Grundig Antique Radios - history of Grundigs old time radios
ID: 93933
This article refers to the manufacturer: To the manufacturer
Grundig Antique Radios - history of Grundigs old time radios
11.Feb.06 05:42
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Max Grundig (1908-1989) was a simple radio dealer up to 1947 but having begun with a radio kit called Heinzelmann in 1945/46. For being able to get a full radio production Max Grundig founded the "Grundig-Radiowerke mbH in Fürth, Bavaria, Germany in July 1948. His will for being "Number one" and his abilities created a rapid groth. He was for instance very quickly "number one" for tape recording in Europe in the 1950s. He claimed to be the biggest for tape recording worldwide in 1954.
He was also well known for portable radios and fabricated one of the first portable radios after WW2 in 1950 as Grundig Boy. In 1952 Grundig begins with TVs and also reaches a leadership at least in Germany. In this year he reaches a total production of a million radios since his beginning. In the 1950s and 1960s Grundig buys also other radio works such as Lumophon-Werke (in 1951), Telefunken-Rundfunkgerätewerk Dachau (in 1956), Tonfunk-Werke Karlsruhe (1964), Kaiser-Radio, Kenzingen (in 1969). Also outside of Germany there were aquisitions like for the austrian manufacturer Minerva. There were models built by just changing some slight differences for the cabinet but with the same chassis for some of the brands named above, a concept Philips has used before.
At least since 1959 there is a Grundig outlet in the USA because Grundig is exporting very much. The export models are adapted for different markets like the USA and the southern hemisphäre. In the USA there was a joint venture of some sort as Grundig Majestic. An example of Grunidg Majestic is the Majestic 4090 USA. To get more Grundig Majestic you type Majestic to the "Simple search for Antique Radios.
He was independant until Philips had to step in in 1979 and to take over in 1984. This was induced by big financial problems due to "growth for every price" of the personality of Max Grundig. On the same time that was also the reason for getting so big as a radio maker:
In 1978 Max Grundig was "the King" of 31 radio, tape recorder and TV works and many outlets for his Grundig AG. In 1979 for Grundig AG worked 38.000 persons and Grundig had a sales figure of 1.500.000.000 Euro. But in 1980/81 there was a loss of 93.500.000 Euro. In 1984 Philips takes ober the leadership to get a turnaround but had to overgo an uphill battle and eventuelly to drop about the half of the staff of Grundig for about the same sales figure. But in the mids of 1990 only 8000 worked for Grundig and later the operation had to be closed. You find with this link a history of Grundig radio maker up to 1954 in English done by Vitor Oliveira for Radiomuseum.org.
Radiomuseum.org is listing more than 2000 different Grundig radio models, tape recorders and TVs including the line of Grundig Satellit and Grundig Ocean Boy. Just type Satellit or Ocean Boy to the "Simple search for radios" to get the full line of each. Here you get the first Satellite of this line, the Satellit Transistor 5000.
There are different books about Grundig and their products - also in English, like "Grundig satellit" by Thomas Bayer about the famous Grundig Satellit line. It covers the prestigious Satellits 205, 208, 210, 1000, 2000, 2100, 3000, 3400, 1400, 2400, 4000, 600, 650, 300, 400, 500, 700, 900 and 800 models and includes many pictures. The second edition is from 2001 and it costs USD 19.95. Radiomuseum.org lists and documents 27 Grundig Satellit, most of them with the schematics.
Grundig has fabricated also a very known line called Ocean Boy beginning in 1961-2001 - but first marketing year is 1962 - for Grundig Ocean Boy 202. The same author wrote the book "40 Years Grundig Ocean Boy" and this also comes in second edition (2003). Same price. There is also the book "The great GRUNDIG Satellit 700" by the same author in 2002. The topics are: Technical details, an exhaustive analysis of one the finest portable shortwave radios ever made. Table of Contents: Preface, S700 History, Editions & Production, Versions, AGC/MGC Preselector, Hints & Modifications, AM/FM Test Mode, FM-RDS PI PTY Mode, Buying A Second Hand 700, Mint in box, Satellit 700 and Its Successor, Advertising, Booklets, Disassembling & Lithium Cell, Indicator and SSB adjustment, Satellit 500/700/900, Owner's Manual, Service Manual with Schematics.
Yes, the Grundig Satellit 700 was one of the finest portable short wave radios. One of its innovative features was the ability to accept one, two or three plug-in memory chips. Each optional EPROM chip adds an additional 512 memories. These ICs my simply be plugged-in by the user through a small door on the front of the Satellit 700.
He was also well known for portable radios and fabricated one of the first portable radios after WW2 in 1950 as Grundig Boy. In 1952 Grundig begins with TVs and also reaches a leadership at least in Germany. In this year he reaches a total production of a million radios since his beginning. In the 1950s and 1960s Grundig buys also other radio works such as Lumophon-Werke (in 1951), Telefunken-Rundfunkgerätewerk Dachau (in 1956), Tonfunk-Werke Karlsruhe (1964), Kaiser-Radio, Kenzingen (in 1969). Also outside of Germany there were aquisitions like for the austrian manufacturer Minerva. There were models built by just changing some slight differences for the cabinet but with the same chassis for some of the brands named above, a concept Philips has used before.
At least since 1959 there is a Grundig outlet in the USA because Grundig is exporting very much. The export models are adapted for different markets like the USA and the southern hemisphäre. In the USA there was a joint venture of some sort as Grundig Majestic. An example of Grunidg Majestic is the Majestic 4090 USA. To get more Grundig Majestic you type Majestic to the "Simple search for Antique Radios.
He was independant until Philips had to step in in 1979 and to take over in 1984. This was induced by big financial problems due to "growth for every price" of the personality of Max Grundig. On the same time that was also the reason for getting so big as a radio maker:
In 1978 Max Grundig was "the King" of 31 radio, tape recorder and TV works and many outlets for his Grundig AG. In 1979 for Grundig AG worked 38.000 persons and Grundig had a sales figure of 1.500.000.000 Euro. But in 1980/81 there was a loss of 93.500.000 Euro. In 1984 Philips takes ober the leadership to get a turnaround but had to overgo an uphill battle and eventuelly to drop about the half of the staff of Grundig for about the same sales figure. But in the mids of 1990 only 8000 worked for Grundig and later the operation had to be closed. You find with this link a history of Grundig radio maker up to 1954 in English done by Vitor Oliveira for Radiomuseum.org.
Radiomuseum.org is listing more than 2000 different Grundig radio models, tape recorders and TVs including the line of Grundig Satellit and Grundig Ocean Boy. Just type Satellit or Ocean Boy to the "Simple search for radios" to get the full line of each. Here you get the first Satellite of this line, the Satellit Transistor 5000.
There are different books about Grundig and their products - also in English, like "Grundig satellit" by Thomas Bayer about the famous Grundig Satellit line. It covers the prestigious Satellits 205, 208, 210, 1000, 2000, 2100, 3000, 3400, 1400, 2400, 4000, 600, 650, 300, 400, 500, 700, 900 and 800 models and includes many pictures. The second edition is from 2001 and it costs USD 19.95. Radiomuseum.org lists and documents 27 Grundig Satellit, most of them with the schematics.
Grundig has fabricated also a very known line called Ocean Boy beginning in 1961-2001 - but first marketing year is 1962 - for Grundig Ocean Boy 202. The same author wrote the book "40 Years Grundig Ocean Boy" and this also comes in second edition (2003). Same price. There is also the book "The great GRUNDIG Satellit 700" by the same author in 2002. The topics are: Technical details, an exhaustive analysis of one the finest portable shortwave radios ever made. Table of Contents: Preface, S700 History, Editions & Production, Versions, AGC/MGC Preselector, Hints & Modifications, AM/FM Test Mode, FM-RDS PI PTY Mode, Buying A Second Hand 700, Mint in box, Satellit 700 and Its Successor, Advertising, Booklets, Disassembling & Lithium Cell, Indicator and SSB adjustment, Satellit 500/700/900, Owner's Manual, Service Manual with Schematics.
Yes, the Grundig Satellit 700 was one of the finest portable short wave radios. One of its innovative features was the ability to accept one, two or three plug-in memory chips. Each optional EPROM chip adds an additional 512 memories. These ICs my simply be plugged-in by the user through a small door on the front of the Satellit 700.
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