Just Wondering ??

[Geist]

Hi All;
I am just wondering.. When I was a kid, I had an AC/DC radio beside my bed.. I don't remember much about it, it was either Bakelite or Plastic case and brown in Color.. The reason I am asking about it.. Is it had a set of Coils for its tuning.. It was made at the end of World War II or with in a few years after that.. I had asked my Dad about why it didn't have a tuning Capicator, and He told me Metal was scarse.. So I am wondering, 1st did all radio manufactures at this time use Coil tuners, or only some manufactures ?? and 2nd of those who did, who are they ?? I had had this radio as far back as I could remember, and when I asked about it, it would have been the late 1960's..
THANK YOU Marty

[Sandy G]

I have an old AA5 from the postwar era that is otherwise unremarkable, except it has tuning coils/ferrite rods-Sort of a crude R-390 tuning scheme.

[bob91343]

That's called permeability tuning. Many designs used it but the vast majority were variable capacitors. I doubt that it had anything to do with scarcity of materials.

Originally Posted by bob91343

That's called permeability tuning. Many designs used it but the vast majority were variable capacitors. I doubt that it had anything to do with scarcity of materials.

Yep, it's also sometimes called inductor tuning. Most car radios had them before the late 50's. I've never read that they were used because of a shortage of metal (copper was scarce too). Instead, I think they were cheaper to make than the gang capacitor. Their main drawback is that they are very delicate and even the smallest deforming of the coil will throw off the tuning.

By far the biggest user of them was a company called Detrola. Look up Detrola 571 on the internet and see if any look like yours. Also, a lot of early FM radios used them too.

[Sandy G]

"Permeability Tuning" ! That's it ! Had a Mind-Fart there...I wondered why an el cheapo radio would use something like that..Doesn't really work any better or worse than any other AA5 set.

[Geist]

Hi All;
Its not a Detrola..
Also, what is an AA5 set ??
THANK YOU Marty

[Sandy G]

All-American Five..

[jr_tech]

Perhaps one of these cute little Airlines... they were very popular. I have one in brown bakelite:
http://www.radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=204
jr

Are mind farts caused by thinking about beans?

[bgadow]

I was also thinking it was war related since I'd seen numerous from 1941-1942 with those tuners including Philco and Silvertone.

[Sandy G]

No, Mind Farts are caused by the Said Poster-Me- being a bit Senile, & possibly in the 1st stages of Alzheimer's.. Just wait til you get to be almost 56...(grin)

[DavGoodlin]

Good Luck on your search Marty...AA5 tubes (octal base) of the era were 12SA7, 12SK7, 12SQ7, 50L6, 35Z5

Mind - fahrt example: I know lotsa tube numbers but please dont ask what I had for breakfast

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Geist

Hi All;
Its not a Detrola..
Also, what is an AA5 set ??
THANK YOU Marty

It might be one of the 50 brand names that Detrola built sets for.
Regarding shortages, Most, if not all of the 571 series receivers had field coil speakers.

[Geist]

Hi All;
I looked in Radio Attic.. I didn't see anything like what I am looking for.. So, either my memory is wrong about what it looked like.. Or they don't have a picture of it.. I saw alot of 40's and 50's radios that I could tell were from that period..
THANK YOU Marty

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

Perhaps one of these cute little Airlines... they were very popular. I have one in brown bakelite:
http://www.radioatticarchives.com/radio.htm?radio=204
jr

Ward's sold those both pre and post war. The pre-war model was sold for $5.95, plus shipping. It used a 70L7GT instead of a 35Z5 and 50L6, plus a 12SA7, 12SK7 and a 12SQ7. A full Superhet. The post-war models used the regular five tube line-up.
I saw the four tube model at a swap-meet for $275.00, not restored.