'20's US radio Neutradyne set

[radiotvnut]

Me and a friend were out looking for LP's when I found this radio in the garage of someone I was buying records from. It's a US Radio neutradyne radio and seperate speaker from what I suspect the late '20's. Unfortunately, the tubes are missing; but, there was a photocopied schematic inside; so, someone has been messing with it. Can anyone tell if the speaker is original to the radio or is it of another make? I ended up giving $40 for the radio (my offer). I might could have gotten it cheaper; but, didn't want to push my luck.

EDIT: I've just learned that this is actually an Apex model 89 from '29. Not to be confused with the current Apex junk brand.

[truetone36]

Nice find! I have an Apex Model 30 console, also from '29. These radios perform quite well. They were made by the U.S. Radio & Television Corp.

[spartanmanor]

That will look great cleaned up. Excellent find.

[toxcrusadr]

Great snag! Apex made a gorgeous cathedral and also a nice console which I will attach a pic of - I have two of them, one from my great aunt and another I found locally which I really need to find a home for. Anyhow they made some very solid stuff!

I don't know for sure if your speaker is original but I bet it is - if there are more than two wires to it you have a field coil speaker which is part of the power supply filter, and would have been integral to the radio.

I am attaching a pic of my Apex highboy console just for kicks. The finish is not original, it was almost black with cigarette smoke and dirt and I stripped it completely. It's just oiled now, no toner.

[spaceman]

Man, that console looks nice. I can imagine it took a lot of work making it, & I bet it looks even better in "person". Good on you for saving it.

[radiotvnut]

That's a sharp looking console!

[toxcrusadr]

Thanks. This radio is what got me into radios. It's working too. The separate PS block had so many burnt transformers it was a goner. These radios require so many voltages because the tubes hadn't been developed to all run on 6V so there are lots of windings (1.5, 2.5, 5V and B+). I had a guy I know in OKC build a complete power supply from scratch, using junque he had around. Guy's a genius. He used an interesting design of his own using mil spec chokes to replace the unobtainium transformers. Runs like a top although not original. I wish I had a pic of the back. The row of 8 balloon tubes is striking.

The second one I have has the original finish in pretty good shape, and is branded Heritage but the set is identical. It needs an output tranny replaced and it will be ready to go, but I sure as heck don't need two. What, AM Stereo?? Who am I kidding?

[Marantz7t15]

Well, I'm jealous! Keep us informed as the restoration takes place.

[truetone36]

That console is identical to mine, though the finish on mine needs attention. Is it a model 30? I got mine from my brother in 1976 as a birthday gift,and it's the set that got me into the hobby as well.

[toxcrusadr]

Really cool to find another, I haven't ever met anyone who had one. I was thinking it was a model 80 or 90, but I'd have to look at the schematic I found after great searching. There is no designation on the chassis - it just has a plate saying U. S. Radio & TV, [some city] Indiana, and Neutrodyne, as I recall. The schematic found by the repair guy is pretty darn close. I can look when I get home, and post a pic of the back.

[BostonDave]

Originally Posted by toxcrusadr

I am attaching a pic of my Apex highboy console just for kicks. The finish is not original, it was almost black with cigarette smoke and dirt and I stripped it completely. It's just oiled now, no toner.

I have some vague memories of an old dark colored cabinet very similar to that (except there was a cloth mesh on the front) that had 'U.S. Radio' printed somewhere on the back it. It was in the basement of a new (old) house my family had bought in the 70s, completely furnished, from an elderly woman confined at the time to a nursng home. They had a walk through sale for the contents of the house before we moved in and the rest was packaged with the house. Tons of antiques. I still have some of them including about 100 78s from the 1890s all the way through the 1930s.

But my mother who hated 'old things' had most of contents of the cellar carted off to the dump, including that old US Radio (which was without any chassis or speaker) and another cathedral table top radio which I believe may have had the innards still intact (I remember it still has knobs at least).

My protests at the time went unheeded (I was 12).

[toxcrusadr]

Good grief. I know it helps to get that off your chest but I wish you hadn't.

[BostonDave]

That's been causing me pain for 30 years.

Very early into my vintage audio addiction, as I was leaving the house of a seasoned audiophile who was purging some of his vast collection (he had stuff piled up to his ceilings) with the 3 receivers, 2 tuners, 1 eq, and an amp comparator I had just purchased from him, I noticed his wife, who was in the room, seemed in very good cheer. I commented that there's going to be one happy wife and one not so happy wife that night referring to his and mine. He laughed and said "It's all about sharing the pain".

I guess that applies here too .

[toxcrusadr]

On behalf of AK we're glad to be a shoulder to cry on.

Mine's always happy when something goes out the door.

[merrylander]

My Dad built two Nneutrodyne receivers back in the late 20s, early 30s They were in really nice walnut cases. My brother inherited them and at one point broke them down for the wood. If he knew what they would have sold for today I'm sure he would be really upset.