• Country
• United States of America (USA)

• Manufacturer / Brand
• Sparks-Withington Co., (Sparton); Jackson, Michigan

• Year
• 1926

• Category
• Broadcast Receiver - or past WW2 Tuner

• Radiomuseum.org ID
• 58668

Click on the schematic thumbnail to request the schematic as a free document.

• Number of Tubes
• 5

• Valves / Tubes
• C-201A C-201A C-201A C-201A C-201A or C-112A

• Main principle
• TRF without regeneration; 2 AF stage(s); Neutrodyne

• Tuned circuits
• 2 AM circuit(s)

• Wave bands
• Broadcast only (MW).

• Power type and voltage
• Storage and/or dry batteries / "A" battery 6V, "B" battery 2 x 45V, "C" battery 4.5 Volt

• Loudspeaker
• - This model requires external speaker(s).

• Material
• Wooden case

• from Radiomuseum.org
• Model: Sparton 5-15 - Sparks-Withington Co., Sparton

• Shape
• Tablemodel, Box - most often with Lid (NOT slant panel).

• Dimensions (WHD)
• 21 x 10.375 x 11 inch / 533 x 264 x 279 mm

• Notes

• The Sparton model 5-15 is a set of the first radio season for Sparks-Withington Co. The Sparton slogan was: "The Pathfinder of the Air".
  See also the article here about different radio seasons.

  By removing wire jumpers, the radio can accommodate a power tube 112A in the output stage - or the later in time 171A tube, with additional bias voltage (using a 2nd 4.5V "C" battery for a -9V grid voltage) and higher anode voltage (using more "B" batteries for plate voltages of 135 or 180 volts).

  The start of production for this model was in December 1925, but first sale activity was in 1926.

  The Sparton Radio Service Manual for this model (Manual 1, Bulletin 1) is dated June 1, 1936 and calls for the use of 01-A tubes, which are the much later dome shaped tubes, not the original tube line up!   The list "The quantity and types of tubes used in Sparton receiving sets" from 1937 or later also names the tubes used as 01-A.  Sparton tubes were most likely used in this model while it was in production, but by the time the Sparton Radio Service Manual was published in 1936, radio manufacturers were using the more generic "01-A" tube nomenclature.  Suspect that the original tube lineup was: C-201A C-201A C-201A C-201A C-201A or C-112A, however no documentation has yet been found that actually lists the original tube lineup.

• Price in first year of sale
• 63.00 $

• External source of data
• Ernst Erb

• Source of data
• Radio Collector`s Guide 1921-1932

• Circuit diagram reference
• Rider's Perpetual, Volume 1 = 1931/1934 (for 1919-1931)

• Mentioned in
• The Radio Collector's Directory and Price Guide 1921 - 1965

• Literature/Schematics (1)
• Sparton Radio Service Manual (Sparton Manual 1, Bulletin 1-1 to 1-3)

• Literature/Schematics (2)
• Rider's Perpetual, Volume 1 = 1931/1934 (1919 to 1931) (Riders (Sparton) 1-3)

• Other Models

• Here you find 817 models, 365 with images and 754 with schematics for wireless sets etc. In French: TSF for Télégraphie sans fil.
  All listed radios etc. from Sparks-Withington Co., (Sparton); Jackson, Michigan