Westinghouse WR-682A manufacturing date;

ID: 175857
Westinghouse WR-682A manufacturing date;  
26.Oct.08 18:52
285

Wolfgang Scheida (A)
Editor
Articles: 616
Count of Thanks: 12

Manufacturing date Nov. 25th 1940 proven, serial# 004964

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

 2
RCA BP-10 and Westinghouse WR-682A 
10.Dec.11 20:40
285 from 3260

Tom Warnagiris (USA)
Articles: 13
Count of Thanks: 5
Tom Warnagiris

Hi,

I'm familiar with the RCA BP-10 personal radio. Almost a quarter of a million were made between 1940 and 1941.  But, I was totally unaware that Westinghouse produced an identical radio at the same time.  Do you have any idea how many WR-682A radios were produced and why Westinghouse was able to copy the RCA design? 

Danke,

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

 3
Listing removed on eBay  
11.Dec.11 15:13
315 from 3260

Vincent de Franco (D)
Moderator
Articles: 187
Count of Thanks: 5
Vincent de Franco

Wolfgang, the item has been removed from eBay. Was it a picture which was showing a date and serial number ? Thanks, Vincent.

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

 4
Date and serial number 
11.Dec.11 17:54
324 from 3260

Tom Warnagiris (USA)
Articles: 13
Count of Thanks: 4
Tom Warnagiris

The eBay photos showed the manufacturer's tag.  It had a serial number of 003037, but no date stamp.  The tag also looked amost identical to those on RCA BP-10s.

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

 5
Received per email from Michael Watterson 
11.Dec.11 22:44
336 from 3260

Vincent de Franco (D)
Moderator
Articles: 187
Count of Thanks: 4
Vincent de Franco

Maybe Wolfgang saved the page?
Or took a screen shot.

It's quite likely of course for a Westinghouse branded item to be at same time as RCA.

Eventually in the consumer sphere the "Westinghouse" was only a badge. Nothing to do with the "real" Westinghouse (which I worked for in 1983 to 1985 inclusive, nearly 3 years designing Industrial Control with Z80, i8051 and NEC 78HC11 for Combustion Control Division).

A very similar to RCA BP10 made by Marconi/Marconiphone/HMV in UK in 1947. The identical chassis was in an Ever Ready (UK) Set. The next year Ever Ready added LW band.
- Marconiphone PB17B  RCA tubes in Factory
- Marconi PB17B Maybe Mullard or other Dx91 tubes in Factory
- Ever Ready (UK) but seems to be Marconi built Chassis
- Ever Ready (UK) but with added LW

Since Marconi/Marconiphone/HMV are sort of the UK RCA, this is no surprise. But the Ever Ready (UK) model using the RCA/Marconi/HMV chassis is slightly.

So a "Westinghouse" (only box and RCA chassis, or entirely Westinghouse) in 1940 version / clone of the RCA BP10 is no surprise. Most of the models of 1940 using the RCA tubes are basically identical designs only packaged differently. A few manage to vary from the original RCA recipe.

You see same on 1950s UK "wooden box" radios with DK96, DF96, DAF96 and DL96. Almost all clones of the Philips/Mullard MW/LW reference design.

I've seen retail products today that are poor copies of the lab evaluation board. You wonder do some companies employ more than an artist to design case

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

 6
Another BP-10 clone 
12.Dec.11 01:48
344 from 3260

Tom Warnagiris (USA)
Articles: 13
Count of Thanks: 4
Tom Warnagiris

I also came across another BP-10 clone on eBay several weeks back.  It was a General Electric model JK-44 made in Canada.  Mechanically and electrically is seemed to be identical to the BP-10 except for the grill cloth and inside labels.

 

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.

 7
Relisted radio 
30.Dec.11 23:31
420 from 3260

Tom Warnagiris (USA)
Articles: 13
Count of Thanks: 6
Tom Warnagiris

The Westinghouse WR-682A was relisted on eBay a few weeks ago.  I managed to be the winning bidder.  The radio is an exact copy of the RCA BP-10 with the exception of the grill cloth and Westinghouse labels.  The serial number fairly low.  I wonder how many were produced.

Attachments:

To thank the Author because you find the post helpful or well done.