Most desirable and beautiful Latvian radios? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

veffreak · 20th Jun 2010, 1:26 am

Hello!

This is my first post on the forum - so, hi to everyone!

Though I'm from Latvia, only lately i've discovered that I am drawn to the old radios I've seen all around me during my childhood and afterwards. I do know some things about VEF and Radio Tehnika, but very little about the old and maybe very first or even the most desirable and beautiful radios.
I read Howard's posts on some of them and I found it really fascinating - like the Geographica model and the old Spidolas that really have something from 50's US car design

I'd appreciate any links, info and of course pics of the really old, rare and beautiful ones and also of the more common ones which I probably know from sight already. I think I remember seeing some of the 50's style looking Spidolas with the plastic front.
Also these huge Radio Tehnika radios that now reside in every shack of a family house in Latvia.

I'm very interested in the "gourmet" radios of Latvian production. I'm also interested in any info or sources on the history and the designers behind the models. Presumably the early ones were mostly Germans who engineered them?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Kind regards,

veffreak

chipp1968 · 20th Jun 2010, 11:51 am

Hello and welcome Veffreak.
Do you find interesting old sets easy to come across where you are ?

veffreak · 20th Jun 2010, 12:11 pm

Hi chipp1968,

i only recently started to look into this myself. At first glancer, in the most popular latvian site for private classifieds at the moment i see the following models available:

VEF Super B306
Čaika,
Vef Akord,
Vef Sigma,
Vef 12, Selga,
Rīga 310,
Victoria 003,
Vef super Md 39
Vef trio Bd 39
Vef Super M 517
Vef Baltika 6B8
Vef Akkord
Rīga T 755
Nora W 68
Pristavka MP-2
Kometa 206
Aidas
Aidas 9m
Majak 205
Jubilejnij

Most of these are offered by just two sellers. Looking at the prices i suppose they know what they're worth. Most expensive (and the one i unfortunately like most personally from these - visually at least) is the Vef super Md 39 - about 120 gbp or thereabouts.
I see also ads from people looking for geographic models.

I just found this site with sort of a time line (a partial one though) of the models: http://www.radiopagajiba.lv/VEFold/vefold2.htm

Then there's this site here:
http://www.oldradio.lv/my_radio.html - probably the biggest collection of this sort - he seems to sell some occasional, but keeps best and rarest to him, i suppose.

And i just saw what a VEF LUXUS SPECIAL 38 is - woow... looks like something retrofuturistic from the fallout rpg games

Beautiful!
Here's a pic if you're interested:

http://www.oldradio.lv/foto/raznoe/v...y_moscow_2.JPG

Oh, can you educate me on the Vef super Md 39? I might get that one. But the price is high. Are these things reliable?

howard · 20th Jun 2010, 1:40 pm

Hello Veffreak,

And welcome to the forum. Until recent times all the transistor radios which were imported into the UK from the USSR during the 1960s-1990s were thought as being Russian built but now we know better and the best of them came from Riga in Latvia and Minsk in Belarus - one or two good sets did come from St. Petersburg though.

The 1961 Spidola is a classic transistor radio in my opinion, it was designed not by Germans but by Radiotehknika in Riga, and the casework was designed by the Latvian technical designer Adolfs Irbite, who before the war, designed the classic VEF Minox miniature 'spy' camera. He designed many radios and record players etc built in the USSR between the 1950s to the early 1970s including several in your collection. The Spidola set the trend in radio design in the USSR, especially its hefty turret tuner which was used in multiband radios into the 1990s.

http://izgudrojumi.lza.lv/izg_en.php?id=17

Unfortunately none of the Latvian valve radio sets built in the 1950s were exported to Western Europe (so I don't know how reliable they are), only transistor radios and valve radiograms from 1961 onwards. I would like a VEF Baltika 52 which is a nice little 1950s radio set but I have never seen one in the UK, and of course I wouldn't mind a 1938 VEF Geographic either but they are way out of my price range.

I have a collection of most of the USSR transistor radios imported into the UK on my website here, it has a lot more visitors than my valve radio website, most of whom are from the Baltic and Russia.

http://oldrussianradios.ukgeeks.co.uk/

Howard

veffreak · 20th Jun 2010, 3:06 pm

Howard,

i hope it didn't come over wrong - it isn't my collection - i have none of the radios - i just replied to the question if the old latvian radios are easily available here. As it seems quite many can be found. From looks i like the model i mentioned above and am thinking about buying it, but i'm not sure if it's not overpriced.

I didn't know Irbite designed the case for the minox - i always thought it was the german guy who invented it. And i always looked at the minox "design" - the exterior and functionality as a strike of genius for that time - it took more than 50 years for the, for example, mobile phone industry, to "reinvent" the principles that went into the minox design - i find that remarkable!

Anyway - to me the most interesting models are the pre-war ones - from the time of our short independency between the wars, which is considered kind of our "golden age" (which is being mystified a lot of course).

If any of you guys are interested in specific models, i can take a look at some point and pm you the links of stuff that i found. I could give you the link to a site where this stuff can be found easily in Latvia, but i'm not sure if it's legitimate to post it here. So maybe pm me and i can give you the link.

Oh, and, Howard, do you have any more linsk to advice - containing some history info on VEF an other manufacturers? The latvian sites aren't that great actually, to my surprise.

Regards,

veffreak

howard · 20th Jun 2010, 9:45 pm

A lithuanian collector, Zenonas Langaitis, has the biggest private collection of USSR radios that I am aware of ....

http://langaitis.zenonas-old.radios.fotopic.net/

His collection is so huge that it's now a museum in Kaunus and you can view this vast collection on Utube, as he has made several videos ....

http://www.youtube.com/user/zenonasl

The most comprehensive website of all USSR electronic goods though is this one in Russia ....

http://www.rw6ase.narod.ru/

It has just about every electrical audio product made in the USSR with pictures, history and technical data. It is however all in Russian.

Finally the Swiss Radio Museum has lots of pics and information on Latvian built radios and there they are listed by factory and generally English is used.

http://www.radiomuseum.org/

Howard

veffreak · 20th Jun 2010, 10:25 pm

Thanks a lot for the links Howard! Will look into it.

regards,

veffreak

chipp1968 · 20th Jun 2010, 11:54 pm

The 1930s 40s radios in the collections are very attractive .I also like the big floor standing set.

veffreak · 22nd Jun 2010, 10:54 am

Here's a nice pic of my favorite: http://www.oldradio.lv/foto/my_colec...D39/md39_3.JPG
I'll try to find some gut shots of it, as i'm afraid giving away over 100gbp for something that might be more trouble i'm able to handle.

howard · 22nd Jun 2010, 7:32 pm

Hello veffreak,

That's a nice 1938 AC mains MW/LW/SW radio, its valve complement is ...

6A8G 6B8G 6K6G 6E5 1-V

They are all American valves which are still available, the 6E5 (magic eye) might be a bit expensive to replace if needed. If you find a complete set with its case free from woodworm and in good condition and it's working it's definitely worth a look. Make sure you can get a circuit diagram for it too.

Howard

veffreak · 22nd Jun 2010, 9:47 pm

Thanks for the advice! I'll look into it and contact the seller.

FERNSEH · 25th Jun 2010, 12:03 am

Here is the RedStar Radiosite.

http://oldradio.onego.ru/

It is in Russian and English languages.

DFWB.

veffreak · 26th Jun 2010, 1:43 pm

Wow, that's another great link! Thanks for posting it!

The VEF super 39 i was after is sold already, but i'll keep my eyes open for another one.

veffreak

Meat Pye · 27th Jun 2010, 8:28 pm

For more pics of Soviet radios try this site:-

http://oldradio.cqham.ru/

Sets from the 40's to the 80's included.

Zenonas · 30th May 2011, 4:02 pm

Hello

I lost my old Radio site in fotopic.net
"Fotopic" dead - as your know..

No problem - all my Radios in www.radiomuseum.org
http://www.radiomuseum.org/collectio...langaitis.html

and welcome to my Radio Museum (thanks Google)

https://docs.google.com/present/view...jzh_28gm58jrg3

Best Regards from Lithuania

pilotradio · 21st May 2012, 5:36 am

Great links thanks. Found my first VEF in a Munich Antique shop in 1992, and Ive been collecting them ever since. Early on I sold a Geographic and a MD38 Super unfortunately. I havent bought one in many years as I dont see them for sale any more like you could 10 years ago. I am looking for some parts for a 697 and 517 if anyone knows of a source.

petervk2mlg · 5th Jun 2012, 2:46 am

I just bought a VEF B407 here in Australia. A rare find in this country.

Peter

majoconz · 6th Jun 2012, 2:49 am

I wouldn't call it desirable or beautiful, but I do have a VEF "Convair" which I believe is a rebadged export "Spidola". Interesting plastic chassis and turret tuner - fortunately seems to be in good alignment so I haven't touched that! Speaker had got very wet some time so had to replace it - otherwise pretty good.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...leaned1sml.jpg

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...tunersmall.jpg

Cheers - Martin

pilotradio · 6th Jun 2012, 7:52 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by petervk2mlg

I just bought a VEF B407 here in Australia. A rare find in this country.

Peter

very nice set Peter, probably rare in most countries Id say

veffreak · 16th Jan 2013, 1:32 am

Sorry folks - I didn't subscribe to my own topic and missed that there were new replies. Really grateful for the great links - they're very useful even though there's of course quite a bit of info in Latvian and Russian on the net.
Wow, a Geographic... probably the holy grail afaik. I've seen 2 sell over here in Latvia in the past couple of years, but for quite insane prices, of course. I suppose there are almost no bargains to be had in these.

20th Jun 2010, 1:26 am	#1
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Most desirable and beautiful Latvian radios? Hello! This is my first post on the forum - so, hi to everyone! Though I'm from Latvia, only lately i've discovered that I am drawn to the old radios I've seen all around me during my childhood and afterwards. I do know some things about VEF and Radio Tehnika, but very little about the old and maybe very first or even the most desirable and beautiful radios. I read Howard's posts on some of them and I found it really fascinating - like the Geographica model and the old Spidolas that really have something from 50's US car design I'd appreciate any links, info and of course pics of the really old, rare and beautiful ones and also of the more common ones which I probably know from sight already. I think I remember seeing some of the 50's style looking Spidolas with the plastic front. Also these huge Radio Tehnika radios that now reside in every shack of a family house in Latvia. I'm very interested in the "gourmet" radios of Latvian production. I'm also interested in any info or sources on the history and the designers behind the models. Presumably the early ones were mostly Germans who engineered them? Thanks a lot in advance! Kind regards, veffreak

20th Jun 2010, 11:51 am	#2
chipp1968 Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,356	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Hello and welcome Veffreak. Do you find interesting old sets easy to come across where you are ?

20th Jun 2010, 1:40 pm	#4
howard Nonode Join Date: May 2005 Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,593	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Hello Veffreak, And welcome to the forum. Until recent times all the transistor radios which were imported into the UK from the USSR during the 1960s-1990s were thought as being Russian built but now we know better and the best of them came from Riga in Latvia and Minsk in Belarus - one or two good sets did come from St. Petersburg though. The 1961 Spidola is a classic transistor radio in my opinion, it was designed not by Germans but by Radiotehknika in Riga, and the casework was designed by the Latvian technical designer Adolfs Irbite, who before the war, designed the classic VEF Minox miniature 'spy' camera. He designed many radios and record players etc built in the USSR between the 1950s to the early 1970s including several in your collection. The Spidola set the trend in radio design in the USSR, especially its hefty turret tuner which was used in multiband radios into the 1990s. http://izgudrojumi.lza.lv/izg_en.php?id=17 Unfortunately none of the Latvian valve radio sets built in the 1950s were exported to Western Europe (so I don't know how reliable they are), only transistor radios and valve radiograms from 1961 onwards. I would like a VEF Baltika 52 which is a nice little 1950s radio set but I have never seen one in the UK, and of course I wouldn't mind a 1938 VEF Geographic either but they are way out of my price range. I have a collection of most of the USSR transistor radios imported into the UK on my website here, it has a lot more visitors than my valve radio website, most of whom are from the Baltic and Russia. http://oldrussianradios.ukgeeks.co.uk/ Howard

20th Jun 2010, 3:06 pm	#5
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Howard, i hope it didn't come over wrong - it isn't my collection - i have none of the radios - i just replied to the question if the old latvian radios are easily available here. As it seems quite many can be found. From looks i like the model i mentioned above and am thinking about buying it, but i'm not sure if it's not overpriced. I didn't know Irbite designed the case for the minox - i always thought it was the german guy who invented it. And i always looked at the minox "design" - the exterior and functionality as a strike of genius for that time - it took more than 50 years for the, for example, mobile phone industry, to "reinvent" the principles that went into the minox design - i find that remarkable! Anyway - to me the most interesting models are the pre-war ones - from the time of our short independency between the wars, which is considered kind of our "golden age" (which is being mystified a lot of course). If any of you guys are interested in specific models, i can take a look at some point and pm you the links of stuff that i found. I could give you the link to a site where this stuff can be found easily in Latvia, but i'm not sure if it's legitimate to post it here. So maybe pm me and i can give you the link. Oh, and, Howard, do you have any more linsk to advice - containing some history info on VEF an other manufacturers? The latvian sites aren't that great actually, to my surprise. Regards, veffreak

20th Jun 2010, 9:45 pm	#6
howard Nonode Join Date: May 2005 Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,593	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? A lithuanian collector, Zenonas Langaitis, has the biggest private collection of USSR radios that I am aware of .... http://langaitis.zenonas-old.radios.fotopic.net/ His collection is so huge that it's now a museum in Kaunus and you can view this vast collection on Utube, as he has made several videos .... http://www.youtube.com/user/zenonasl The most comprehensive website of all USSR electronic goods though is this one in Russia .... http://www.rw6ase.narod.ru/ It has just about every electrical audio product made in the USSR with pictures, history and technical data. It is however all in Russian. Finally the Swiss Radio Museum has lots of pics and information on Latvian built radios and there they are listed by factory and generally English is used. http://www.radiomuseum.org/ Howard

20th Jun 2010, 12:11 pm	#3
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Hi chipp1968, i only recently started to look into this myself. At first glancer, in the most popular latvian site for private classifieds at the moment i see the following models available: VEF Super B306 Čaika, Vef Akord, Vef Sigma, Vef 12, Selga, Rīga 310, Victoria 003, Vef super Md 39 Vef trio Bd 39 Vef Super M 517 Vef Baltika 6B8 Vef Akkord Rīga T 755 Nora W 68 Pristavka MP-2 Kometa 206 Aidas Aidas 9m Majak 205 Jubilejnij Most of these are offered by just two sellers. Looking at the prices i suppose they know what they're worth. Most expensive (and the one i unfortunately like most personally from these - visually at least) is the Vef super Md 39 - about 120 gbp or thereabouts. I see also ads from people looking for geographic models. I just found this site with sort of a time line (a partial one though) of the models: http://www.radiopagajiba.lv/VEFold/vefold2.htm Then there's this site here: http://www.oldradio.lv/my_radio.html - probably the biggest collection of this sort - he seems to sell some occasional, but keeps best and rarest to him, i suppose. And i just saw what a VEF LUXUS SPECIAL 38 is - woow... looks like something retrofuturistic from the fallout rpg games Beautiful! Here's a pic if you're interested: http://www.oldradio.lv/foto/raznoe/v...y_moscow_2.JPG Oh, can you educate me on the Vef super Md 39? I might get that one. But the price is high. Are these things reliable?

20th Jun 2010, 10:25 pm	#7
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Thanks a lot for the links Howard! Will look into it. regards, veffreak

20th Jun 2010, 11:54 pm	#8
chipp1968 Rest in Peace Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 2,356	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? The 1930s 40s radios in the collections are very attractive .I also like the big floor standing set.

22nd Jun 2010, 10:54 am	#9
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Here's a nice pic of my favorite: http://www.oldradio.lv/foto/my_colec...D39/md39_3.JPG I'll try to find some gut shots of it, as i'm afraid giving away over 100gbp for something that might be more trouble i'm able to handle.

22nd Jun 2010, 7:32 pm	#10
howard Nonode Join Date: May 2005 Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK. Posts: 2,593	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Hello veffreak, That's a nice 1938 AC mains MW/LW/SW radio, its valve complement is ... 6A8G 6B8G 6K6G 6E5 1-V They are all American valves which are still available, the 6E5 (magic eye) might be a bit expensive to replace if needed. If you find a complete set with its case free from woodworm and in good condition and it's working it's definitely worth a look. Make sure you can get a circuit diagram for it too. Howard

22nd Jun 2010, 9:47 pm	#11
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Thanks for the advice! I'll look into it and contact the seller.

25th Jun 2010, 12:03 am	#12
FERNSEH Dekatron Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 7,444	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Here is the RedStar Radiosite. http://oldradio.onego.ru/ It is in Russian and English languages. DFWB.

26th Jun 2010, 1:43 pm	#13
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Wow, that's another great link! Thanks for posting it! The VEF super 39 i was after is sold already, but i'll keep my eyes open for another one. veffreak

27th Jun 2010, 8:28 pm	#14
Meat Pye Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, UK. Posts: 103	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? For more pics of Soviet radios try this site:- http://oldradio.cqham.ru/ Sets from the 40's to the 80's included.

30th May 2011, 4:02 pm	#15
Zenonas Diode Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Kaunas, Lithuania Posts: 8	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Hello I lost my old Radio site in fotopic.net "Fotopic" dead - as your know.. No problem - all my Radios in www.radiomuseum.org http://www.radiomuseum.org/collectio...langaitis.html and welcome to my Radio Museum (thanks Google) https://docs.google.com/present/view...jzh_28gm58jrg3 Best Regards from Lithuania __________________ https://www.radiomuseum.org/collecti...langaitis.html

21st May 2012, 5:36 am	#16
pilotradio Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Ruth, Alabama, USA and Fleet, Hampshire, UK. Posts: 41	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? Great links thanks. Found my first VEF in a Munich Antique shop in 1992, and Ive been collecting them ever since. Early on I sold a Geographic and a MD38 Super unfortunately. I havent bought one in many years as I dont see them for sale any more like you could 10 years ago. I am looking for some parts for a 697 and 517 if anyone knows of a source.

5th Jun 2012, 2:46 am	#17
petervk2mlg Heptode Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Parkes, NSW Australia Posts: 877	Re: Most desirable and beautiful latvian radios? I just bought a VEF B407 here in Australia. A rare find in this country. Peter Attached Thumbnails

6th Jun 2012, 2:49 am	#18
majoconz Heptode Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Ashhurst, Manawatu, New Zealand Posts: 571	Re: Most desirable and beautiful Latvian radios? I wouldn't call it desirable or beautiful, but I do have a VEF "Convair" which I believe is a rebadged export "Spidola". Interesting plastic chassis and turret tuner - fortunately seems to be in good alignment so I haven't touched that! Speaker had got very wet some time so had to replace it - otherwise pretty good. http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...leaned1sml.jpg http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/n...tunersmall.jpg Cheers - Martin Last edited by majoconz; 6th Jun 2012 at 2:56 am. Reason: pics added

16th Jan 2013, 1:32 am	#20
veffreak Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Latvia, Riga Posts: 78	Re: Most desirable and beautiful Latvian radios? Sorry folks - I didn't subscribe to my own topic and missed that there were new replies. Really grateful for the great links - they're very useful even though there's of course quite a bit of info in Latvian and Russian on the net. Wow, a Geographic... probably the holy grail afaik. I've seen 2 sell over here in Latvia in the past couple of years, but for quite insane prices, of course. I suppose there are almost no bargains to be had in these.