the house. There are matching dining pieces that other family members have. I don't know what year it is. I'm pretty sure the speakers were replaced many years ago. The radio works great! I'm not sure if the record player works, but I'm pretty sure that it does not. Other than a missing knob on the front and some water spots on the top, it is in great condition. Just wondering if anyone could tell me anything about it (i.e. year, value, a common item?, etc.). I found this board when looking up the model# and someone discussed the model before. Here are some pictures (they are clickable):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSCF0053-4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSCF0059-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSCF0058-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSCF0057-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...h_DSCF0056.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...DSCF0055-2.jpg

I'd guess mid '50's on this one. The turntable was made in England by Collaro and was considered one of the better record changers of the day.

The FR-503 uses the SR-407 receiver. Service information is in the (1957) Sams folder - on my web page: http://www.audiophool.cjb.net/MadeInRoch.html - there will also be a brochure with specifications.

The speakers sure look like Strombergs to me. As for the knob, post a close-up and we'll see what turns up.

Stromberg-Carlson was a great make of radios and TVs in the 1950s. My aunt had a SC television (no radio or record changer) in the 1950s; hers was in a white Chinese Provincial cabinet and had, IIRC, at least a 21" CRT.

Your mid-1950s estimate on the receiver's vintage could be right on. I think this console's receiver must have been made sometime between 1953 and 1963, because of the Conelrad emergency-broadcast icons on the AM dial.

BTW, this must have been one of Stromberg-Carlson's better (if not outright best) systems because of the design of the receiver and also the record changer. This system must have cost a bundle when it was new.

BTW (2): I just looked at one of the pictures of the chassis of this set and noticed that one of the antenna leads is looped around the 5Y3 rectifier tube. This is a potential fire hazard, as these tubes get very hot in normal operation.

Thanks for the responses! That is a lot of interesting information.

Tom - I'll try to get a good picture of the knob and post it. I'm going to take a look at the info you have on the receiver. I just need to download a plug-in to view it.

Jeff - I am really glad that you pointed that out. I just looked at the wire that you were talking about and it seems that it must have gotten so hot that the wire melted to the tube! I guess I'll just leave it unplugged for the time being and look into replacing the tube if possible, because if I try to force them apart, I'm pretty sure that the tube will break.

It's soft polyethylene - you can probably get it off the glass with a single-edge razor blade. The twin-lead probably has to be replaced, though...