RCA Radiola Model 103 Tapestry Speaker

[ccolwell19941]

the radio that your playing the speaker with i've heard its the first commercially sold radio from 1921 is this correct?

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@ccolwell19941

Yes when RCA put the RA and DA in the same cabinet, this was the radio RC, 1921-22. From the RadiolaGuy, (June 1921 80,000+ made cost $125).

[ccolwell19941]

@AllAmericanFiveRadio could u please tell me the voltages for the the radio?

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

@ccolwell19941

This radio has an 01A as an audio output

Amplifier - Class A

Plate Voltage 90 Volts

Grid Bias -4.5 Volts

Amplification Factor 8.0

Plate Resistance 11000 Ohms

Transconductance 725 mhos

Plate Current 2.5 Ma

[1899lpv]

Mine came from my grandfather ser#163410EA along with a crosley model XJ in the late 70's.I've "fired up" the speaker and it sound extremelly good.

'

[Vinylrecordsneverdie]

Wow, I can't believe I missed out on this one! Too many subs I guess. Everything made back then wasn't only built to last, but also a work of art too and this speaker is one of the beautiful masterpieces. After 82 years, it still plays nice with some minor repairs. If I ran across something like that, I wouldn't even bother tinkering with it. It will just serve as a display unlike my 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s vintage.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks. I was so amazed to find it at the Flea Market. It was really scary opening up the silk sock to take pictures of the insides. I had to take it off completely once to repair the leads to the coil. You are right, if it did not work it is still a neat part of radio history.

[HD7100]

Thanks for another fun look at some of your radio collection. What a neat speaker. I have the more common RCA 100 speaker that I bought at a flea market several years ago. It is good but I have yet to play it. I am in the process of building my new electronics work bench and area in what used to be my garage and when all is finished, I hope to be able to get some of my 20s radios restored and playing along with some old TVs I have. Your videos help inspire me. Thanks! Gary

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks Gary,

Hope you can get all your radios restored, particularly the 1920s. The early 1920s radios and speakers are my favorite radios. It is fun to think about when these radios were new and the anticipation by the owners and families. And it is surprising how well they work today.

[HD7100]

Rick your statement above is exactly one of the reasons I love to work on and restore antique radios and such. I saw an old 1920s picture of a ham radio shack and the young guys standing by their ancient equipment. I was a novice back in the early 1960s and when I saw that picture I could just imagine the excitement they felt when DX-ing in those days and would have loved to have been in that picture. I imagine the first time someone hooks up the batteries and antenna to a TRF and starts tuning.

[SpeakerFreak95]

i will take care of mine

[SpeakerFreak95]

hey! my grandmother has one similar, it works too, it has a reed type speaker , no holes anywhere!!!!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Great! Take good care of it. They are getting harder and harder to find in good shape and in working order.

[Radiosnmore5]

If I could only find speakers like that! Nice find!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

I have been going to the Raleigh Flea Market for at least twenty years. It just amazed me to see it there and I got there non to soon too. If I would have walk a little slower I would have missed it. And I'm still looking.

[rivronjack]

Rick,

Well done. I looks and sounds beautiful. A nice find. Continued good luck hunting.

Jack

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Jack,

Thanks. The hunt is the fun part and this one was just amazing. Never did I think I would see something like this at a flea market. I think I bought the 1925 Pfanstiehl Radio at the same time, a package deal.

Rick

[Lockemeister]

Has to be in the top 1 percent of amazing flea market finds. Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas Rick!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks, it was a surprise.

Merry Christmas John!

[joernone]

Rick,

Great speaker. The cloth looks near perfect. I can't tell you how many internet queries I've read asking where one can obtain good repro tapestry cloth for those kind of speakers.

Thanks for the look-see.

Regards,

John

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Thanks John,

I was amazed to find it at the flea market. I thought it was a repro at first. And I did just get there in time to buy it. If I would have walked a little slower someone else would have it.

Regards,

Rick

[retrochad]

That really looks nice! is this a high-impedance type that connects directly in the plate circuit of a tube like an 01A?

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Exactly right. The speaker is 1,186 ohms the impedance would be higher, I don't have a Zmeter. It is connected to the plate of the 01A of the audio output. Thanks

[coondogtheman1234]

Nice speaker. will it work on anything modern like can I hook this to a modern stereo or no?

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

You could by using an impedance matching transformer. I just now read the ohms and it is 1,186 ohms. So an audio transformer used backwards will work. The 4/8 ohms connected to the speaker output of your stereo and the other side connected to the Radiola 103 speaker. Thanks

[radioripster]

What a jewel. I'm guessing that a not a lot of repwood radio items have survived as well as this example has. I have a pretty nice working Atwater Kent E-3 from around 1928 as well. It's steel and cast iron and it still has it's original cloth ,It's not nearly as ornate though. It looks pretty good on top of the AK Model 48 that I have. I'm glad that you have this nice speaker. We're just the care takers of these pieces of history. Thanks for posting.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

As you know good speakers are much harder to find. With them we actually hear the sound of that time. Sound history. Thanks.

[maynardcat]

Very attractive speaker. I have the RCA Radiola 17. My speaker is an all metal case. The grill looks the same on the front and back, and it is quite heavy. I did see one of these on ebay a while back, and was going to bid but forgot the end time, and lost out. It went cheap and most of them do not Check this one on ebay now 185.00 just like yours, but in not as good of condition ebay no 160387924364

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

Nice radio and speaker combo. They definitely believed in heavy in those days. Thanks for the info on ebay. I would not want to try and untie that silk. Someone may buy it just for the tapestry. Thanks.

[djbishop30189]

Built like a tank. Thanks for the glimpse inside.

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

I would have liked to open it up more, but it is just too scary. I don't want to damage the silk. Thanks.

[bonecrime]

Wow, never seen anything quite like it! Amazing, it's a piece of art!

[AllAmericanFiveRadio]

As far as I know this is the only one that RCA made. I was so amazed to see it at the flea market. I had just gotten the price from the vender when some one else came up an offered more money. But the vender sold it to me because I was a good customer of theirs. Thanks.