I bought this ww2 radio [military ? ] a few weeks ago and can not find much info on it. The radio was made by Andrea Radio Corp long island NY. Model 61 or 6.1 Contract No WA.W2124.SC455, Order No 13453 Phila 42 [42 date?]. It comes with a canvas cover which has N.A. 12 on the outside as does the radio. Inside the radio it has Forandret ved GKMs Radioverksted Sep 1944 in Norweigen, which is in english . Changed by GKMs radio workshop sep 1944. Radio runs off 90v & 1.5v batt. The radio is Short & medium wave inc a military band 7.10 to 7.14 megs. I used to own a green radio like this made for the US army, but can not find any more info on this one. Could the radio be made for the Norweigen Army [NA 12] or may have been given to Norweigen people to hear the BBC ect?. My radio man now has the set working, first time in years. Keith
Hi Keith, I just had a poke around on the web and, though Andrea radios are featured on many nostalgia sites, your example is notably absent - presumably through never being mass-marketed. Andrea Radio Corp turns out to have been Frank Angelo D'Andrea's second company after his initial company FADA went bust during the Great Depression - see this history saying how he ran ARC "until his death at the age of 77 (1965)." Anyway, to cut to the chase, his company has now mutated into Andrea Systems LLC who may therefore be your next best contact. Incidentally, to maybe cast some light on the contract, the current company's overview timeline includes this naval reference - "1942: Became the first small business to be awarded the Navy "E" Award for U.S. Defense Excellence in the Second World War". Rgds, Steve
Andrea Radio Corp.; Long Island from 2F12 to 4D7 Ch= D7S, tu Possibly and only that at the moment; 6G61A -G61 Model which looks to be the US designation.
6G61A -G61 Model 1941 6-valver vs. Keith's 1944 5-valve layout*? Listing error? * See http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/weapons-technology-equipment/77312d1332800082t-ww2-radio-id-ww2-radio-jpg in post 2 PS: FTR, Google Translate says "Forandret ved GKM's Radioverksted" = "Changed by GKM's Radio Workshop" and "rör-plassering" = "tube placement". I've yet to ID GKM but see Radiomuseum also have a Universum GKM 61 - a 1961 16-valver made in Germany by Quelle. GKM is also a model prefix used by compatriot Grundig. Moral: beware weird coincidence!
Funny how two come along at once. Just got this photo of the interior of a Royal tank regiment 'Phantom' dingo Mk1 in use during an excersise in 22 July 1941. However i dont recognise the radio anyone got any ideas?
anyone got any ideas? Might have! Do you know Louis Meulstee's 'Wireless for the Warrior' website? On there, it looks like a #11 to me:Wireless Set No. 11 was a portable transceiver developed in 1938. Use: general purpose low power set. Used as a vehicle station (truck/AFV), ground station and animal pack station. Frequency range 4.2-7.5MHz. MO control. RF output 0.6-4.5W. R/T and CW. Range up to 20 miles. Very successful design, superseded by No. 19 and 22. Having thus got the number, here's a quick Google image search to lead you to more source material...
This is the inside of the radio, before repair . Do you think this radio had a upgrade/changed in the UK or was issued in the UK to the Norweigen army as in 1944 the Germans were in Norway and where was GKMs workshop in 1944. Keith
Morris: Can you give us more detail from the plate on the metal frame and the drawing on the baseplate beneath it? I suspect one of those might give a better indication as to the origin and history.
Well, Keith, I suspect NA = Norwegian Army is a red herring as, given the US Navy connection, it could just as easily stand for Naval Academy. Norway's armed forces, like those of most occupied countries, were forced into exile. Furthermore, as all Norwegian radios were confiscated on 2 Aug 1941 (ref. Norway during WW2 timeline), I'd have expected any radio sets smuggled in thereafter to have been more than mere receivers. The most likely scenario therefore seems to be work done outside Norway for Norwegian exiles and the fact that you bought the set here in Blighty suggests that was where the end-user was based too. And the valve chart being printed suggests a small production line though the need for "change" baffles me are you sure none of those knobs make it transmit? PS: Re your Q, 26delta - see post 1 pic 1 http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/weapons-technology-equipment/77308d1332799682t-ww2-radio-id-radio-ww2-jpg & post 2 pic 2 http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachments/weapons-technology-equipment/77313d1332800187t-ww2-radio-id-ww2-radio-1944-jpg
The first nob turns it on off & vol, 2nd from medium to short wave and the last the stations. my radio guy said the short wave was very fine tuner. Keith
Some better photos of the radio. My radio man has found more info. The Andrea Model 6.1 was used by the Norwegian Forces and was dropped into Norway by parachute and was used to listen to the BBC news from London, the Model 6.1 was a simple superhetrodyne with the New miniature tubes, my Model is the same but in a bigger box with a speaker and socket for a headphone, one of my miniature tubes, has a army arrow on it. The smaller radio Model 6.1 box only had a headphone socket and no speaker [ see 2nd to last photo]. info from Norwegian Radio History Association, they have good photos of the Model 6.1 in smaller box. Photos are from my collection but not the small radio set in B&W. Keith
