1949 Lafayette console (??)

Found this photo of a cover of a 1949 Lafayette Radio Electronics catalog (they were a predecessor and major competitor of Radio Shack)

Anyone know about this set? I doubt that Lafayette made this themselves.......they generally had things made for them and wasn't aware of any TVs with their brand name. Do I actually see mention of FM in the small print below and to the left of the set?

Anthony

[soundmind]

Wow, that predates Liberty Avenue in Jamaica Queens and way before Jericho Turnpyke in Syosset LI.

Lafayette radio sold their own brand of equipment but many other brands as well. Couldn't that be an RCA, Philco, or some other brand?

[dewickt]

I used to go to the Syossett store when I was in HS, was a 30 minute drive (maybe more) on Jerico Tpk. back in the days when I would buy one resistor at a time. Was at the grand opening of the Syossett store - was in awe at the ham room and Hi-Fi rooms.
Went to the Lafayette store on 6th ave one time, think it was on the 4th floor where they had rows of parts on bin type tables.

[Sandy G]

I dunno about any of that, but that pic sure gives me a SERIOUS case of lust for it !!! I remember somebody in the R-390 group onetime had this to say about Lafayette: You pays yer money, they're laughing yet.- Sandy G.

I used to frequent the Lafayette store on Union Square (near 14th St) and also their BIG one on 45th St (between 5th and 6th Aves)

The neat thing about the 45th St location is that is was almost next door from Heatkit's massive flagship store.....this was on at least 2 levels that I recall. For some reason this stretch of 45th St was electronics row (in midtown anyway) and had many other independant electronic stores.......as well as a couple of model train/hobby shops. Man I used to love spend an entire day on that block alone!!!

Anthony

[soundmind]

I've been in all of them. The 45th street store was also down the block from Harvey Radio.

Before you laugh at EVERYTHING Lafayette put its name on, consider this. In the late 1950s, early 1960s, they offered a powerful stereo tube power amp and preamp (the one with a million knobs on it) that are collectors items today. I think they were available as kits too. In the 1980s they offered the same solid state recievers as Setton which had them manufactured in the Fisher plant in Japan except the Lafayette units were much cheaper. In the end they were practically giving them away and they were excellent units. They also offered speakers built with the Heil air motion tweeter at a very reasonable price. They offered many other brands and their own brand was often someone elses rebranded. Their usual brand name was "Criterion." They had a nice selection of telescopes and microscopes and many other scientific toys for hobbyists. The Syosset and Liberty Avenue stores were both wonderful places to hang out. Their catalogs were also very large and filled with all kinds of wonderful items and their sales people were surprisingly helpful I miss those stores. There's nothing else like it today.

Wasn't Harvey on the south side of the street close to 5th Ave? If so, that's the place where I remember lots of higher end audiophile stuff..........bought a early Dolby stand alone made by Lamb.

Anthony

[Carmine]

their sales people were surprisingly helpful I miss those stores. There's nothing else like it today.

Are you trying to say this place was better than Best Buy? Wow, that seems hard to believe. [/sarcasim]

[Jeffhs]

That set bears a striking resemblance to a similar model marketed by Admiral in 1948. Same cabinet, front panel, etc. Do any of you suppose the so-called "Lafayette" set was actually made for them by Admiral?

[Tubejunke]

Originally posted by heathkit tv Do I actually see mention of FM in the small print below and to the left of the set?
Anthony [/B]

Yes, Fm radio was fairly common by the late 40s. A console combo was the home entertainment center of the day so why not FM. I think the idea of stereo is what turned FM more to be the mainstream of radio by the 70s.

[soundmind]

Anybody remember "simulcast?"

Yes simulcast was an experimental way to broadcast stereophonic sound over radio in the late 1950s before the FCC adopted and approved the standards for the FM multiplex system we've used ever since. How did it work? In many cities, radio stations would broadcast on both an AM channel and an FM channel. In simulcast, one station would broadcast the right channel and the other the left. There are radio tuners designed specifically for this purpose. I have one of the rare ones, a 1960 vintage Capehardt DM2800 console set up for this purpose. .