What Is The Best Valve Radio

[bobhowe]

Hi what is the best valve radio & why kind regards Bob

[boater sam]

I have to qualify somewhat as it depends on best for what feature, use, technically and design etc.

A contender to kick it off, Murphy A30 from 1936.  15 valves, full of features and an elegant design.

[BusyBee]

I also think that it depends on quite a few factors. You should really clarify what area you are looking into. It's probably not the fields you would be looking to but, apart from chance finds, my personal fields would more toward the communication receiver type of thing (HF / military).

Tracy

[Crackle]

A contender to kick it off, Murphy A30 from 1936.  15 valves, full of features and an elegant design.

Sam are you sure about the Murphy A30? It is a 4 valve set and not especially pretty.
Mike

[boater sam]

A contender to kick it off, Murphy A30 from 1936.  15 valves, full of features and an elegant design.

Sam are you sure about the Murphy A30? It is a 4 valve set and not especially pretty.
Mike

Argge!    Typo, A40 of course. Thanks Mike.

[peter scott]

Snap! https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/show...ost1392263

Peter

[Paul_RK]

Yes, the A40C would be hard to beat among UK domestic sets so long as you don't mind its size and weight (floor-standing, about 110 lbs.) and don't require FM (it's sixteen years or so too early). There are possible rivals from a few other 1930s ranges - RGD, Dynatron, even a Pye - but the A40C seems to have had much better market penetration than any of those - Dynatron especially was a very small concern back then - so anybody who really wants one and is prepared to travel still has a good chance of finding one without too long a wait. I've never done much travelling but was fortunate to have a friendly wheeler-dealer turn up on the doorstep with mine.

Paul

[AdrianPH]

Adding a twist to the plot. The best valve radio would be one you have just restored to full working glory at the time and before another radio comes along!

Adrian

[Kalee20]

It's not a high-flier, but I'd give a mention to the Ferguson 208U, a short superhet.

Obviously conceived as an economy, no-frills compact lightweight transportable AC/DC AM radio, it's just an incredible piece of design. Chassis slides out as a complete assembly with speaker after removing the back and 4 screws, it operates on the bench, components are all easy to get at, the dial cord is simple, it's a chassis that just looks 'right.'

The circuit has obviously had a lot of attention paid in the design stage, a pair of dedicated coils to each of the 3 wavebands gives excellent tracking and sensitivity.

Even the moulded cabinet can be washed as a whole, the fixing inserts are all brass, moulded-in, there's no wooden baffle to remove.

[boater sam]

It's not a high-flier, but I'd give a mention to the Ferguson 208U, a short superhet.

Obviously conceived as an economy, no-frills compact lightweight transportable AC/DC AM radio, it's just an incredible piece of design. Chassis slides out as a complete assembly with speaker after removing the back and 4 screws, it operates on the bench, components are all easy to get at, the dial cord is simple, it's a chassis that just looks 'right.'

The circuit has obviously had a lot of attention paid in the design stage, a pair of dedicated coils to each of the 3 wavebands gives excellent tracking and sensitivity.

Even the moulded cabinet can be washed as a whole, the fixing inserts are all brass, moulded-in, there's no wooden baffle to remove.

In the same vein, for accessibility for service the Radio Rentals range of Bakelite sets are the same, the knobs stay on and the whole thing comes out with speaker as a working chassis. Super fast fixers.