Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

darryld1 · 5th May 2010, 8:32 pm

Hello. I need a little help identifying this model and with it's value too. If I can get someone who understands such things to do it up for me, I'll keep it and use it.

I found a little black Freed Eisemann valve radio in the corner of my loft and although it's covered in dust, I plugged it in and it works. Quite scratchy but the little thing works!! and more to the point, I didn't die and nothing else blew up.

Being me, I immediately took a screwdriver to it and undid the two small screws to remove the rear panel. Four big glass tubes which glow (dimly) and a date rubber-stamped onto the metal chassis '6th March 1936'.

There's a small plate rivetted to the chassis but it does not mention a model name or number.

Can anyone help me with any of this? I want to know the model and who could properly service such a thing. Oh and if anyone's in the know, what it's worth too.

Kind regards,

Darryl

Station X · 5th May 2010, 8:40 pm

Welcome to the forums. Pictures would help if you could post some.

darryld1 · 5th May 2010, 8:56 pm

errmmmm..... i've taken some photos, where is the 'add photo' knob?

Many thanks for your replies.

I cannae find the 'add photos' knob so I can show you what I have infront of me. Any suggestions?

You're right. All I can find is that it's American (licensed by 'The Hazletine Corporation') and old but I have not been able to find anything resembling this Freed Eisemann set, even on the radiomuseum website.

Can you recommend an American forum for me? i'll do the usual google search for one but if you have any insider tips, that would save me a lifetime of inventing and forgetting usernames and passwords

All the best,

Darryl

ps: the notion of being able to listen to BBC Radio 4 on a valve rig is what i'm after. This thing is not much bigger than a Roberts portable but if it could one day work properly, that would be a piece of history saved from rotting to bits and a lovely thing to have.

okay so the best I can do is to e-mail people photos as I can't find the 'add photo' switch

One helpful chap in the States thinks it could be an FE-33 to FE-65 as they were all made in 1936. I can't find a single reference to any of them online. How did we manage before?

ppppenguin · 5th May 2010, 9:11 pm

Welcome to the forum. We don't recommend plugging in old radios because it can do expensive damage, even if the set appears to work. This set may be rather outside our experience. It's clearly from the USA:
http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_herst...company_id=866
http://www.tvhistory.tv/1946-49-FREED-EISEMANN.htm

If none of us can help (we're mainly British based though we have a few US members) you might be better finding an American forum.

Station X · 6th May 2010, 8:13 am

To add pictures click the "Post Reply" button, not the "Quick Reply" button. Scroll down the page and you'll see a "Manage attachments" button. Click this and the rest is self explanatory.

ppppenguin · 6th May 2010, 8:26 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by darryld1

...the notion of being able to listen to BBC Radio 4 on a valve rig is what i'm after....

R4 is on long wave. The vast majority of US sets don't have LW because they never used it for broadcasting in the US.

KeithsTV · 6th May 2010, 8:29 am

If this is an American set designed for the US market it's unlikely to have Long wave.

Keith

VideoJunkyard · 6th May 2010, 10:03 am

I have a couple of Freed-Eisemann sets. They are both fitted with LW for use over here. The fact that you were able to plug yours in and it didn't go bang would indicate that it was intended for these shores and would be wired for 230V. American radios for domestic use were set up for use on 115V.
Information on Freed-Eisemann sets is pretty scarce - i have a few schematics i think...............
A picture would be most helpful.

darryld1 · 6th May 2010, 2:22 pm

Hi folks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cC6PR2BRw4

The 'selector' frequency scale (marked 112-96. this is possibly a part number) is measured in meters from 100-200 on inside scale and then 200-550 on the outer. My guess is that the little unmarked knob underneath the speaker grille is a scale selector switch. So you're right, this is an AM rig.

Not shown in the video is what has been fitted to make this unit useable in the UK. There's a transformer and an old Bakelite light switch. So it's American and has been modified for use in UK.

If anyone would like some more specific info:

It measures 6"deep, 7 high and 10 wide.

The only labels it has on the front is the company name of 'Freed Eisemann' and on the rear of the internal metal chassis is a small metal plate.

The date '6 MAR 1936' is rubber ink-stamped onto the chassis next to the metal plate.

The plate reads:

"LICENSED by radio corporation of america and associated companies only
for amateur, experimental and broadcast reception.
LICENSED by hazeltine corporation, see notice inside
Serial number 69864

121-15 F.M.C. Made in U.S.A."

There is no 'notice' inside the unit and the only other information I can glean is that on the rear of the 5-K speaker chassis is ink-stamped '131 51' and on the front a barely legible date of '27 06 37'. This dates the unit to '36-'37.

The valves in order left-right as you look at the rear of the chassis:

Hytron Z5 25
Brimar 43
Hytron 6C6
Hytron 6D6 (which was inside a metal cover)

The volume pot is labelled: 138725
The tuning (bladed-variable) pot has 'Federal Instrument corporation, made in USA, patent pending.' stamped onto it's chassis.

I now would like to find someone who is capable of restoring this little gem to it's former glory. I will gladly take an post any information and pictures which you ask for.

I feel a project coming on.

All the best,

Darryl

Station X · 6th May 2010, 3:11 pm

The outer scale covers the medium waveband of 545 to 1500 Khz.
The inner scale covers 1500KHz to 3000KHz. This is effectively a short wave band.

Frequency in KHz is given by 300,000 divided by wavelength in metres.

dave walsh · 6th May 2010, 4:01 pm

THere is someone as close as Worthing Darryl but don't know how the costs would work out for you? He will do a free check/estimate apparently. I can pm you if you can't locate this chap as it may not be appropriate to just put the details on here. Meanwhile, as it's a bit of an obscure item-best to follow what the experts have advised! Cheers Dave

Station X · 6th May 2010, 4:31 pm

There is no objection to members posting contact details and email addresses for TRADERS on here.

dave walsh · 6th May 2010, 4:54 pm

Thanks Graham. Just erring on the side of caution as I wouldn't want to upset anybody

. Your advice is appreciated

.

I was referring to the "Radio Workshop" site re Ray Heffer, out of Worthing. Specialises just in Radios he says!
Never had contact with the gentleman but he seems to have the helpfull attitude that is so prevelant on here. Hope this helps Darryl. Dave W

Station X · 6th May 2010, 5:10 pm

Here:-

http://www.***********************/

darryld1 · 6th May 2010, 6:31 pm

Many thanks chaps. I've spent my whole day off researching this radio and haven't found a thing about it anywhere. I called Ray at Radio Workshop and sent him an e-mail with some shots and a description and we're going to take it from there. It'll be a great pleasure to get this little rig humming again, though it might get a little shell-shocked at the music being broadcast these days.......

This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be and Gerry Wells has invited me to the BVWS museum in Dulwich sometime soon, if anyone fancies joining me.

Regards,

darryl

dave walsh · 7th May 2010, 12:48 am

If you let us know how you get on, I'm sure this will be appreciated. Dave W

BrianMcAllister · 8th May 2010, 10:43 pm

this schematic should be close to that of your set.

http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByM...7/M0006467.pdf

darryld1 · 9th May 2010, 9:01 pm

Hello Brian,

I had a look at the schematics and made what sense I could of them with my memory of 5th Year physics......which was in 1985 with Mr Ali 'Hit you at 50 paces with a wooden blackboard eraser' Shah!!

The FE 51 L. Although it has 5 valves and the set I have has 4, from the FE 51 L tube arrangement diagram alone, it seems to be the most similar. The only valve which is missing from my set and which is in the diagram is the K55C. No doubt folks who know what they're doing are spitting tea all over their keyboards after reading that....

I do have an 'Is this a K55C?' question about one of the components. It has a metal (rusty) casing/cover which when lifted off reveals a thin, flat piece of 'plastic'. Wrapped over that are four lengths of thin, coiled wire which run top to bottom (not coiled around it horizontally like a spindle). They look thin and fragile enough to be a lightbulb filament. Is this also considered to be a 'valve' or are valves strictly glass vacuum tubes with all sorts of jiggery-pokery stuffed inside?.....anode,cathode, electrons,quick unplug it it's smoking...errrmmmmm....i'll get back to you when my brain cools down.

The metal casing of this component is shown behind the valve on the far left of the four, in the middle of the three pictures I posted above.

Thanks for helping me out with this.

Regards,

Darryl - who just acquired enough Robert's radios to make the missus hysterical. I'm going to do them up and donate them to old folks in nursing homes and hospices.

BrianMcAllister · 11th May 2010, 12:41 am

The K55C is not a Valve, but what we in the US call a Ballast Resistor. In less enlightened parts, I believe it is called a "barreter". In its original form in the radio in question, it is designed to dissipate into heat, the difference in voltage/current requirement between the series valve filaments/heaters and the nominal 120 volt mains. The resistance is tapped to supply power to the dial lights. The device you describe is indeed the Ballast Resistor.

darryld1 · 11th May 2010, 11:30 am

A Ballast resistor eh? A 'Ballistor', surely. What does this look like on a schematic? And what a marvelous invention too. There are no lights on this set so I guess that makes it a heat sink?

This rusty little component may be well past it's 74 year best-before date.

I really need to get this set to someone who knows what they're looking at and who can fix it. The best I can do is clean it up cosmetically. One idea I had was to find out if there's a way to play an MP3 through it. I'd like to get some hits of '36 and to use the amplifier to play through.

Still no idea which model it is or what it's value might be but really enjoying the journey.

Thanks Brian.

5th May 2010, 8:32 pm	#1
darryld1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 10	Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Hello. I need a little help identifying this model and with it's value too. If I can get someone who understands such things to do it up for me, I'll keep it and use it. I found a little black Freed Eisemann valve radio in the corner of my loft and although it's covered in dust, I plugged it in and it works. Quite scratchy but the little thing works!! and more to the point, I didn't die and nothing else blew up. Being me, I immediately took a screwdriver to it and undid the two small screws to remove the rear panel. Four big glass tubes which glow (dimly) and a date rubber-stamped onto the metal chassis '6th March 1936'. There's a small plate rivetted to the chassis but it does not mention a model name or number. Can anyone help me with any of this? I want to know the model and who could properly service such a thing. Oh and if anyone's in the know, what it's worth too. Kind regards, Darryl

5th May 2010, 8:40 pm	#2
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Welcome to the forums. Pictures would help if you could post some. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

5th May 2010, 9:11 pm	#4
ppppenguin Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: North London, UK. Posts: 6,168	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Welcome to the forum. We don't recommend plugging in old radios because it can do expensive damage, even if the set appears to work. This set may be rather outside our experience. It's clearly from the USA: http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_herst...company_id=866 http://www.tvhistory.tv/1946-49-FREED-EISEMANN.htm If none of us can help (we're mainly British based though we have a few US members) you might be better finding an American forum.

6th May 2010, 8:13 am	#5
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 To add pictures click the "Post Reply" button, not the "Quick Reply" button. Scroll down the page and you'll see a "Manage attachments" button. Click this and the rest is self explanatory. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

6th May 2010, 8:29 am	#7
KeithsTV Nonode Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: South Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 2,574	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 If this is an American set designed for the US market it's unlikely to have Long wave. Keith

5th May 2010, 8:56 pm	#3
darryld1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 10	errmmmm..... i've taken some photos, where is the 'add photo' knob? Many thanks for your replies. I cannae find the 'add photos' knob so I can show you what I have infront of me. Any suggestions? You're right. All I can find is that it's American (licensed by 'The Hazletine Corporation') and old but I have not been able to find anything resembling this Freed Eisemann set, even on the radiomuseum website. Can you recommend an American forum for me? i'll do the usual google search for one but if you have any insider tips, that would save me a lifetime of inventing and forgetting usernames and passwords All the best, Darryl ps: the notion of being able to listen to BBC Radio 4 on a valve rig is what i'm after. This thing is not much bigger than a Roberts portable but if it could one day work properly, that would be a piece of history saved from rotting to bits and a lovely thing to have. okay so the best I can do is to e-mail people photos as I can't find the 'add photo' switch One helpful chap in the States thinks it could be an FE-33 to FE-65 as they were all made in 1936. I can't find a single reference to any of them online. How did we manage before?

6th May 2010, 10:03 am	#8
VideoJunkyard Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Birmingham. Posts: 182	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 I have a couple of Freed-Eisemann sets. They are both fitted with LW for use over here. The fact that you were able to plug yours in and it didn't go bang would indicate that it was intended for these shores and would be wired for 230V. American radios for domestic use were set up for use on 115V. Information on Freed-Eisemann sets is pretty scarce - i have a few schematics i think............... A picture would be most helpful.

6th May 2010, 2:22 pm	#9
darryld1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 10	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Hi folks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cC6PR2BRw4 The 'selector' frequency scale (marked 112-96. this is possibly a part number) is measured in meters from 100-200 on inside scale and then 200-550 on the outer. My guess is that the little unmarked knob underneath the speaker grille is a scale selector switch. So you're right, this is an AM rig. Not shown in the video is what has been fitted to make this unit useable in the UK. There's a transformer and an old Bakelite light switch. So it's American and has been modified for use in UK. If anyone would like some more specific info: It measures 6"deep, 7 high and 10 wide. The only labels it has on the front is the company name of 'Freed Eisemann' and on the rear of the internal metal chassis is a small metal plate. The date '6 MAR 1936' is rubber ink-stamped onto the chassis next to the metal plate. The plate reads: "LICENSED by radio corporation of america and associated companies only for amateur, experimental and broadcast reception. LICENSED by hazeltine corporation, see notice inside Serial number 69864 121-15 F.M.C. Made in U.S.A." There is no 'notice' inside the unit and the only other information I can glean is that on the rear of the 5-K speaker chassis is ink-stamped '131 51' and on the front a barely legible date of '27 06 37'. This dates the unit to '36-'37. The valves in order left-right as you look at the rear of the chassis: Hytron Z5 25 Brimar 43 Hytron 6C6 Hytron 6D6 (which was inside a metal cover) The volume pot is labelled: 138725 The tuning (bladed-variable) pot has 'Federal Instrument corporation, made in USA, patent pending.' stamped onto it's chassis. I now would like to find someone who is capable of restoring this little gem to it's former glory. I will gladly take an post any information and pictures which you ask for. I feel a project coming on. All the best, Darryl Attached Thumbnails

6th May 2010, 3:11 pm	#10
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 The outer scale covers the medium waveband of 545 to 1500 Khz. The inner scale covers 1500KHz to 3000KHz. This is effectively a short wave band. Frequency in KHz is given by 300,000 divided by wavelength in metres. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

6th May 2010, 4:01 pm	#11
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 THere is someone as close as Worthing Darryl but don't know how the costs would work out for you? He will do a free check/estimate apparently. I can pm you if you can't locate this chap as it may not be appropriate to just put the details on here. Meanwhile, as it's a bit of an obscure item-best to follow what the experts have advised! Cheers Dave

6th May 2010, 4:31 pm	#12
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 There is no objection to members posting contact details and email addresses for TRADERS on here. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

6th May 2010, 4:54 pm	#13
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Thanks Graham. Just erring on the side of caution as I wouldn't want to upset anybody. Your advice is appreciated. I was referring to the "Radio Workshop" site re Ray Heffer, out of Worthing. Specialises just in Radios he says! Never had contact with the gentleman but he seems to have the helpfull attitude that is so prevelant on here. Hope this helps Darryl. Dave W

6th May 2010, 5:10 pm	#14
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Here:- http://www.***********************/ __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

6th May 2010, 6:31 pm	#15
darryld1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 10	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Many thanks chaps. I've spent my whole day off researching this radio and haven't found a thing about it anywhere. I called Ray at Radio Workshop and sent him an e-mail with some shots and a description and we're going to take it from there. It'll be a great pleasure to get this little rig humming again, though it might get a little shell-shocked at the music being broadcast these days....... This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be and Gerry Wells has invited me to the BVWS museum in Dulwich sometime soon, if anyone fancies joining me. Regards, darryl

7th May 2010, 12:48 am	#16
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 If you let us know how you get on, I'm sure this will be appreciated. Dave W

8th May 2010, 10:43 pm	#17
BrianMcAllister Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA Posts: 28	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 this schematic should be close to that of your set. http://www.nostalgiaair.org/PagesByM...7/M0006467.pdf

9th May 2010, 9:01 pm	#18
darryld1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 10	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 Hello Brian, I had a look at the schematics and made what sense I could of them with my memory of 5th Year physics......which was in 1985 with Mr Ali 'Hit you at 50 paces with a wooden blackboard eraser' Shah!! The FE 51 L. Although it has 5 valves and the set I have has 4, from the FE 51 L tube arrangement diagram alone, it seems to be the most similar. The only valve which is missing from my set and which is in the diagram is the K55C. No doubt folks who know what they're doing are spitting tea all over their keyboards after reading that.... I do have an 'Is this a K55C?' question about one of the components. It has a metal (rusty) casing/cover which when lifted off reveals a thin, flat piece of 'plastic'. Wrapped over that are four lengths of thin, coiled wire which run top to bottom (not coiled around it horizontally like a spindle). They look thin and fragile enough to be a lightbulb filament. Is this also considered to be a 'valve' or are valves strictly glass vacuum tubes with all sorts of jiggery-pokery stuffed inside?.....anode,cathode, electrons,quick unplug it it's smoking...errrmmmmm....i'll get back to you when my brain cools down. The metal casing of this component is shown behind the valve on the far left of the four, in the middle of the three pictures I posted above. Thanks for helping me out with this. Regards, Darryl - who just acquired enough Robert's radios to make the missus hysterical. I'm going to do them up and donate them to old folks in nursing homes and hospices.

11th May 2010, 12:41 am	#19
BrianMcAllister Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Sarasota, Florida, USA Posts: 28	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 The K55C is not a Valve, but what we in the US call a Ballast Resistor. In less enlightened parts, I believe it is called a "barreter". In its original form in the radio in question, it is designed to dissipate into heat, the difference in voltage/current requirement between the series valve filaments/heaters and the nominal 120 volt mains. The resistance is tapped to supply power to the dial lights. The device you describe is indeed the Ballast Resistor.

11th May 2010, 11:30 am	#20
darryld1 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Brighton, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 10	Re: Freed Eisemann 6th March 1936 A Ballast resistor eh? A 'Ballistor', surely. What does this look like on a schematic? And what a marvelous invention too. There are no lights on this set so I guess that makes it a heat sink? This rusty little component may be well past it's 74 year best-before date. I really need to get this set to someone who knows what they're looking at and who can fix it. The best I can do is clean it up cosmetically. One idea I had was to find out if there's a way to play an MP3 through it. I'd like to get some hits of '36 and to use the amplifier to play through. Still no idea which model it is or what it's value might be but really enjoying the journey. Thanks Brian.