• Country
• United States of America (USA)

• Manufacturer / Brand
• Pilot Electric Mfg. Co. (Radio Corp.); Brooklyn (NY)

• Year
• 1931

• Category
• Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 Tuner

• Radiomuseum.org ID
• 51968

• • alternative name: Pilot Radio & Television || Pilot Radio and Tube || Pilot Radio Corporation

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

• Number of Tubes
• 6

• Valves / Tubes
• 24 24 27 45 45 80

• Main principle
• TRF with regeneration; Screengrid 1926-1935

• Tuned circuits
• 2 AM circuit(s)

• Wave bands
• Broadcast plus more than 2 Short Wave bands.

• Power type and voltage
• Alternating Current supply (AC) / 110 Volt

• Loudspeaker
• - This model requires external speaker(s).

• Material
• Wooden case

• from Radiomuseum.org
• Model: Universal Super Wasp K-136 - Pilot Electric Mfg. Co. Radio

• Shape
• Tablemodel, Box - most often with Lid (NOT slant panel).

• Notes

• Released in September 1929, the AC Super Wasp was the first AC operated shortwave receiver and achieved phenomenal sales throughout the world. Following on this success the company desired to design a radio to capture the more mature listener who did not want to change coils when changing bands and have a nice piece of furniture in the sitting room.

  To achieve this the company listed these design features;

  1. No Plug-in coils, all band shifting from the front panel.
  2. Tuning to go from 15 to 550 metres. Taking in the regular broadcasting band.
  3. The detector regeneration control must not affect the tuning to any appreciable degree.
  4. The power pack must be part of the chassis.
  5. Employ the tuned screen-grid RF stage as per the AC Super Wasp.
  6. State of the art, for 1931, audio stage. Push Pull for dynamic speaker.
  7. Phono connections available.
  8. Must be worthy of being used in the living room with a nice cabinet.
  9. Must be in kit form for easy home assembly.
  10. The price must be reasonable.

  John Geloso, Chief Engineer designed the mechanical band switching mechanism and David Grimes, Research Chief, assisted by Edgar Messing completed the electrical.

  There is very detailed article on this radio in Radio Design, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1931, by Robert Hertzberg.

  Priced at $85 in kit form in 1931.

   

• Price in first year of sale
• 85.00 USD

• External source of data
• Ernst Erb

• Source of data
• Radio Collector`s Guide 1921-1932

• Circuit diagram reference
• Rider's Perpetual, Volume 2 = 1932 (Models 1931/1932)

• Literature/Schematics (1)
• Short Wave Radio Manual 1934

• Literature/Schematics (2)
• Electronics Australia, January 1990, Page 168

• Literature/Schematics (3)
• Radio Design, Vol. 3, No. 4, 1931

• Other Models

• Here you find 541 models, 269 with images and 404 with schematics for wireless sets etc. In French: TSF for Télégraphie sans fil.
  All listed radios etc. from Pilot Electric Mfg. Co. (Radio Corp.); Brooklyn (NY)