Radio Ga-Ga
The 11 Super radio
We have 3 radios in the museum; two from the early 1930's and one from the 1950's. These days, a radio receiver need take up only a small part of one tiny chip in your phone, but it wasn't always so.
The largest model we have is the 11 Super made by Stewart Warner of Chicago and Ontario. This dates to about 1932, and is actually two radios. There is a larger medium wave receiver below and a short wave converter above. The front proudly announces 'Super-Heterodyne'. This technology involves an intermediate stage in the amplifier, which means an extra vacuum tube and hence cost, but gives superior reception. The 11 Super was designed as a furniture piece and weighs nearly 50 pounds (24 kg). The first portable model with Super-Het went on sale in 1924 for $286 - about $3,900 in today's prices - and was an instant success because of the quality. For the latest in 3D televisions today, expect to pay about $3,900 - there's nothing new under the Sun (in marketing anyway). In fact the very first ever portable was built the year before by the inventor, Edwin Armstrong, for his wife as a wedding gift - how sweet! (see photo in slideshow).
The largest model we have is the 11 Super made by Stewart Warner of Chicago and Ontario. This dates to about 1932, and is actually two radios. There is a larger medium wave receiver below and a short wave converter above. The front proudly announces 'Super-Heterodyne'. This technology involves an intermediate stage in the amplifier, which means an extra vacuum tube and hence cost, but gives superior reception. The 11 Super was designed as a furniture piece and weighs nearly 50 pounds (24 kg). The first portable model with Super-Het went on sale in 1924 for $286 - about $3,900 in today's prices - and was an instant success because of the quality. For the latest in 3D televisions today, expect to pay about $3,900 - there's nothing new under the Sun (in marketing anyway). In fact the very first ever portable was built the year before by the inventor, Edwin Armstrong, for his wife as a wedding gift - how sweet! (see photo in slideshow).
The second is a 'cathedral' model from 1931, a Philco Model 20 'Baby Grand'. This styling became iconic, and is widely copied in reproduction radios even today. This was one of the more successful attempts to make technology fit in with the rest of the decor in a house - a conundrum being faced by hundreds of millions of couples worldwide right now!
The Rogers Majestic 531 is from the early 1950's and just receives AM signals. Its great advance was low cost and portability, enabling many more people to own one. It runs on mains electricity; in fact the Rogers company was the first in the world to develop a mains vacuum tube back in 1925. Edward Rogers didn't stop there, as he opened the first all-electric (i.e. mains ac) radio station CFRB (Canada's First Rogers Batteryless). It still transmits today as NewsTalk 1010, and of course Rogers as a company is now worth $18 billion, all started by an invention for radio.
The Rogers Majestic 531 is from the early 1950's and just receives AM signals. Its great advance was low cost and portability, enabling many more people to own one. It runs on mains electricity; in fact the Rogers company was the first in the world to develop a mains vacuum tube back in 1925. Edward Rogers didn't stop there, as he opened the first all-electric (i.e. mains ac) radio station CFRB (Canada's First Rogers Batteryless). It still transmits today as NewsTalk 1010, and of course Rogers as a company is now worth $18 billion, all started by an invention for radio.
