ULTIMATE MODEL BWU (1938)

The Ultimate model BWU was manufactured by Radio (1936) Ltd in 1938.

Other radios based on the same chassis:

1938 All-wave 7-valve radio with magic eye tuning - these have a beautiful large round dial and are a well thought-of set - they provide excellent performance when serviced and aligned correctly.

Similar to the Ultimate EXP

Technical Information

Valves (7 + magic eye): 6K7, 6A8, 6K7, 6H6, 6F5, 6F6G, 80 and 6U5 Magic Eye

Intermediate Frequency: 460kc/s

Frequency Bands: 3

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

Chassis BWx ('x' depends on brand, see chassis notes)

Also similar or identical model - EXP (no schematic held for EXP)

1938 Ultimate BWU

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.

Other documented models using this chassis (5 in total)

YEARMODEL NAME
1938 Ultimate model EXP
1938 Courier model BWC 'Vesper'
1938 Golden Knight model BWR
1938 Skyscraper model BWS