Lorenz community receiver? [Beitrag #13500] |
Fr., 01 Februar 2019 02:31 |
Thunderpelocho
Beiträge: 4 Registriert: Februar 2019
|
|
|
|
Hello members,
This Lorenz radio was found in bad condition in a remote village in Greece. I am seriously struggling to find its origin from my research. Here is what I know.
This radio was given to Greek communities on loan from the USA, in the early 1950s. The loan agreements were signed in 1951.
It is one of 929 Lorenz receivers and 81 RTA receivers given to communities as part of the Marshall plan, entered by greece in 2 July 1948 (UN Treaty 342).
The radios were finally passed over to Greek government from the USA government on 18 August 1954 (Treaty TIAS 3050 or 5 U.S.T. 1725, 1771 (1954)).
I have been in touch with radiomuseum.org who classified this as an unknown model, you can see it here (I created the page). https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/lorenz_community_radio_receive r_eca_da_unknown.html
This radio has similar chassis to Lorenz L45W, Schaub SG42 or 7K7 and Tefag T90W but significantly different power supply, output amplifier and audio input/outputs. This radio has one less AM band (no LW). It accepts a microphone and can be powered by DC.The chassis is metal and very heavy. Besides the Lorenz logo and the chassis number there is no other identification. At the back cover there is writing in English.
I have removed the tubes and stored them separately. 9 tubes in total, EF13 ECH11 EBF11 ECF12 EM11 EF12K EL12 EL12 AZ12.
Was this radio custom-made for this purpose? Was it bought as part of US military surplus? Did C Lorenz AG make it? I have reached a dead-end.
I am perplex and kindly ask for any information/ideas you might have that would help find out more about the origins of this radio.
Here are pictures:
|
|
|
|
Aw: Lorenz community receiver? [Beitrag #13505 ist eine Antwort auf Beitrag #13504] |
So., 03 Februar 2019 01:42 |
Thunderpelocho
Beiträge: 4 Registriert: Februar 2019
|
|
|
|
Hi Bernhard, thanks for the response and your help in general.
The reason I resurrected the search for the origins is that, due to more recent research, I found that Greece had requested from the US, under Marshall plan, lines of credit 5 times between May 1946 and January 1948 in order to purchase 'surplus property'. All requests were approved. The surplus equipment was the responsibility of the US 'Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner' and included war reparations. The reference is page 274 here.https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20184/v184.pdf
Then, reading carefully the transfer of ownership agreement, it makes reference to the original loan agreement which states:
...the United States owns a certain limited number of radio sets together with accessory equipment which it has allocated on loan to various Communities in Greece through Loan Agreements with the Mayors or Presidents of the respective Communities...
So, unless I am reading this wrong, initially the receivers were on loan and then finally donated. I am not sure if the lawyers wanted a 'trial period' to see if the terms of the condition are followed or if the US had these radios from before as e.g. surplus equipment.
I am just not sure what is going on. This is a difficult period to look for answers as the ECA was becoming MSA (mutual security agency), Lorenz was just about to become Schaub-Lorenz and factories were moving around and the US Office of the Foreign Liquidation Commissioner was forced to fire-sale remaining equipment.
Of course all questions would be answered if I could find some more information as to the contract or order that Lorenz made these under. Perhaps this is a dream, but it is hard to believe that more than 1000 radios were made without a paper trail. I don't know where to look for that. I have the names of the technical directors of Lorenz from British interrogations but unfortunately it seems that there is little info on Lorenz radios outside Germany. I am now trying to reach museums in Germany to see if anybody knows anything. Obviously my aim is to restore this radio and any technical drawings would be extremely helpful.
I will take a picture of the writing on the glass scale under the tape and post it here.
|
|
|
|