From: "Chris Murray"
__________________________
G & F Ssales Company, Chicago -- 1930's Futuristic Wood Radio has
been called the "Searchlight radio" by some or "Disk-shaped Radio by
others."

I have one of these and am looking for any info. Please feel free to
email me if you know anything at all about this radio or if you have
one. Mine is missing a tube and I am trying to find out what it was. I
also would love to know what value it has -- I have been told it is
"quite valuable." It is a really funny a interesting design. Something
from the 1933 Chicago or 1939 New York World's fair. It turns up and
down and from side to side, just like the tourist quarter binoculars at
the Statue of Liberty or Empire State Building. What I have been able
to find is listed below. Thanks to all who have emailed me from other
lists as well as from this list. There seems to be little or no info on
these sets. It seems that it is very rare. I would love a copy of any
articles or pictures from those cited below. I would also buy a
schematic if there is such a thing on this set.

Please see picture of radio at link below or email me for pictu

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group...iew=t&.hires=t

or try

to view the photo at

http://www.antiqueradio.com/radiomisc04-99.html

Best,
Chris Murray


_______________________________________

Patrick Franzis wrote:

Hi Chris,

I'm still researching.. Can you send me any information that is on
maybe a metal plate in the back? The tubes you have in it 1-6A7,
1-25Z5, 1-75, 1-78 make me think it is not the General TV and Radio
5A5 as one of the below references say, as this chassis was made with
post-war tubes like 12sk7, 12sq7 etc. I remember reading the article
you copied in Antique Radio Classified a while ago, that's where I was
trying to find (from the back of my mind) when you described it. I
then found a picture on the web. Thanks for the tube line up, that may
help identifying it. It was most like made by one of the many shops in
Chicago and then resold under a different name. By the way- it's quite
valuable.. Where did you find it?

_________________________________________________

--- Chris Murray wrote:
Subject: Fwd: Please help figure out what radio this is.

Hi Patrick,
I don't know if you got my other email but I am very impressed that
you found it. Since you led me in the right direction I came up with
these web citings. I really need to still find a schematic, a tube
list if nothing else and a value would be nice. I only have 4 of the 5
tubes (1-6A7, 1-25Z5, 1-75, 1-78 missing the other it has a ballast
marked triad and a 6pin tuning eye.) Below are all the excerpts that I
could find on the web, I tried emailing to those mentioned but who
knows if that will work.


Thanks for your help!
Best,
Chris Murray

_______________________
Found on the web
___________________________________
==============================================
Disk-Shaped Radio Help ID
Dear Editor:

The unknown radio shown in your Photo Review, February'97, p. 13, and
again in the March 1999 issue, p.15, is a General Television Model 5A5
"Spy Radio," ca.1938. It appears to me to have Detrola knobs, possibly
made for the company by Detrola(?). I have this radio and mine has a
sticker on the front saying "GF Sales Co., Chicago, Illinois."--Jim
Hauskins, Bloomington, IL
=============================================
Dear Editor: In the March 1999 issue of A.R.C., a disc-shaped radio is
shown asking for the identity of the manufacturer. I have the same
radio. On the back is a metal plate with the following information:
"Licensed under patents of Radio Corporation of America, General
Electric Company, Westinghouse Electric & Mfg. Company, Hazeltine
Corporation." There is also a sticker on the back which reads: "G&F
Radio Patent applied for. For maximum efficiency for local and
distance reception, add 15 to 25 feet of aerial. For foreign reception
add 40 to 50 foot outdoor aerial." The serial number for this unit is
25-174958. I hope this information is helpful. --J. Melvin Isett,
Huntingdon, PA
===============================================
Following these leads reveals an example in "Machine Age to Jet Age II"
by Mark Stein on page 148. And yet another can be found on the cover of
the 1997 tube catalog of Electron Tube Enterprises, Essex, Vermont,
which clearly shows the G&F Sales Company, Chicago logo on the lower
portion of the disk. It appears that the mystery is now solved.
(Editor)
-------------------------
Photo can be found at
http://www.antiqueradio.com/radiomisc04-99.html

My G & F sales, searchlight radio has 6A7, 78, 75, 25Z5 but is
missing another unknown tube , it also has a ballast marked triad, and
a 6 pin tuning eye.
--------------------------

Still stuck on the Searchlight radio
All 5 messages in topic - view as tree
Dave Gonshor May 30 1997, 12:00 am show options
Newsgroups: rec.antiques.radio+phono
Followup-To: rec.antiques.radio+phono
From: (Dave Gonshor)

Date: 1997/05/30
Subject: Still stuck on the Searchlight radio

Had no responses to my inquiry on the "Searchlight" radio nearly
identical to the General Radio and Television model shown in "Evolution
of Radio" book. The decal says "GF" in script, with a ???? Co.,
Chicago. Cant read the ????. The tube lineup is: 6D6, 6C6, 25Z5, 25L6
and a L55B ballast. Riders shows several models with a similar lineup,
but the output tube is always a 43, not a 25L6. Do the Riders on CD do
a search on tube complement? Their ads imply they do, but dont seem to
be clear. Does anybody remember "GF" associated with a store or store
brand in Chicago in the mid to late 30's?

In order to reply by mail, please change "davis" in my address to
"david"

Thanks for any hints anyone might have.

Dave
----------------------------------------------------------------

Curtradio May 30 1997, 12:00 am show options
Newsgroups: rec.antiques.radio+phono
From: (Curtradio) - Find messages by this author
Date: 1997/05/30
Subject: Still stuck on the Searchlight radio


In article ,

(Dave Gonshor) writes:

The tube lineup is: 6D6, 6C6, 25Z5, 25L6 and a L55B ballast. Riders
shows several models with a similar lineup, but the output tube is
always a 43, not a 25L6.

I found 48 schematics in Rider's with the above tube compliment in 15
seconds using Gerald Larsen's handy dandy reference book "The Locator".
This book is a tabulation of all of the schematics in Rider's listed in
alphanumeric order by tube compliment. The listings are for radios up
to 8 tubes and they are listed by tube number starting with the output
tube(s), followed by power rectifier, then the remainder starting at
the antenna and working towards the output. It covers Rider's 1 - 18
and covers A.C. powered sets only. This book was compiled out of the
frustration of the author who is interested in off brand radios. He
spent many hours thumbing through Rider's in search of schematics as
well as other clues to the maker's of his off brand sets. He finally
decided that it would make more sense to make an index by tube
compliment than to go through all of Rider's looking for each new set
that came along. The man hours of work to assemble this data probably
was huge! For those of us who have spent many bleary eyed hours paging
through The Mallory Radio Service Encyclopedia looking for a Rider's
reference for a certain tube compliment, this is a fantastic reference.
Should anyone wish to pusue this book, drop me a note end I'll send you
the author's info.

Curt Schreiber
Collector of Tombstone and Cathedral Radios
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Harry Synovetz
Date: 1997/06/02
Subject: Still stuck on the Searchlight radio

Dave Gonshor writes:

Had no responses to my inquiry on the "Searchlight" radio nearly
identical to the General Radio and Television model shown in
"Evolution". The decal says "GF" in script, with a ???? Co., Chicago.
Cant read the ????. The

The radio is pictured on the cover of ETE's latest catalog...don't have
it
handy right here. It clearly shows that decal. I'll repost with the
info later, unless someone else here has their copy handy.

----------------------------------------------------------

From: (Dave Gonshor) - Find messages by
this author
Date: 1997/06/03
Subject: Still stuck on the Searchlight radio


Fantastic! I'm assuming ETE is Electron Tube Enterprises? Thanks so
much for noticing that. I don't have that catalog at the moment, so I
would appreciate any info you can provide. Thanks again!
Dave

-----------------------------------------------------------

From: Harry Synovetz
Date: 1997/06/06
Subject: Still stuck on the Searchlight radio

The decal is black with gold highlighting; says "GF (or G&F) Sales Co.
Chicago".You can get a copy of the ETE catalog at
http//members.aol.com/etetubes.
It is an excellent color photo.
The owner says it's a General Radio mod 5.

Hope this helps Dave.
------------------------------------------


Dave Gonshor wrote:
I've scanned Riders, Grinders and the price guides for info on this
radio. It is in the shape of a searchlight. It is nearly identical to
the General Radio and Television set pictured in "Evolution of Radio"
book. The dial, knobs and decal are different. Everything else is
identical. The tube line-up is 6C6, 6D6, 25Z5, 25L6 and a 55 volt
ballast tube. There is no readable manufacturer's name on mine, but
the front decal says GF ????? Co., Chicago. I'm trying to find a
model number and a schematic (the chassis has been worked on which is
why it has taken up the bad habit of smoking). Any help would be
appreciated. Note my email has been modified

(change davis to david) to prevent junk mail. Thanks!
Dave

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++

-------------------------

http://www.antiqueradio.com/radiomisc04-99.html





My G & F searchlight radio like that pictured above has 6A7, 78, 75,
25Z5 missing some other unknown tube , also has a ballast marked
triad, and a 6 pin tuning eye.