Radione R2 – Austrian Portable Tube Receiver from the Early 1940s

The Radione R2 is a rather unusual Austrian radio set. Unlike the typical wooden table radios of the late 1930s and early 1940s, the R2 was built as a portable receiver in a robust metal cabinet. It was manufactured by Radione, the radio company of Nikolaus Eltz in Vienna.

The set was designed as a travel and portable receiver, but it is also closely associated with wartime use. Several versions and variants of the R2 exist, and the model appears in both civilian and military contexts. Sources describe it as originally intended for civilian use, while later or parallel versions were used for troop entertainment and other wartime applications.

Technically, the Radione R2 is a six-tube superheterodyne receiver with long wave, medium wave and short wave coverage. The usual tube line-up is given as EF13, ECH11, EF12, EBC11, EDD11 and EZ11. The set uses a permanent-magnet dynamic loudspeaker and was designed for mains operation as well as low-voltage supply, depending on the version. The compact metal case measures approximately 35 × 23.5 × 17.5 cm and the radio weighs about 10 kg.

Condition

This Radione R2 was kindly donated to the collection by Ingo Pötsch of the GFGF. Many thanks for this generous contribution to the collection.

The radio is preserved in unrestored condition, exactly as it was received from the donor. No electrical or cosmetic restoration has yet been carried out.

In this state, the Radione R2 is especially interesting as a historical object. The metal cabinet, the controls, the scale and the internal construction still show the condition in which the set survived. Traces of age, wear, old repairs or missing details are therefore part of the current documentation and have not been concealed or corrected.

Technical Data

Circuit Diagram

References

• Radiomuseum.org – Radione R2, Radio Nikolaus Eltz, Wien
• Doctsf / Le Grand Livre de la TSF – Radione R 2

Pictures