The first Crosley Radio Products Catalog, content early 1922

ID: 280433
The first Crosley Radio Products Catalog, content early 1922 
26.Feb.12 08:54
22

Ernst Erb (CH)
Officer
Articles: 5741
Count of Thanks: 9
Ernst Erb

It is amazing what Powel Crosley Jr. did in the short time of about a year since stepping in with his son the first time into a radio shop, described in this article about his beginning with radios. About one year later Crosley produced a second catalog with 36 pages.

Both catalogs are without date. To get an overview about this first catalog with 24 pages, I create a table of content:

First Crosley Catalog - Summary
Model Page Price Tubes First evidence Remarks, conclusions
Harko Radio Reciever 3 9 crystal April 1922, "Radio-News" old version binding posts, 5-step switch
Single head phone etc. 3 6  --   total of $ 15 incl. set and antenna ...
Harko Senior 4 16 1   5-step switch, no metal grommet for the peephole
Harko Senior "improved" 4 20 1   added after print, 7-step switch, 1st version.
Two-Step Amplifier 6 25 2 Feb. 1922, "Radio News", May 1922 "Radio Broadcast" tap switch, unmounted for $ 22.50
Detector Unit 7 7.50 1 Feb. 1922, "Radio News", April 1922, "QST" overhanging lid, no metal grommet for peephole
Sheltran AF transformer 8 4 --    
other parts 9-14   --   Variometer, Vario-Coupler, tuning condensers A, B, C, tuning knob
Magfon 15 10 -- already 1921 without head phone. $ 18 with Baldwin type "C" receiver.
V-T socket 16+17 -.60 -- Feb. 1922 "Radio News"  
Cabinets and formica panels 18+19   -- Feb. 1922 "Radio News" $ 2.50 - 10.50.
Rheostats, binding posts 20+21        
Storage Battery 22 17 --    
           

Page 5 is letters about Harko Sr. - without date.

 

Crystal Set / Harko Radio Receiver:
The first receiver made and sold by Crosley was a crystal receiver. It has always a five step switch and is receiving from 200 to 600 m. On page 6, the Crosley Detector is also called Harko Junior. I could not find the measures of the set.

In October 1921, "Radio News" shows an ad with the name "Crosley Crystal Receiver" for $ 7 including an interrupter with battery for crystal testing etc. Tuning from 200 to 600 m. Crystal included.

According to the ad in "Radio News", November 1921 and "Wireless Age Magazine", December 1921, the "Harko Radio Receiver" costs $ 9 instead of $ 7, a month before. It can well be that for some reason there were changes made. The crystal itself was always included. This model still has the old version of binding posts. Tuning from 200 to 600 m.

In "QST" April 1922 and in this catalog, the "Harko Radio Receiver" is advertised with the "One thousand ohm single head set, 125 ft. anenna wire, insulators, etc. for  $ 6 extra. Complete outfit $ 15. In other words the set is $ 9. Tuning range 150 to 600 m is probably the major change.

 

Harko Senior

February 1922
The first tube radio made and sold by Crosley. The first ad we know is from "Radio News", February 1922 and thsi ad shows clearly a 3-step switch, overhanging lid and no metal grommets for the peephole. Price $ 16.

About April 1922
The version shown in the first "Radio Products Catalog" has still an overhanging lid, no grommet for the peephole, but a 5-step switch. Price $ 16.

Planned in April 1922 or delivered:
A note in this "Radio Products Catalog", stamped in after finishing the catalog tells us: "NEW PRICE, WITH IMPROVEMENTS $ 20.
This must have been the birth of the more widely known first version with 7-step switch. There were other versions to follow.
 

Two-Step Amplifier (also called Two-Stage Audio Amplifier)

This is the version with the front panel switch and overhanging lid. At this time also without metal grommets for the peepholes. This was soon added.
We have to find out the date when the front panel switch was omitted and when the model was not anymore offered in ads, fliers or catalog.

 

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 2
Early patents by Powel Crosley Jr. or in his posess 
07.Mar.12 23:46
22 from 3657

Ernst Erb (CH)
Officer
Articles: 5741
Count of Thanks: 7
Ernst Erb

Powel Crosley Junior patented first diefferent things for cars. Later for Radio parts, then refrigirator, car motor, airplaine motor etc. He also bought a few before publication. Some after. The ones before publication show his name - for instance "by Mesne Assignments" like in the case of patent 1,597,398, filed May 1, 1920, patented August 24, 1926 for "Oscillation Circuit" from Leon T. Wilson. See the picture and the attachment. He had at least 43 patents, most just for details how to form things so that he could not be copied directly.

See the first text page as attachment.

Interesting to see is the fact that already in May 23, 1921, he filed a patent for a "Condenser", actually his "Book Tuning condenser". The normal  variable capacitor is the rotary type in different forms. Probably 99 % of the tuning capacitors are this type with rotary plates and stationary plate(s).

Book type tuning capacitors are different than so-called squeezers, which often can’t provide a stable and reproducible capacitance. The book type capacitors could be fabricated cheaply and are simple. In existence were also sliding condensers, just a plate you can slide by hand for instance on early Marconi models - and other principles which soon disappeared. One example is the one from J. Lagarrigue, named "Spirex", also found in the model from Losange et Delta from Paris. This is also astonishing simple and aquarate.

Crosley's book type tuning condenser, May 1921.

 

Interesting to see that at that time one could patent something which was already on the market. At least in June 1921 Crosley sold the V-T socket for 60 cents.

Patent filed December 7, 1921 for "Vacuum Tube Receptable".

 

October 9, 1922, Crosley filed a patent for an "Adapter", which he used to allow the WD-11 instead of UV201.

Patent for "Adapter", filed October 9, 1922.

 

For the newer type of "Rheostat" Crosley used, he filed a patent also October 9, 1922 and in 1923 a second patent for the same thing.

The first patent on his rheostat from October 9, 1922.

 

November 3, 1923, Crosley filed his patent for a "Variable Inductance" where he used spider coils.

Patent "Variable Inductance" from November 3, 1923, granted April 30, 1929.

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