ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hey Everyone.
I managed to find a vintage B&O Crystal Radio recently, and its hard to find much information on this.
All i know is the previous owner had it for 25 years, and he bought it from the USA.
There is an Igranic 35 coil on the unit, Its a wooden box, Mentioned Quistrup, which is before the move to Stuer.
There is also a similar picture in a B&O book, although a much larger radio pictured
Can we see the underside?And perhaps inside?
Martin
Sure, I’ll upload images over the weekend.
I've been looking at this photo closely and I'm sorry if this message disappoints;I don't know what it is, but I don't think this thing has anyting to do with B&O.
Crystal radio was last year when Peter and Svend started playing with radio reception.Around 1920 the first amplified ("now conventional") radio receivers saw the light of day, and crystal radio certainly wasn't the exciting new world thatPeter and Svend wanted to explore, when they begun in 1925.
The lettering is all wrong. It looks a bit like the 1970s and 80s Letraset "rub-on" sheets, which also - at least at the time when i used them -often resulted in unequal spacing and letters jumping up and down, just like they do here.The letters would also rub off again if not careful, which seems to have happened here to the (missing) k in Denmark.I never saw anything with Peter and Svends name on it like this, let alone Quistrup - it was always Bang & Olufsen, Struer, and thefont looks far too modern and nowhere near anything 1920s.The symbols also raise doubt, because all buttons, dials and connectors were usually meticulously labelled, - typically engraved, eitheronto the surface or button itself, or onto little metal signs that got riveted on.Indeed all lettering I have seen from B&O at this time was engraved and symbols were not commonly used anywhere.The lettering could have been put on a later time. A hundred years does leave a lot of time for such things.
The coil would most likely have been from their own production, but since this part was made to be easily replaced, exactly that could have happened.
The crystal, - well, I think this would in any case have been one of the glass-encapsulated things and not this open version.I'm not sure.I find the cabinet far too simple for the 1920s. Far too square, no "bells and whistles", just plain function.
The round dial (with engraved numbers etc.!), looks wrong too. B&Os dial knobs most often had black center and black lettering on white background.To me, this one looks a bit newer. The font used on the dial too. But again, this could also have been replaced at some point.
All B&Os products were numbered, beginning with number 1 (reset to number 10000 apprx year 1960 if I remember correctly).Does this thing have a number somewhere - engraved or riveted on?
If this was indeed made at Quistrup, it's an exciting find, but - as said - I doubt it.I simply don't see any point in making something as simple and "last decade" as this, when everything else they made was so technicallyadvanced and ahead of its time.
But I am excited to see the backside/underside - and inside if possible.Perhaps that will shed more light.
Also, if you could ask the previous owner where he got it from etc...
Interesting piece nonetheless.
My initial thought was, that this is a father/son sunday afternoons project of the 60s.I have seen many like it and after looking closely at this photo several times, I seem to revert and stick with that first impression.I'm sure, it's not from the 1920s. It's far newer in my opinion - and I can find absolutely nothing pointing towards this being a Bang & Olufsen piece.
It would still be interesting to see the other sides - and innards, though.But again, sorry if this disappoints, it's an interesting piece in its own respect, but it's definitely not B&O.
Great, thanks!I'll stick with late 50s or early 60s.The inscription is not a common danish name (never heard it before) and the dust/debris from making it still sits around it, so I'll say it was made fairly recent.Is the bottom plate plywood?
@ Martin,
I fully agree with you.
To me, the wire and solder joints look to new.
No sings of oxidation due to age.
Rudy
Lucky I didn’t invest a large sum of money into this, it does look cool though!
Yes, and it probably works.
@ Rob,
Yes, it's a very nice set.
I admit, when I would see one on a flee market or in a shop, I would also buy it, when it's not to expensive.