Cape Radio

Murphy SAD 94 - 1945

2011-01-05T15:44:00.002+02:00

Designed by Eden Minns, the Murphy AD 94 with its distinctive ridged art deco bakelite cabinet was manufactured during and after the Second World War. I was fortunate to discover this Murphy SAD 94 model in 2005 in Durban.

Murphy TU 198 A - 1957

2011-01-01T15:51:00.002+02:00

Murphy TBA 228 - 1954

2010-12-29T01:11:00.001+02:00

PYE P93 WU - 1954

2010-12-26T12:52:00.004+02:00

The Pye P93 WU wooden radio with its neat futuristic appearance was manufactured in 1954.

Pye PE 37 - c 1951

2010-12-23T17:11:00.001+02:00

The Pye PE 37 was kindly donated by fellow South African dxer Vince Stevens.

Philco Tropic 46-806 - 1946

2010-12-22T15:23:00.000+02:00

This 1946 Philco Tropic 46-806 was discovered in a Bergvliet junk store. The set is in a remarkable condition with a brand new looking bakelite cabinet after a clean and polish.

Philips PCJJ Speaker - c 1927

2010-12-20T17:03:00.000+02:00

In 1926 Philips introduced the PCJJ speaker in Europe. My guess is that this speaker (discovered in a Kalk Bay antique shop) would have been introduced to the South African market shortly afterwards. The retail price of £6/10/- was equivalent to the average weekly wage at the time. The speaker was designed to be used with a separate amplifier - the order to the day in the late 1920's before complete receivers in self-contained cabinets became available and fashionable.

A close-up of the raised label on the back of the speaker.

Philco Tropic A3601 - c 1955

2010-12-20T00:31:00.000+02:00

Philips 663VN - 1946

2010-12-17T22:28:00.000+02:00

Manufactured by Philips U.S.A. (possibly in 1946), the 663VN was built to operate from a 6 volt accumulator (car battery).

Philips BX316U - 1954

2010-12-14T17:56:00.000+02:00

Philips BX316U

Philips BX236/U95 - 1954

2010-12-11T12:39:00.000+02:00

The Philips BX236/U95 was manufactured in 1953/1954 and included an ivory factory spray-painted front with interesting "steering wheel" knobs.

Philips B0X97U - 1959

2010-12-07T19:24:00.000+02:00

The Philips B0X97U was manufactured in 1959 with a factory spray-painted bakelite case. The radio was designed as a small and affordable second set, suitable for the kitchen or bedroom.

Revere Junior Cathedral Radio - 1932

2010-12-04T11:57:00.001+02:00

Vintage cathedral-style radios are very hard to find in South Africa so I consider myself fortunate to have discovered one in Cape Town recently - and a real gem it is too.

The radio is a rare 1932 Revere Junior cathedral in good condition with an original factory finish. The pleasing cabinet design is simple yet elegant with the original decorative escutcheon, wooden speaker grill pattern and original wooden knobs which add to the charm of this set from a bygone era.

All the electronic components are intact apart from a missing valve. Aside from a few minor chips and scratches with some damage to the speaker and grill cloth, the cathedral radio looks really good after an initial repair and clean-up, especially considering its been around for nearly 80 years!

The Revere Radio Corporation was situated in Ashland, Ohio, U.S.A. and produced radios from 1930 to 1932.

RCA VICTOR RC-594C - 1947

2009-01-02T18:10:00.001+02:00

Zenith 7G605 Trans Oceanic "Cilpper" - 1942

2009-01-01T21:51:00.001+02:00

General Electric M-62 - 1934

2008-12-30T22:12:00.000+02:00

The General Electric M-62 was manufactured in the USA during 1934/1935. The radio is in fairly good condition with its original finish and parts apart from the speaker grill cloth which has been replaced.

General Electric X-115 - 1942

2008-12-27T21:13:00.001+02:00

The General Electric X-115 Model was manufactured in the USA in 1942. The radio cabinet was in a poor condition when purchased from a junk store. My wife bought the radio as surprise gift with a restoration project in mind.

I managed to restore the cabinet to its natural wood state which is in sharp contrast to the original dark brown colour - not historically accurate but quite attractive with a more visible wood grain of a rich honey colour which results in a warm appearance. The original speaker grill cloth was in a poor state and has also been replaced.

General Electric X-150 - 1948

2008-12-24T19:26:00.000+02:00

Manufactured in the USA during 1948, this attractive General Electric X-150 was the second radio to find its way into my collection. The radio remains in full working order.

Pilot 63 - 1934

2008-12-24T15:05:00.000+02:00

This Pilot Tombstone Model 63 was manufactured in the USA in 1934. It is the first radio that I bought and is in good condition with original components.

A view of the back of the radio.

Label with model number on the rear end of the chassis.

Pilot 293-B - 1936

2008-12-23T17:58:00.000+02:00

I was fortunate to find this Pilot tombstone radio at a local antique store recently. The radio has been restored and is in full working order. It was manufactureed in the U.S.A. in 1936 and was one of the first radios to include a "magic eye" tuning indicator.

The three band selector switch illuminates three different correspondiong sections on the main dial.

An effective display at night !

Close up of the Pilot Logo on the top of the dial escutcheon.

Label with model number on the rear end of the chassis.