CROSLEY WLW Model Super Power Radio story. The GREATEST tube SW radio ever made !

Рет қаралды 1,803

Күн бұрын

The 1936 CROSLEY "COLOSSUS" WLW Model Super Power Radio receiver. The most expensive and advanced vacuum tube shortwave radio ever made.
Features included.
Auto volume control
Auto gain control (AGC)
5 Preset graphic EQ settings
37 Vacuum tubes
4 Chassis stages
Had 6 speakers in total
x3 High range tweeters
x2 12" Med range drivers
One 18" Super Bass low end auditorium driver
Total output of 75 watts
Weighed 475 lbs
Cost $1500 in 1936 ( $88,000 2024)

Пікірлер: 56

@reloader7sixtwo 2 ай бұрын

Back in the early 60s when I was in my single digits, my grandfather gave me one of the Zenith radios that is pictured at one minute into the video, it was old and worn but still worked for years afterward. I had to let it warm up for several minutes before it started receiving well, and used to listen to AM talk radio station up and down the East Coast at night. I love the old tube type radios, my old CB is a tube type Browning Golden Eagle R27 / S23 that still works.

@Greg-et2dp 2 ай бұрын

Frid in the shed I learn lot from you about bying cb radios and antennas for cb radios and power supplys for cb radios my friend

@simonbeasley989 2 ай бұрын

Wow, I'd love to hear one fully working! What a crazy way of speccing it, must have at least 30 tubes; completely opposite to normal where they would specify a level of performance then try to make with as few components as possible!

@Greg-et2dp 2 ай бұрын

Frid in the shed this is interesting storie on the crosley shortwave receiver my friend

@Greg-et2dp 2 ай бұрын

Frid in the shed i wish you and your wife and dog 73s my friend that means best wishes

@fretlessfender 2 ай бұрын

Well done Fred! I would give an arm and a leg to hear that giant radio in top form! No chance I am afraid!

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

No sadly not.

@danw1955 2 ай бұрын

When you think about it, these were the high end 'audiophile' entertainment systems of the day, and were usually purchased by the rich and famous. Even today, vacuum tubes are still known for their richness of tone throughout the audio range, that can never be duplicated by transistors and digital audio components. This is why a lot of musicians still use old tube type guitar amps and such to get 'THAT' sound that pleases the ears!😍

@raymondmartin6737 2 ай бұрын

Being born in 1944 in London, UK, coming to the US in 1949. My Mother said she rented a Cathedral radio in London during these years. In 1960 I started MW Dxing on an RCA Portable minitube radio running on a B battery, which in 1961 my Father bought me a Hallicrafters SX-110 SW-Amateur receiver for $170.00 US back then, from a Radio Shack in Stamford, CT, the nearest store back then, and I became an Amateur Radio Operator in 1962, WV2ZPD, and now licensed 62 years at age 80. A lot of those exciting MW and SW days are now gone. 73 de W2CH Ray. 😊

@b.2221 2 ай бұрын

Nice work Fred.👍Tom.

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Many thanks!

@Couchflyer-NY 2 ай бұрын

“Cast your mind back and imagine” is a great start to a story. It’s was hard for me to imagine excessively expensive products like that existed in the economically depressed 1930s. Then someone explained that notoriety sold small table radios.

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

I know. Just shows that the SUPER rich where not all that effected by the depression. Some things sadly never change.

@forddude1976 2 ай бұрын

I'm finding KZbin full of news that is upsetting so I have decided I'm having a break, but set notifications for Fred and English woodsman. So I keep up with the good things in the KZbin world, thanks Fred

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Thanks bud. Take care.

@RingwayManchester 2 ай бұрын

Loved this Fred!

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Lewis. Hope your keeping well.

@raymondmartin6737 2 ай бұрын

I had the Chrome Astatic D-104 lollipop 🍭 microphone back in the 1960's, and I remember the Devega Electronic stores back then in New York City. 😊

@WX4CB 2 ай бұрын

WLW is still a working station. I can hear it down here in central florida overnight and into the morning - WLW is based in cincinatti ohio

@danielknepper6884 2 ай бұрын

Listen to them every morning ,red eye radio

@Vic-j9p 2 ай бұрын

This is so interesting. Thanks for this info . After your review on the raidoddity 500, i now have one. I'm going to do the mod soon when i get around to it. A big thumbs up.

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Glad I could help

@miker8379 2 ай бұрын

Pronunced with two e's. Like zeenith. Their saying was the quality goes in before the name goes on. They may have been more known for television sets. That 75w radio is impressive.

@alanslade2319 2 ай бұрын

Thanks FRED love stuff like this, just love radio. Thanks again Alan.💯👍

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoy it!

@ClickinChicken 2 ай бұрын

Yeah, now in 2024, we are hearing things like Vacuum tubes are EMP proof. From movies, I've seen, my understand is radios in UK were very important for news WWII. Yeah, it was interesting Fred. Good narration and shots as well! Cheers!

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Yes ive heard the same think about tubes.

@MrSlipstreem 2 ай бұрын

I really enjoyed that Fred. More like this in the future if you get the time please. 👍

@-einsamer_Wolf- 2 ай бұрын

Locks good Fred. I have allready 2 Tube Radios in use. One from 1960 single speaker, the other from 1963 i meen, Stereo with Balance tune. Factory SABA ( SABA (Schwarzwälder Apparate-Bau-Anstalt ) has they Production in the Black Forrest Souther Germany. Can see it on my YT Canal. 73 to you.

@Greg-et2dp 2 ай бұрын

Frid in the shed this interesting information on the crosley shortwave radio my friend

@JayRCela 2 ай бұрын

Very interesting story, thank you.

@migsvensurfing6310 2 ай бұрын

Impressive radios. Bang & Olufsen (B&O) sels their stuff for the same insane prices even today.

@Andy-G7RCU 2 ай бұрын

That made a nice change Fred, enjoyed this one.

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Thank you. Yeah i like to do things a bit different every now and then. Might do another if this gets views.

@irongron 2 ай бұрын

Same here, that documentary type format was really good, Fred, please do more like this, in addition to your usual reviews. I found the softer tone of voice you used very calming in the sometimes tense conditions here in Ukraine with air raid sirens. Much appreciated!

@paulladdie1026 2 ай бұрын

interesting indeed 🙂

@Tom-zq7lu 2 ай бұрын

Ok, very very interesting 👍 🆗️ 🤔

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Glad you think so!

@Tom-zq7lu 2 ай бұрын

@@CB-RADIO-UK ok,good!!happy day 👍🖐

@miker8379 2 ай бұрын

Fred or anyone, related swl info about voice of America and connection with Crosley is on a podcast “ham talk live” episode 245. I just listened. Skip past the 6min or so ads at the beginning. You might even be able to Internet search it if your not into podcasts.

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@raymondmartin6737 2 ай бұрын

I think WLW in Cincinnati was for a while a 500,000 watt MW transmitter. 😊

@Greg-et2dp 2 ай бұрын

Frid in the shed your KZbin videos are awesome my friend

@danw1955 2 ай бұрын

Bot account..🙄😐

@Mikexception 2 ай бұрын

I would expect that such great radio could be bulid with switchable IF band. In this era luxory radios had such circiutry because stations had no strict limitations to quality of transmisssion. But in certain cases one weak signals and other strong two near stations interfered with two programms at once. . . For that case was provided IF adaptation. For strong stations the price to pay was limiting high audio frequencies. I think it could be named "Quality of reception" switch. Such solutions were abandoned due to after war regulations that station could use only 9 kHz wide signal and frequencies were spaced 9kHz too. Radios like that could provide audio frequency band up to 7 kHz. After war it was restricted to only 4.5 kHz and this was stadndard due to such fixed IF and transmission . Other reason was that such high quality at AM required unusualy stabil alignment and was hard to align by smaller service shops. With shown speakers and sounding of rest I am sure we could be stunned that it leaves behind today's listening.

@ericdee6802 2 ай бұрын

Hello Fred in the shed. By chance do you build Crystal radio sets? Just. Curious!

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

Have done see here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHjIq4hrgtGqpJY

@Greg-et2dp 2 ай бұрын

Frid in the shed iam thinking about getting my Grms license my friend

@fretlessfender 2 ай бұрын

Just think about it, how would a high end radio compare to our modern receivers? Would it be just as good or maybe disapointing? What is your guess Fred?

@CB-RADIO-UK 2 ай бұрын

I ve wondered that myself. A lot was the input as there was no FM. I would love to wire up a modern high end media player into one of these fully restored.

@fretlessfender 2 ай бұрын

@@CB-RADIO-UK I guess they will perform the same, perhaps even a bit better than our daily sets...

@ry491 2 ай бұрын

I have a number of vintage radios that I have restored Inc two console sets . I can confirm that when fed with a high quality input signal they sound unbelievable . In my opinion , far better than modern devices. Sadly these days there is virtually nothing worth listening to on AM . Still a few stations on short wave but only a fraction of what there was in time gone by .