VOLUME 14             OCTOBER 1997                NUMBER  10

With The Collectors:
General Electric Model K-43

BY RICHARD ARNOLD

From Antique Radio Classified
(Copyright 1997 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

The 1933 General Electric Model K-43, shown in Figure 1, is a cathedral radio with a rather unique design. It is fairly short and squatty, measuring only 12 1/2" x 12 3/4" x 6 3/8".

This radio has the same chassis as the RCA 100 and 101. It is a 4-tube superheterodyne, incorporating such features as wide range tuning, an electrodynamic loudspeaker, a 2-point tone control, and an illuminated dial. The Model K-43 uses a 4-inch speaker and puts out 1.6 watts of "undistorted power." It has a frequency range of 540-1500 Kc for the standard broadcast band and 1600-3500 Kc for its shortwave capability. The IF is 460 Kc.

CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION

The following description of the circuit lists several unusual design features which are incorporated into this receiver. The first tube is a combined first detector and oscillator using a Type 6A7. The RF coil is tapped so that shortwave reception can be obtained by means of a bandswitch. The oscillator circuit is not tapped, but uses its second harmonic instead of the fundamental for shortwave reception.

Figure 1. The GE Model K-43.

A Type 6F7 is used in a combined IF stage and second detector. It has two sets of elements, one being used as a pentode IF amplifier and one as a triode detector. The audio output stage is conventional and uses a single pentode Type 38 tube.

The radio's power supply is unique. The power transformer has a single secondary winding that is tapped to provide the following AC voltages: 340 volts for the rectifier plate, 25.2 volts for the tube filaments that are wired in series (4 x 6.3 volts) and 6.3 volts for the dial lamp. A Type 1-V is used as a half-wave rectifier.

The four knobs, which seem to be very hard to come by, are wooden with a flower petal design. The large knob in the center is the tuning knob with pointer. The lower left knob is the on/off switch, the small knob in the center is the 2-point tone control, and the one on the right is the selector switch.

This radio is well built, and with its unusual good looks, makes an excellent addition to any cathedral collection.

(Richard Arnold, P.O. Box 275, Lone Grove, OK 73443)

Richard Arnold has been collecting radios since 1985. His interest is primarily in cathedrals and 1920s battery sets, and his collection ranges from crystal sets to a 1928 American Bosch in a Pooley cabinet. His prize is the 1932 Jackson Bell Peter Pan featured in the June 1991 A.R.C.