Courier model RAJ (circa 1948) at the NZ Vintage Radio Project

The Courier model RAJ was manufactured by Radio (1936) Ltd in about 1948.

Other radios based on the same chassis:

6-valve portable radio with flip-up front.

There are two known versions - one is battery/mains and the other has a vibrator power pack where the batteries would go. The back panels are different with the battery version having one hole for the mains cord while the vibrator supply models have three holes, one for the mains cord, one for the battery leads and one to change the supply plug depending which power source you want to use.

This model was released in a timber cabinet with crackle paint job - typically green but also seen in red.

Technical Information

Valves (6): 6S7G, 7S7, 6S7G, 7C6, 6G6G, 6X5GT

Intermediate Frequency: 460kc/s

Frequency Bands: 1

Chassis Notes(most schematics can be clicked to download a full size version)

General Construction Notes for Radio (1936) Ltd:

Early Radio Ltd. schematics did not show the models, just the year, valves and bands, so some sleuthing is required to find the right one.

Early 30's Ultimate models with three digit model numbers indicated both the number of valves in the set, and the price it retailed for - for example, the model 856 was an 8-valve radio which retailed for $56 pounds. The equivalent Courier models were reversed, so an Ultimate 856 was a Courier 568 (theoretically, at least). This was the Auckland price though, and often the sets would retail for 1 or 2 pounds more in other centres, presumably to cover the freight cost of moving them around the country from the Auckland factory.

Note the use of old resistance terminology on older schematics: ω means ohms and Ω means megohms.

Some 1936-onward 3-letter chassis codes vary the last letter between brands, for example:
BBU - Ultimate model BB
BBR - Rolls (and Golden Knight) model BB
BBC - Courier model BB
All use the same chassis.

Golden Knight, Courier and Rolls appear to use the same copper-painted chassis while Ultimate chassis' are painted silver

After the war a new model code system was introduced, whereby radio models all began with R - the first model being the RA, a dual-wave 5-valve set commonly released in a pressed tin cabinet.

The N.Z. Vintage Radio Project