Braun Exporter model variations

Hello!

A friend of mine has recently acquired two Braun "Exporter" radios, which are causing him some concern. The radios are only marked in medium-waveband frequencies, but yet they have a chassis capable of receiving long- and medium-wave stations and have a switch for this. They are of the original gold/red design as opposed to the later Exporter 2 (Rams?) design.

Can anybody explain why the sets should be made like this? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Mike.

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Hello Mike,

there are two models of the exporter radio listed at radiomuseum.org:
The original design from 1954-56(exporter, Braun 101) with mediumwave band:
http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_modell.cfm?model_id=1321
and
the later exporter 2 version from 1956-1959 with mw and lw:
http://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_modell.cfm?model_id=1338

You can find more pictures at:
www.radiodesign.de
go to "history"
look for "Kofferempfänger" at the navigationbar
As the marks for longwave are just paited on the knob at some modells, it could have been removed from there, look at the pictures, it seems not to be very durable.

with best regards

Martin Renz

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Hello Martin,

Thank you for your reply to my message.

The collector who owns these sets seems to think they could be a copy of an American Emerson set, the model 747 (see http://archives.radioattic.com/images/e/Emerson_747_Clutter.jpg) and that it has LW added for the European market. 

Is this likely?

Regards,

Mike.

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I think they just look similar. Many UK and European personal models from 1946 onward obviously used the basic RCA B7G concept and often later added the LW.

The Emerson 747 uses 1V6 1AH4 1AJ5 1AG4 which are sub-miniature. In a addition the 1V6 is a triode - pentode converter and the DK96 is a heptode, though actually in many designs I've found that the two approaches (tested by a pentode and triodised pentode in an adaptor) both work with the same circuit, at MW and LW anyway.

The 1AG4 has very little audio output compared to DL96. The Braun is essentially just a compact version of earlier DK96 DF96 DAF96 DL96 based models which are in turn based on the 1946 to 1953 models. Though Braun used the Dx11 family before the Piccolo which obviously is inspired by or even a licenced version of the RCA model. Romac in the UK did the first personal model using the RCA tubes. It was sold as a Gypsy in Austria.

See this article on personal Radios.

The Japanese also made small plastic tube radios using the subminiature tubes. As far as I know, no UK or European battery valve (tube) sets used smaller than the B7G. Some with shortwave used the DK40 till the DK92 was available as the USA 1L6 wasn't used.

Many UK makers used the larger Octal tubes rather than B7G till 1948-1950 for battery sets, the last being 2V "farm sets". The German and Austrian makers used the Y8A from the 1940s and some continued with them till they switched to the 25mA Philips version of the 50mA RCA B7G,  such as DCH11 DF11 DAF11 DL11 the 1949 449D by Braun. By then most UK makes and Philips were using either the RCA B7G or European equivalents.

There are also later German sets that look like the Bush MB60 and TR90.

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