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Superb 1936 9-Tube All-Wave Console Radio with Magic Brain, Magic Eye, and Magic Voice, aka RCA 9K-1
In a Nutshell
Here is the Canadian version of the venerable RCA 9K-1 Console, the first radio to have a Magic Eye tube. Together with its Magic Brain and Magic Voice and its Long-Wave and two Short-Wave bands it is a work horse today as it was more than 70 years ago
Introduction:
In the beginning was the "Magic Brain" - and the magic brain was with the 1934/35 luxury models of RCA enthusiastically announced as follows:
"Inside RCA Victor all-wave sets is an uncanny governing unit - ... Human in its thinking, we compare it to the human brain. You choose the broadcast - from no matter where in the whole world. Then, watchman-like, it keeps out undesired radio signals. It concentrates on that one and makes it four times stronger. Each tone has higher-fidelity ... in a quality of reception heretofore unequalled"
Technically speaking it is the combination of RF, local oscillator, and mixer stages, for which originally two tubes (6D6 and 6A7) and one year later the 3 new metal tubes (6K7, 6J7, 6L7) were used, particularly for the higher end all-wave
receivers where the separation of mixer and oscillator
improved performance especially for short wave reception.
In 1936 RCA also introduced the "Magic Eye" (type 6E5) tube for their higher-end consoles
(ref.1), a tube facilitating precise tuning and being too big to be used for table models. "Magic Eye" became later a synonyme for all tuning indicators, independent of manufacturer. The "Magic Voice" sound system was added in 1936/37, the "Magic Loop" around 1940, and later there were even a "Magic Wave" antenna and a "Magic Key" preset station station system. Magic Voice is a pioneering loudspeaker environment. The lower part of the cabinet with the 12" speaker is sealed by a thick wooden plate, wity 5 open cylinders at the bottom, which gives the radio its famous bass response. The RCA 9K-1 console introduced in late 1935, had all three of the first magics - brain, eye and voice.
As in the US, RCA in Canada originally had their radios built by the Westinghouse and General Electric (Canadian General Electric Co. Limited (C.G.E.), Ontario, Canada) companies. In the 1930's and 40's many sets of RCA Victor and CGE were made with identical chassis, but different model numbers and often different (Canadian mostly improved) cabinets. The wooden grille of this GE E-98 is no doubt nicer than the one for the RCA 9K-1 (pict.19 and ref.2).
Additional information:
1. http://home.pacbell.net/philbert/tuning_eye/eyeintro.htm
2. http://johnjeanantiqueradio.com/Consoles4Sale.htm (RCA 9K 4th radio from top, offered for 695 US$)
About my radio:
The console was built in 1936, as a higher-end 9-tube set, using several unique construction details:
- 3-tube RF stage (magic brain)
- Newly developed metal tubes (avoiding separate tube shields, all except 6J7 (GT version with shield) still there)
- Newly for this radio developed 6E5 magic eye tube
- Strong 6F5/6F6 12W audio stage
- Very pretty 4-band horseshoe dial with vernier tuning
- Huge 12" field coil speaker, sealed in closed volume (magic voice)
I have restored the radio inside and out. It is in very good and working condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.The cabinet has been restained in the original tones and refinished with a semigloss hand-rubbed laquer. The speaker cloth has been replaced with a very neutral pattern. The set has been thoroughly cleaned and in-depth serviced. All wax paper condensors and the filter condensors have been replaced and all moving parts treated with contact spray. The 6E5 magic eye tube has been replaced by a new (NOS) and very bright one. The radio plays loud and clear on AM/BC (see movie by clicking on last picture), where it has good sensitivity and selectivity over the whole band spread. It finds stations on the other 3 bands too, with an antenna to be optimized at the final location of the radio. The sound is extremely sonore due to the magic voice technology.
Here are the specifications:
| Technical Description of Item |
| Manufacturer |
Canadian General Electric Co. Limited (C.G.E.), Ontario, Canada |
| Model |
E-98 |
| Type |
9-tube 4-band console radio |
| Production Year |
1936 |
| Serial Number |
1005, chassis (common with US model 9K-1) 019913 |
| Cabinet |
4-tone wood |
| Dial |
Illuminated celluloid dial with 1-100 vernier dial behind horseshoe brass bezel |
| Knobs |
6 bakelite knobs |
| Frequency Range |
LW 140-430 kHz, BC 530-1800 kHz, MW 1.8-6.4 MHz, SW 6.4-23 MHz |
| Controls |
On/off, volume, coarse and fine tuning, band switch, tone, 6E5 magic eye |
| Tube line-up |
5U4(Rect),6K7(RF),6J7(Osc),6L7(1.Det),6K7(IF),6H6(2.Det),6F5(1.Au),6F6(2.Au)6E5(M.Eye) |
| Size (WxDxH) |
26" x 14" x 41" |
| Weight |
78 lbs = 35.5 kg |
| Comment |
Excellent condition, serviced and perfectly working |
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