1936 Masterpiece IV (4)

McMurdo Silver, Inc.(pre WW2); Chicago

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  • Year
  • 1935/1936
  • Category
  • Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 Tuner
  • Radiomuseum.org ID
  • 285543

 Technical Specifications

  • Number of Tubes
  • 19
  • Main principle
  • Superhet with RF-stage
  • Wave bands
  • Broadcast, Long Wave and more than two Short Wave bands.
  • Details
  • Visual Tuning Indicator pre Eye
  • Power type and voltage
  • Alternating Current supply (AC)
  • Loudspeaker
  • 2 Loudspeakers
  • Material
  • Metal case
  • from Radiomuseum.org
  • Model: 1936 Masterpiece IV - McMurdo Silver, Inc.pre WW2;
  • Shape
  • Chassis only or for «building in»
  • Dimensions (WHD)
  • 20 x 10 x 13 inch / 508 x 254 x 330 mm
  • Notes

  • When McMurdo Silver announced the Masterpiece IV in 1935, they declared that they had tested the new metal tubes and found them lacking; therefore they were sticking with glass-type tubes.  Glass octals weren't out just yet, so the first MPIV ran glass big-pin tubes.

    Later in the year, they released the 1936 Masterpiece IV with the odd claim that, "If we're wrong, we're right," and stated that they had now updated the Masterpiece IV to use octal tubes, but were continuing to ship it with glass tubes.  However, in the future, if metal tubes ever improved to be as good or better than glass tubes, the radio could be easily updated with a simple tube swap.

    The 1936 Masterpiece IV amplifier uses 8 tubes, but was redesigned to use 6C5s as the pre-amps, and 6B5s as the output tubes.  All tube types are engraved in the sockets.  The receiver uses 11 tubes and has 2 stages of tuned RF amplification, 3 stages of IF amplification on the Sharp setting (1 stage on the Broad setting), a tuning meter, beat frequency oscillator, separate bass and treble controls, a phonograph input, and connections for long-wire or dipole antennas.

    It shipped with a 12-inch Jensen type X woofer and a 5-inch Jensen type Q tweeter.  It was sold as a chassis without a cabinet.  A variety of cabinets were available from McMurdo Silver for an additional charge.  Neither version of the Masterpiece IV included a chassis cover.

    Band coverage is as follows:
    A .150 .400 MHz Longwave
    B .550 1.60 MHz AM broadcast
    C 1.60 4.40 MHz Shortwave 1
    D 4.40 12. MHz Shortwave 2
    E 11. 30. MHz Shortwave 3

     

  • Mentioned in
  • Radio News (Radio News, June 1936, Pg. 743 (and other issues))
  • Literature/Schematics (1)
  • - - Manufacturers Literature (The 1936 Masterpiece IV "Blue Book" by McMurdo Silver)
  • Literature/Schematics (2)
  • - - Manufacturers Literature (The McMurdo Silver Times, Nov. 1935, Vol. 3, No. 12, pg. 1)
  • Author
  • Model page created by Rodney Boleyn. See "Data change" for further contributors.

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