A Restored Gem from Canada

[This article originally appeared in its entirety in The Old Timer's Bulletin: Official Journal of the Antique Wireless
Association, Inc. (AWA), Vol. 34 No. 3, August 1993. It is reproduced here by permission of the author. -- F.W.]


Our brothers and sisters North of the Border have always produced products that closely parallel ours -- be they autos, buildings, or that home appliance closest to our hearts, the radio. The Canadian General Electric Co., Ltd., was a mainstay of radio development and production during the 1930s, when the model JK53 came into being. During this period Canadian sets differed from American construction primarily in the materials and design of the casework. The electrical design, tube lineup, etc., paralleled closely those of U.S. makes. One notable exception in the electrical design centered on the capability, and size, of power transformers. By the 1930s the power grid of the U.S. was fed almost exclusively with 60-Hz power, while in Canada two systems existed. Both 25 and 60 Hz were in use, with 25-Hz power centered mainly around the Niagara Falls area. This meant that power transformers had to be larger, with more iron, and many sets were made with this dual capability. Since the JK53 came into existence in the late '30s, its design was for 60-Hz use only. Perhaps the export market helped shape this decision. It is unknown how many homes have enjoyed this particular JK53 over the years or what its path was to the local flea market where I procured it. It had suffered through the years, losing all the veneer on the top. Other veneer had become loose and "floating" as it separated from the base wood. The major portions of the set were complete, however, with the chassis, tubes, knobs, etc., all present and accounted for. The set was grimy, being covered with a thick layer of black sooty dirt that gave the impression that it had been stored in a coal yard for the last few years of its life. For the grand sum of eight dollars, I decided to see what I could do with it. The pictures show the result of a little applied electronics and a lot of elbow grease.

The JK53 probably represents the height of small-cabinet design, since beautifully grained "ribbon" style mahogany veneer is used in a cross-graining pattern to enhance the beauty of the radio's front and top. Woven cane, like a caned chair seat, is used as for the speaker grille. The many curved surfaces on the cabinet create a view pleasing to the eye in the radio's 12" x 14" x 9" size. Electrically, the set uses the six-volt version of the "All American Five:" 6SA7 converter, 6SK7 IF, 6SQ7 detector/audio, 6F6G output, 5Y4G rectifier. Like American sets of the late '30s, the JK53 has capability for television. Yes, a flick of the switch on the rear apron and you could use the audio section for either playing records from an external phono or piping-in sound from your "new" TV tuner, like an RCA TT-5. The sales gimmicks of those years equalled what's done today. This set features a wide frequency range, with expanded broadcast-band capability: 540 to 1750 kHz. About the time it was made, 540 kHz was added to the bottom of the broadcast band -- as a Canadian clear channel. The two shortwave bands cover 2.3 to 7 MHz and 7 to 22 MHz, ready for CBC national internal programming on SW. Predating the era of small internal loops, the set has separate antenna and ground connections -- a wise accommodation to listening in the wide-open spaces of the western provinces. A short (T) antenna has provided excellent reception on all bands and a two-foot piece of wire provides good copy of local AM stations. The sensitivity and sound quality of the set are excellent, while the beauty of the cabinet is timeless. I salute our friends "north of the border" for bringing this radio gem into existence. They did a super job.

Biographical note. Robert F. Haworth is a veteran RCA electrical engineer and Radio Attic
advertiser. Since his retirement in the early 1990s he has restored hundreds of antique radios,
commercial and military, and has contributed extensively to the radio hobby press.