GONDOLA

This EKCO model RM204 was called the "Gondola" and was made in Australia by EDISWAN-EKCO (Aust) Pty Ltd for Australian Electronic Industries . It is a mantle valve radio of 1955 vintage, showing a style of cabinet similar to the tail fins on cars of the same era. The pink plastic cabinet is in good condition with small cracks near the controls, and only needed a polish when found as it was in a working condition. It is a 5 valve superheterodyne receiver covering the broadcast band. It has miniature valves which are: 6BE6 oscillator/mixer, 6BA6 IF amplifier, 6AV6 audio amplifier/detector, 6AQ5 audio power amplifier, and 6X4 rectifier. This radio was found in a garage in Tea Gardens NSW. The controls are: Tone and On/Off (Left Inner knob), Volume (Left Outer knob) and Tuning (Right knob).

The radio is a conventional design with a ferrite aerial. The ARTS&P sticker is visible on the chassis. It is easy to work on as there is plenty of room in the cabinet.

The official colours are -
1 -Adriatic Gold
2 - Italian Ivory
3 - Venetian Grey
4 - Florentine Wine
5 - Mediterranean Pink
6 - Rome Red
7 - Grotto Green
8 - Cafe Tan
9 - Sorrento Jade

BRIEF HISTORY

The company Australian General Electric (later known as Australian Electrical Industries) was owned jointly by General Electric in the USA and Associated Electrical Industries in the UK. All the radios sold by AGE/AEI were made by AWA and sold under the name of 'Bandmaster'. The American anti-trust legislation required GE in USA to get out of the Australian company, so AGE/AEI was then wholly owned by AEI in the UK. The UK company EDISWAN-EKCO was also owned by Associated Electrical Industries Ltd in the UK. This company set up a factory to make radios and TVs in Sydney at Villawood and was known as EDISWAN-EKCO (Aust) Pty Ltd. Few EKCO radio models were made in Australia because they ran into difficulties and closed down along with all the other TV set manufacturers in the hectic years after the introduction of TV to Australia.

CIRCUIT

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