The website for collectors of antique communication gear
There are thousands of web pages done by radio collectors on the net. Historical broadcast sets can be of great interest, both visually and technically. Therefore the collectors community has been growing steadily. This large community consists of many clubs, sometimes with more than 4000 members - for example the Antique Wireless Association (AWA) in the US.What has been missing up to now is a concentration of all collectors' efforts on the Internet. It is the Internet that facilitates the exchange of knowledge, experience and support regarding technical problems, as well as going public with one's own presentation.
After the book «Radios von gestern» (first edition 1989) had become such a big success that three reprints were necessary (see comments about it on www.amazon.de) and when «Radiokatalog volume 1» had been finished, the author and former businessman, Ernst Erb from Meggen, Lucerne, Switzerland, decided to set up a web portal to address the requests of passionate collectors in a most comprehensive way.
Consistently built radio catalog
The portal does not compete the collectors' present or future home pages. Instead, its goal is the consolidation of efforts toward one common goal. Only in this way can less well-off collectors also have access to the sometimes rare technical documents for the purpose of repairing and adjusting receivers. A written catalog cannot show the schematics and instructions for alignment, without becoming too expensive. Moreover, as there are more than 20,000 models of antique radios in the German speaking countries alone, the «Radiokatalog» was a real Sisyphusian work. Therefore it would have been a pity to publish it only as a book. For this reason the author has uploaded volume 1 and the yet unedited volume 2 on the Internet, free of charge and without advertising. Meanwhile the number of pictures has grown from the 3000 in the catalog to 2 749 543 (1 051 154 schematics included), thanks to the help of thousand of collectors.
The idea is realized
This on-line reference book is unequaled in the world, both for its functionality and its comprehensive content: 347 375 model pages with detailed data of antique radios that can be viewed by anybody. The offered membership allows one to view, enlarge and print pictures and schematics. In return for membership the author expects a certain commitment - this, for example, could be by uploading digital pictures of one`s own sets for models without such information. Other activities are welcome as well.
There is not only information about broadcast sets, but also technical articles, links to museums and home pages and the ability to exchange ideas.
The site allows collectors to search for prices or information and sale offers of specific models. There is a platform to exchange, sell and purchase sets. You can apply for a membership on-line. Due to the fact that you are allowed to upload pictures as a member, it is necessary for us to check your seriousness as a radio collector.
Who wouldn't like to get good advice from experienced collectors? Collecting things is a dead end activity without mutual exchange of ideas. As a member of www.radiomuseum.org you will find people who are ready to answer your questions about a model. There are about 400 to 550 members (of 17 664 members in total from 96 countries) online daily plus 20 000 to 25 000 guests. They open as average (2011) 176 000 pages each day.
Lucerne, December 28, 2004 (Ernst Erb)
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