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The Venerable Rainbow - Baby Champ - Waterfall Radio by Northern Electric in a 1948 Rare 3-knob "DeLuxe" Version 5110M in Rare Rose Hammertone Finish, Serviced and Perfectly Working
In a Nutshell
Three knobs? So, it's the Shortwave Rainbow ! No - it's not, it's a Rare "DeLuxe" Variant with Tone Control
Introduction:
The classic "Baby Champ", "Rainbow" or "Waterfall" radio by Northern Electric, the 1946 Model 5000, is a Canadian icon and very collectible. The radio was a huge commercial success in the late 1940s and early 1950s. With its bakelite Art Deco case, miniature design, and low price, 136'000 radios were sold for about $25 each in 1946 alone. The radio craves
for
being
painted (see pict.17, a custom painted version recently sold for $350). NE itself made the model available in painted ivory, green, blue, carnation red, and red gold. In addition attractive hammertone painted cabinets are known with own colors blue, green, rose and gold. Northern Electric called this radio "The Biggest Little Radio in the World" (pict.18). Model 5110 is a 1948 follow-up version of the 5000 with the 35L6 audio tube replaced by a 50L6, and model 5110M a rare "DeLuxe" (ref.4) variant with a wire antenna (instead of a loop) and (starting with serial number 2930), a third centered knob for tone control. The radio for sale is a late model 5110M in the rare color Rose Hammertone, which can be easily confused with the gold hammertone finish (see pict.18). When naming or trying to identify colors, ref.3 below may be helpful, which lists about 1500 names with their corresponding RGB and hexadecimal colour space.
Additional information:
ref.1: http://www.babychamp.ca/contents.htm
ref.2: http://www.greenhillsgf.com/Project_NorthernElectric_5508_2.htm
ref.3. http://playmate.nobody.jp/color/world.htm
ref.4. http://northernelectric.ca/radios/ne5110deluxe/ne_5110deluxe.htm
About my radio:
The radio is in excellent condition, with only a few unoffending marks on the original hammertone finish, that I touched up. It has the original back plane, dial lens and knobs. The radio plays loud and clear allover the band spread. Please
e-mail me (Kris) for any questions, ich spreche Deutsch, je parle Français.
Here are the specifications:
| Technical Description of Item |
| Manufacturer |
Northern Electric, Montreal, Canada |
| Model |
5110M |
| Type |
5-tube AM/BC superheterodyne receiver |
| Production Year |
1948 |
| Serial Number |
lost, CSA number 3611 |
| Cabinet |
Bakelite, factory painted in rose hammertone |
| Frequency Range |
AM 550-1600 kc |
| Controls |
On/off volume, 2-position tone, tuning, 3 original bakelite knobs |
| Tube line-up |
35Z5(Rect.), 12SA7 (RF), 12SK7 (IF), 12SQ7 (Det.AVC), 50L6 (Audio) |
| Size (WxDxH) |
11 " x 7 " x 6½ " |
| Weight |
6 lbs, 2.7 kg |
| Comment |
Rare 5110M version in rare rose hammetone finish, perfectly working |
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