Admiral Radios and important sources of information

Please see the next posts for data.
Here I explain only how I do it - as a possible input how this could be followed by some other members.

There is the simple way to upload pictures - or this way to enhance or change data if possible - or even a step further to build up a framework similar to that I have done for the brand Lafayette.

We are building up a most complete reference work for radios and related items.
Often this starts with information from schematics - with not even having a picture or a correct date. Even if two model admins will have to accept, there can be errors. After having created 200 thousand model pages by November 2011, we have to focus for the next years in uploading pictures and getting exact year dating. A few thousand members participated in creating this work. Now in November 2011 we are well over 8500 members - and we have to deliver about 300 thousand pages each day to more than 20 thousand different users (more than 85 % guests).

The most important source for that is primary information of the manufacturers
- including advertisements and articles in newspapers and journals etc. Most important are also fliers and folders, factory brochures, catalogs etc. Later books are not bad sources but include errors which can not be corrected, Internet can be most problematic but also most complete - who knows which it is when we find? Most important: We may not copy pictures from secondary books and websites without a written permission by the copyright owner. For guests we provide a certain security with a watermark - which is not a copyright at all. We never claim a copyright but we protect the uploaders or donators. But collector prices we can get freely from the different auctions and Internet-auctions.

On the example of Admiral Radios,
made by "Continental Radio & Television Corp.", Chicago, USA, I try here to show what can be done for solid information and for uploading (foreign) pictures:
For a long time I bought fliers and folders plus important journals like "Radio Retailing" (alter called "Radio & Television Retailing"), a monthly publication for US dealers. Now the scanning, preparing and uploading is in progress. Unfortunately this is hard work for years to come ... I just begin with Admiral because I have a few fliers and folders - but we go through the "Radio Retailing" issues by years - doing all manufacturers and brands when handling an issue. The progress is equally for all brands - and takes time.

The whole process we do is an iteration process - but on a huge amount of data - a slow process. Already a few hundred "man years" of work are "invested"!

In November 2011 we show only 115 thousand models with pictures and 101 thousand with schematics. Total is 200 thousand model pages (71 thousand for the USA - 30'600 with pictures and 47'700 with schematics). I'm sure we still miss worldwide many ten thousand models completely - yet.

For Admiral we show in November 2011 pre WW2 models: 273 and post war models: 1858
a total of 2131 models. But only 651 models with (1253) pictures and 1660 with (7340) schematics. So Admiral has only 30.5 % models with pictures compared to Zenith (3220 models, 2282 with pictures) with a share of 64 %! How important a good picture gallery is for a user can only tell somebody who tried in vain to find out his/her model when missing a model name or so.

More analysis would be necessary to go on with this coding scheme for Admiral. It is a start.

Everybody is welcome for a free membership who is able to help in the enhancement of model pages. We have enough papers to give an input. Interested can use the Contact Form. Corrections are very welcome, pictures naturally too.

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.