Chatham "Doghouse" RA-103

DuMont Labs, Allen B., Inc.

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  • Year
  • 1947
  • Category
  • Television- and Radio Receiver, perh. also + Rec. etc. (TV Radio)
  • Radiomuseum.org ID
  • 157361
    • alternative name: Dumont Television & Radio

Click on the schematic thumbnail to request the schematic as a free document.

 Technical Specifications

  • Number of Tubes
  • 28
  • Main principle
  • Superheterodyne (common); ZF/IF 26400 21900 kHz
  • Wave bands
  • Wave Bands given in the notes.
  • Power type and voltage
  • Alternating Current supply (AC) / 105-129 Volt
  • Loudspeaker
  • Permanent Magnet Dynamic (PDyn) Loudspeaker (moving coil) / Ø 6 inch = 15.2 cm
  • Material
  • Wooden case
  • from Radiomuseum.org
  • Model: Chatham "Doghouse" RA-103 - DuMont Labs, Allen B., Inc.
  • Shape
  • Tablemodel, with any shape - general.
  • Dimensions (WHD)
  • 23.5 x 17 x 19.75 inch / 597 x 432 x 502 mm
  • Notes
  • The DuMont RA-103 series of televisions (or "Telesets" as DuMont called them) are popular with collectors because of their high quality electrical design and interesting cabinets. All RA-103 models have a 12 inch round CRT and a continuous tuner with a triple roller inductor that covers the VHF low, FM radio, and VHF high bands in one continuous range (44-216 MHz). The tuner is a Mallory "Inductuner" and was referred to as an "Inputuner" by DuMont.

    Early versions of the RA-103 had a 6U5GT or 6G5GT tuning eye (according to Rider TV vol. 1), but most sets found today have a 6AL7GT tuning eye as original equipment.

    The first models of the RA-103 family were introduced in 1947. The RA-103 Chatham, a mahogany table model with an unusual trapezoidal shape (nicknamed the "Doghouse") seems to be the most commonly found today. The RA-103 Stratford is a table model with doors (see Rider TV vol. 1). The RA-103 Meadowbrook is a mahogany console with no doors, the CRT in the upper left, and a 10-inch speaker center bottom. The RA-103 Savoy is a larger mahogany AM/FM/TV/Phono console with doors, having the CRT top center, AM tuning dial on the left, FM/TV tuning dial on the right, speaker bottom left, and phonograph bottom right. The Rider TV index also lists an RA-103 Sutton, but no further information about this model is available.

    The series was updated at some point with the RA-103C Savoy (same cabinet as RA-103 Savoy) and the RA-103C Winthrop (similar to Savoy, but with knotty pine cabinet).

    In 1949, the RA-103D series was introduced, with significant circuitry changes and some different tubes. The RA-103D Rumson is a mahogany table model with a rectangular profile and a square tuner window (prior to the RA-103D models, the TV/FM tuning windows were round). There are also two consoles, the RA-103D Sheffield and RA-103D Canterbury, both of which are known to be consoles because of their 10-inch speakers documented in Rider TV vols. 3 and 4. The RA-103D chassis is very similar to the chassis used in the RA-104A Hastings and RA-110A Wellington sets, which had 15-inch and 19-inch CRTs, respectively.
  • Net weight (2.2 lb = 1 kg)
  • 84 lb (84 lb 0 oz) / 38.136 kg
  • Price in first year of sale
  • 445.00 $
  • Circuit diagram reference
  • Photofact Folder, Howard W. SAMS
  • Mentioned in
  • (US) Radio & Television Retailing Dec. 1947
  • Literature/Schematics (1)
  • Rider TV vol. 1-58; SAMS set 90 folder 3
  • Author
  • Model page created by a member from A. See "Data change" for further contributors.

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The model Chatham "Doghouse" is part of the collections of the following members.

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