AEG 18 W - German Table Radio from 1938/1939
The AEG 18 W is a German pre-war table radio from the late 1930s. It is a comparatively simple but solidly built receiver, housed in a wooden cabinet with the broad, low appearance typical of many German domestic radios of that period.
Technically, the set is not a superheterodyne receiver, but a TRF receiver with regeneration. It covers medium wave and long wave and uses a three-valve line-up: AF7, AL4 and AZ1. The loudspeaker is an electrodynamic type with a field coil, and the radio was designed for AC mains operation with several selectable mains voltages.
Although the circuit is modest, this kind of receiver can still give surprisingly good results when connected to a suitable antenna. Sets like the AEG 18 W also show very well how radio design looked just before the Second World War: technically still relatively simple, but already built as a proper household appliance rather than just a technical object.
Restoration Notes
This AEG 18 W required both electrical and cosmetic restoration.
The cabinet and chassis were carefully cleaned inside and outside. The old finish of the wooden cabinet was renewed with several layers of hard oil, giving the surface a warm and natural appearance while preserving the character of the original wooden case.
As usual for a radio of this age, the paper and electrolytic capacitors were treated with particular care. The old capacitor bodies were opened, fitted with modern components inside, and then closed again in order to preserve the original visual appearance as far as possible.
The original speaker cloth was replaced with new fabric. This greatly improves the appearance of the front while keeping the overall look close to the original style.
All valves were missing when the radio was received. Therefore, the complete valve set had to be sourced and installed again: AF7, AL4 and AZ1.
The tuning drive also needed attention. A new dial cord was fitted so that the tuning mechanism works properly again.
One notable detail is the mains transformer and the associated voltage selector. These parts were no longer original. The radio had apparently been repaired at some point in the past and fitted with a different transformer type. Since this earlier repair was functional and had become part of the individual history of this particular set, the replacement transformer was left in place.
Technical Overview
| Feature | Data |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | AEG, Germany |
| Model | 18 W |
| Year | 1938/1939 |
| Principle | TRF receiver with regeneration |
| Wavebands | Long Wave, Medium Wave |
| Valves | AF7, AL4, AZ1 |
| Power supply | AC mains, selectable voltage |
| Loudspeaker | Electrodynamic loudspeaker with field coil |
| Cabinet | Wooden table cabinet |
| Dimensions | approx. 540 × 270 × 230 mm |
| Weight | approx. 10 kg |
The AEG 18 W schematic is also listed together with the related 18 GW version.
Circuit Diagram
References and Further Reading
- Radiomuseum.org – AEG 18W
Technical data, valve line-up, wavebands, cabinet dimensions and general model information. - Jogi’s Röhrenbude – Schematic for AEG 18 W / 18 GW
Circuit diagram for the related AEG 18 W and 18 GW models. - Oldradio.pl – AEG 18W catalogue entry
Additional catalogue-style information including year, valve line-up, dimensions and weight.
Pictures
