1931/1932 Homebuilt receiver with a wooden cabinet and a
painted pertinax front plate, using a schematic issued
by Broadcasting Association V.A.R.A. and designed by ir
J. Rodrigues de Miranda of Nijkerk's Radio in Amsterdam.
The components could be purchased there as well. The manual
recommended parts made by the American firm Pilot and
the Dutch firm Splendid, but the builders were free to
use other brands. The price of the kit was around 85
guilders, without the tubes. The circuit was based on
Philips tubes but in addition there was a wide choice of
(cheaper) valves made by other brands. A comprehensive
manual (opposite) with clear instructions made building
the radio not too complicated.
The receiver has a HF
amplifier, a detector and a LF amplifier. The heart of
the unit is the specially designed "Varadijne" HF coil
set with integrated wavelength switch, choke coil and
valve base, made by Leko in Utrecht.
The HF tube is coupled with the grid circuit of the
detector through a choke coil and a capacitor. HF
influences on the LF section are prevented by a
capacitor and a HF choke. The output valve is linked to
the detector by means of a LF transformer.
The antenna is connected to the grid of the HF tube
via a variable capacitor. Volume can be regulated using
a gang capacitor connected to the aerial.
The power supply of the device is provided by a Splendid
Junior power block, in combination with a Philips 373
rectifier.
The wave range of the radio is 200-580 and 870-2200
meters.
Most
of the cabinets were homemade, but could also be
purchased at a number of companies, sometimes complete
with built-in speaker. Together with Nijkerk's Radio the
V.A.R.A. also offered a loudspeaker kit: the Varabesk. A
Phenomeen speaker was used in this kit. More information
about this loudspeaker
here.
There was also a schematic for a battery powered kit.
V.A.R.A.
Socialist broadcasting
organisation V.A.R.A. (Vereeniging
Arbeiders Radio Amateurs or Society for Workers Radio
Amateurs) was founded on November 1st, 1925 and focussed
their broadcasts and activities on the working classes.
Purpose of the Association was "to arouse the interest
of the workers for radio telephony and telegraphy". One
tried to achieve this objective by "offering their
members a cheap and easy way to obtain devices and
components".
Around the founding date, an average unskilled labourer
earned 10 to 15 guilders per week; a radio cost tenfold,
so not many workers owned a radio.
Already half a year after its establishment, in May
1926, a cheap one-valve radio was announced, specially
developed for the V.A.R.A. by radio factory N.S.F. (picture
opposite). It was for sale for f 55,-, and it was part
of the membership fee of the V.A.R.A. It could be used
with headphones, or by purchasing a 2-valve amplifier,
with a loudspeaker. The receiver was not a great
success; only a few of them were sold.
Because the first radio was only a one-valve receiver, the need for better reception, and a simpler control arose later. In
the Summer of 1931 the circuit of the Varadyne was published. By
offering it as a kit, the costs could be kept low,
although with almost f 85,- it still was a bit
expensive.
In Belgium, V.A.R.A.'s counterpart S.A.R.O.V. (Socialist
Workers' Radio Broadcasting Organisation for Flanders)
released the Varadyne under the name Sarovphone. The
price was Bfr 1650,-.
In 1933, also in collaboration with Nijkerk's Radio, a
second radio kit was introduced: the Varaband.
Data
Valves
Circuit
Serial number:
10655 (on the coil block)
Dimensions (h×w×d):
27 × 47.5 × 31 cm
Made in:
1931
Purchased in:
2011
Voltage:
220 V
Click on the valves or on
the circuit for more information
In the first versions of the manual, the E442 was
recommended as HF tube; in the 4th edition it was
replaced by a E452T.
What was broadcast then?
Listen "Goeden
nacht, Vara vrienden" sung by Kees Pruis with the
Parlophone Orchestra, recorded in
1932
Top view of the chassis
Manufacture of the Vardyne coil units at the
Leko company in Utecht
The Varadyne with
matching Nijkerk Phenomeen Prima-Donna loudspeaker
Advertisement in Socialist
newspaper Voorwaarts!, June 4th, 1931
Deze pagina is voor het laatst bijgewerkt op
dinsdag 14 november 2023
.JPG)
.jpg)
