Fidelity rad 21 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

KOI1953 · 3rd Jul 2019, 1:13 pm

As a teenager in the 1970’s I bought a Fidelity Rad21 which was a great transistor Radio. Do any members know if any still exist for sale? Secondhand or for spares / repair etc
Many thanks

paulsherwin · 3rd Jul 2019, 2:02 pm

They crop up quite frequently on eBay though there doesn't seem to be a 21 listed at the moment. They aren't especially sought after so you can expect to pay maybe £20 plus postage.

crackle · 3rd Jul 2019, 5:56 pm

The RAD21 looks like a decent radio for 1972, 5 wave bands including MB and FM to 108MHz, a cut above their normal models.
Many other makes and models were still only offering FM up to 104MHz even as late as 1980.

Mike

Mike. Watterson · 3rd Jul 2019, 6:13 pm

I think the Rad21 is better than the LW/MW/VHF Rad23. The Rad23 has inherently sticking tuning and less good audio compared to similar sized Sony, ITT-KB, Pye/Philips of the era.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/fidelity_rad21rad_2.html
8 x C cells for battery. At least I assume C cells rather than AA.

I did nearly buy a Rad21 off ebay myself. You can create a search that automatically emails you.

The Rad23 has a different tuning cord mechanism and a smaller case.
https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/fidelity_rad23.html
A PP9 battery. Less life and few places sell them now (€6 in B&Q though isn't bad).

Mike. Watterson · 3rd Jul 2019, 6:24 pm

The Rad21 is mysteriously in 1975-76, my very last R&TVS

mhennessy · 3rd Jul 2019, 6:41 pm

The RAD21 uses D cells.

Uses a decent 4" by 8" speaker made by Elac - my two examples have slightly different models, but both are good performers. The amp driving them is pretty good too. Ignoring postage, For what it's worth, I paid £20 for one of mine, and £6.99 for the other, but that was back in 2012. Really must get around to restoring them, but time is short these days. They're full of Lockfits, so that'll be a labour of love

As Mike (crackle) says, definitely a cut above the rest of their range - by quite some margin IMHO. We had one in the house when I was a kid, and was always impressed with it.

paulsherwin · 3rd Jul 2019, 6:46 pm

Fidelity radios always had an element of 'fur coat an no drawers' about them, but they cost a lot less than their Hacker and Grundig contemporaries.

Mike. Watterson · 3rd Jul 2019, 7:56 pm

That's a seriously better speaker than the Rad23 and Alkaline D cells will last a long while (Aldi or a pound shop, the saving of Zinc Chloride /Carbon or extra expense of Energiser/Duracell not worth it)

Paul_RK · 3rd Jul 2019, 11:20 pm

You might be interested too in the Rad 18, to my mind Fidelity's best ever portable radio. It's a slightly earlier version of the Rad 21, exactly the same features with all its controls in the same places, but in a wooden cabinet rather than the 21's plastic case with screwed-on wooden side cheeks. A little heavier, but with noticeably better sound quality: at least that's my memory of them, I still have a Rad 18 but my 21 is long gone. Quite understood of course if the exact model you used to have is the only one that appeals to you now.

Paul

Restoration73 · 4th Jul 2019, 7:44 am

I've seen both 18's and 21's from £1 up at rallies. Easy to repair. I bought a new 21 at trade price in my first job (1976) so it had a long production run. We were a Roberts dealer but I was too impecunious to afford a R707.

KOI1953 · 13th Jul 2019, 6:32 pm

Thanks. Yes it does seem that Fidelity Rad18 and 21’s do appear from time to time at car boot sales etc. Sadly never at ones I’m at. Same with eBay - always seem to miss them!
I did like my Rad 21 but as has been pointed out to me Rad 18 was great too.

3rd Jul 2019, 1:13 pm	#1
KOI1953 Diode Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, UK. Posts: 2	Fidelity rad 21 As a teenager in the 1970’s I bought a Fidelity Rad21 which was a great transistor Radio. Do any members know if any still exist for sale? Secondhand or for spares / repair etc Many thanks

3rd Jul 2019, 2:02 pm	#2
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,967	Re: Fidelity rad 21 They crop up quite frequently on eBay though there doesn't seem to be a 21 listed at the moment. They aren't especially sought after so you can expect to pay maybe £20 plus postage.

3rd Jul 2019, 5:56 pm	#3
crackle Rest in Peace Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Basildon, Essex, UK. Posts: 4,100	Re: Fidelity rad 21 The RAD21 looks like a decent radio for 1972, 5 wave bands including MB and FM to 108MHz, a cut above their normal models. Many other makes and models were still only offering FM up to 104MHz even as late as 1980. Mike

3rd Jul 2019, 6:13 pm	#4
Mike. Watterson Heptode Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Limerick, Ireland. Posts: 901	Re: Fidelity rad 21 I think the Rad21 is better than the LW/MW/VHF Rad23. The Rad23 has inherently sticking tuning and less good audio compared to similar sized Sony, ITT-KB, Pye/Philips of the era. https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/fidelity_rad21rad_2.html 8 x C cells for battery. At least I assume C cells rather than AA. I did nearly buy a Rad21 off ebay myself. You can create a search that automatically emails you. The Rad23 has a different tuning cord mechanism and a smaller case. https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/fidelity_rad23.html A PP9 battery. Less life and few places sell them now (€6 in B&Q though isn't bad). Last edited by Mike. Watterson; 3rd Jul 2019 at 6:16 pm. Reason: Typo

3rd Jul 2019, 6:24 pm	#5
Mike. Watterson Heptode Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Limerick, Ireland. Posts: 901	Re: Fidelity rad 21 The Rad21 is mysteriously in 1975-76, my very last R&TVS

3rd Jul 2019, 6:41 pm	#6
mhennessy Dekatron Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Evesham, Worcestershire, UK. Posts: 4,244	Re: Fidelity rad 21 The RAD21 uses D cells. Uses a decent 4" by 8" speaker made by Elac - my two examples have slightly different models, but both are good performers. The amp driving them is pretty good too. Ignoring postage, For what it's worth, I paid £20 for one of mine, and £6.99 for the other, but that was back in 2012. Really must get around to restoring them, but time is short these days. They're full of Lockfits, so that'll be a labour of love As Mike (crackle) says, definitely a cut above the rest of their range - by quite some margin IMHO. We had one in the house when I was a kid, and was always impressed with it.

3rd Jul 2019, 6:46 pm	#7
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,967	Re: Fidelity rad 21 Fidelity radios always had an element of 'fur coat an no drawers' about them, but they cost a lot less than their Hacker and Grundig contemporaries.

3rd Jul 2019, 7:56 pm	#8
Mike. Watterson Heptode Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Limerick, Ireland. Posts: 901	Re: Fidelity rad 21 That's a seriously better speaker than the Rad23 and Alkaline D cells will last a long while (Aldi or a pound shop, the saving of Zinc Chloride /Carbon or extra expense of Energiser/Duracell not worth it)

3rd Jul 2019, 11:20 pm	#9
Paul_RK Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Fakenham, Norfolk, UK. Posts: 4,259	Re: Fidelity rad 21 You might be interested too in the Rad 18, to my mind Fidelity's best ever portable radio. It's a slightly earlier version of the Rad 21, exactly the same features with all its controls in the same places, but in a wooden cabinet rather than the 21's plastic case with screwed-on wooden side cheeks. A little heavier, but with noticeably better sound quality: at least that's my memory of them, I still have a Rad 18 but my 21 is long gone. Quite understood of course if the exact model you used to have is the only one that appeals to you now. Paul

4th Jul 2019, 7:44 am	#10
Restoration73 Nonode Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Surbiton, SW London, UK. Posts: 2,801	Re: Fidelity rad 21 I've seen both 18's and 21's from £1 up at rallies. Easy to repair. I bought a new 21 at trade price in my first job (1976) so it had a long production run. We were a Roberts dealer but I was too impecunious to afford a R707.

13th Jul 2019, 6:32 pm	#11
KOI1953 Diode Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland, UK. Posts: 2	Re: Fidelity rad 21 Thanks. Yes it does seem that Fidelity Rad18 and 21’s do appear from time to time at car boot sales etc. Sadly never at ones I’m at. Same with eBay - always seem to miss them! I did like my Rad 21 but as has been pointed out to me Rad 18 was great too.