, All - 1923 Atwater Kent Model 10 Breadboard Radio Early 4600
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:17885289 |
If you're an uncompromising collector of antique technology, make sure to check out all my listings after you look at this one. I don't think you'll find a better, broader or more balanced assortment of technical antiques anywhere -- hundreds of no-reserve auctions each year, almost all of them featuring eye-popping "gee whiz" gadgetry in exceptional original condition. And don't forget, you can click this link to quickly add and then save me to your favorite seller ...list and Ebay will automatically send you updates when I put similar new auctions online.
Here's a beautiful Atwater Kent Model 10 breadboard, among the most iconic radios of all time. The radio's part number is 4600, dating it to late 1923 or early 1924. The 4600 was the last Model 10 to use binding posts on the board rather than a wiring harness, which was used on later sets. This radio was found at a yard sale in upstate New York about 3 weeks ago, and it had been passed down through the same family since purchased new in the 1920's. I installed a set of tipped rainbow tubes (for display; all of them have open filaments) and I re-connected a wire running to the stator screw inside the first tuning condenser, but the radio is otherwise "as found" and original throughout.
Condition is excellent, as you can see in the photographs.
The mahogany board retains its factory finish, and the endcaps are still firmly adhered to the main board. All of the wiring on the underside of the board is original, as are the staples. Rubber feet are also original. Both of the original paper tags are still present, with moderate wear consistent with their age. The original crinkle paint is still intact on the TA and the condensers, and it's in good shape, with areas of checking but no flaking or deterioration. All of the brass hardware is original, and none of it is missing. All three RF coils have clean windings, and the windings are still tightly wrapped around their bakelite forms. There are two chips in the rim of the housing cover on the first tuning condenser, but the bakelite is otherwise clean and unblemished throughout.
TA assembly is original throughout, with smooth potting tar and original AF transformers. Both AF transformers are good. Transformers test as follows: Primary No. 1 -- 1740 Ohms. Primary No. 2 -- 1910 Ohms. Secondary No. 1 -- 3320 Ohms. Secondary No. 2 -- 3200 Ohms.
High voltage bypass capacitor is original and intact on the underside of the board.
As noted above, the radio comes with 5 brass base, tipped rainbow "display" tubes. The radio also includes 5 good emissions bakelite base globe tubes.
I installed the good globe tubes, fired the radio up with an ARBE III power supply, connected it to a longwire outdoor antenna, and after fiddling with it for a while, I was able to tune a couple of local stations, but the signal and output were pretty noisy, so I suspect that either the bypass capacitor or the grid leak are out of value. The radio is therefore being offered for historical and/or collecting purposes only. If you're an experienced user of early 1920's battery radios, and you have the correct accessories, you'll probably be able to get the radio to work for you, but no assurances to that effect are being made here.
Please look at the pictures and consider them an integral part of the description. I think you'll agree that for an original Model 10 that has not been cleaned up restored, it's in exceptionally nice condition.
That's about it. I will pack everything carefully and properly, and I can assure you that it will show up at your doorstep in the same fine condition in which its leaves mine. I have been shipping antique phonographs and radios for years, and if you check my feedback, you'll see that I know how to do it correctly.
00731
