Victoreen
The Victoreen “Eight” as seen above probably dates from the late 1924 to the early 1925 time frame. I’ve seen several Victoreen engraved panels but this panel is the only one like this that I’ve seen, and I suspect that this is an early design. The front panel is quite interesting, but the thing about this set that makes it really unique is that it has a factory Victoreen serial number label attached to the rear of the inside cabinet. The serial number 302 is stamped on the label, and the same number is scratched/engraved onto the back side of the front panel. Here are a few particulars of this set:
1. The radio operates on the standard 1920s superhet circuit.
2. The engraved front panel measures 26” long by 7” high by 3/16” thick.
3. Victory Products (Victoreen) oscillator coupler and IF transformers.
4. DXL Radio Corporation tuning capacitors.
5. All American audio transformers.
6. E-Z Stat rheostats and potentiometer.
7. Mazda tube sockets.
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Richard T. Ammon informs me that the RF 171 IF transformer (the last IF transformer in the chain that is identified with red letters) was manufactured to operate with 199 tubes instead of 01-A tubes. That would certainly explain why its characteristics are different than the other IF transformers! Thanks for the info, Rick!
May 30, 2013 update:
Victoreen advertisement from the March, 1925, Popular Radio magazine.
Type |
Peak Freq. |
Lower 3 dB |
Upper 3 dB |
Bandwidth |
Relative gain |
Pri. ohms |
Sec. ohms |
#1, Input |
91.6 KC |
83.9 KC |
100.4 KC |
16.5 KC |
7.8 |
76.5 |
101.1 |
#2, RF |
89.6 KC |
83.1 KC |
96.4 KC |
13.3 KC |
6.9 |
41.9 |
85.9 |
#3, RF |
87.7 KC |
81.0 KC |
95.2 KC |
14.2 KC |
7.7 |
44.4 |
102.4 |
#4, RF |
81.9 KC |
73.8 KC |
91.6 KC |
17.8 KC |
8.4 |
63.9 |
99.8 |
An initial check of the IF transformers revealed that the the first transformer (“Input”) had an open primary winding. The transformer was fairly easy to repair by removing one nut from the center (after removing solder from the nut) and then sliding the bakelite sleeve off. A tiny wire had broken near the terminal and it merely needed to be re-soldered. This type of transformer has one scramble-wound primary winding and one scramble-wound secondary winding, each separated by a small insulating disc. The secondary winding is shunted with a small capacitor that it mounted between the coil and the endplate. The internal capacitor is what requires this transformer to be thicker than the other transformers.
The remaining three transformers are marked “RF.” The last transformer in the chain was probably replaced at one time because it is the only transformer that has “No. 171 R.F.” stamped on top in red letters. The last transformer also has different DC resistances than the other RF transformers and it peaks at a slightly different frequency.
All four IF transformers are probably air-core. The table below records the bandpass measurements. Notice that the bandwidth of the input transformer is not much different than the other transformers; perhaps there is still a problem with that transformer? The secondary winding of the first three transformers were referenced to A- and the secondary winding of the fourth transformer was referenced to A+ (with the grid leak resistor and capacitor intact).
Close up view of Victoreen label with serial number 302.
The number 302 is engraved on the back side of the front panel.
DXL tuning capacitor.
Close up of front panel engraving.
Victoreen oscillator coupler.
Victoreen IF amplifier.
Top inside view of the set. This radio does not have the normal antenna coupler that is usually located on the left side of the chassis. Notice that the input filter transformer is thicker than the other IF transformers. Most Victoreen superhets do not have a thick input transformer. Also, the IF transformers in this set all have “Victory Products” (mf’d by Victoreen Radio, Inc.) labels. Most Victoreen IF transformers have a “Victoreen Products” label.