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BIG Northern Electric
#1

Well...another HUGE console has found me. Icon_crazy I don't know why this happens...

Northern Electric 1831A. It's an 18 tube high fidelity all-wave set, with a flip dial.


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#2

Nice to get the MirroPhonic back as well. They are often missing.
#3

Yes!  And I love how they "advertised" their chamber on the back, much like RCA, GE, Stromberg Carlson and others did. I guess the manufacturers knew that when you had an expensive set like that, you were going to show off the front AND the back to your friends and family.
#4

It looks like it is in pretty good condition . Maybe you can put the bottom of the grill cloth on the top ,so it won't be seen as easily and you can get the
escutcheon for the radio from Renovated Radios.
   I like the Northern electric radios; and any that I have had sounded very good
 You have a nice one there
 Dan in Calgary.

   Living in Calgary Alberta
#5

Hi Dan,
I'm hoping that the fabric has just let loose from the bottom, and I can stretch it back down. If not, I may try to do exactly as you said.

The plastic dial bubble shouldn't be an issue; Mark Palmquist makes very nice covers. I've purchased a few from him before. www.dialcover.com
#6

The only electrical weak point in some pre war Northern Electrics seems to be the power transformers, every other AC N.E I have run into seems to have a Hammond replacement. I don't see many N.Es where I am, except the post war 5000 series models, I have a chassis for one downstairs that was a clone of an American Bosch. The other problems are Tennite plastic knobs, oddly similar to those used on some Silvertone sets, and washaway paint on some dials, at least in the 1936-37 models. If the back from the Mirrorphonic Chamber was missing, you can still buy that pressed wood pulp material in some lumberyards, sold as sound deadening board I think, back when the N.E was made it was known as "Ten Test" or "Donacona" board. That stuff used to be popular as wall board, in the 1930s and 40s, before drywall became common, they had a type of drywall but it was in 12'' wide strips and had to be plastered over.
Regards
Arran
#7

Yes, I have seen many of the NE sets with replacement Hammond transformers on them. I thought that maybe NE used Hammonds, but now that I have a few NE's in the collection with original transformers, I see that there was problems with them.




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