SKR-501...The monster box from East Germany...Nice LEDs!

[Reli]

:grim: :grim:

From deep in socialist East Germany comes.....

The state-run radio manufacturer RFT......complete with communist party star





Are you ready?








Be prepared for total pimp-ness......







Wait........WTF is this?

Stormsven, this photo is for you

Officially, company known as VEB Stern Radio Berlin........created from the remnants of former German and Latvian military radio factories, which were given to Russia as part of the war "reparations". So the company existed from 1945 until 1990. There was also a diskothek in Berlin-Mitte called Stern Radio Berlin, but it closed a few years ago.

The AC cord is permanently attached..... goes into a compartment with cover

Here is the source of its pimp-ness.......The "STEREO LED" bank.....Complete with switch to turn them off if desired But no way.

There are switches for AFC, Muting (to eliminate static between stations), Basisbreite (sort of like a Wide setting maybe), and of course Stereo. Then below those, is another switch for "Frequency Response Correction" I do not know the purpose....It reduces treble So I always leave it off.
All of these switches are cheap and crude-feeling. But what do you expect from state-run enterprise with no profit motive

Knobs for balance, bass, treble, volume......And, very interesting, slides for mixing radio and mic

Buttons for radio/tape, tape type, microphone, but I do not know what the "Handausst" button is for

Band selector buttons, TB works for MP3 player

Tape deck.....nothing special.....


https://boomboxery.com/forum/uploads/reli-2290/dsc06618.jpg


Opening it up......circuit boards everywhere


https://boomboxery.com/forum/uploads/reli-2290/dsc06595.jpg



Each board is mounted on a pivot, for easy movement



https://boomboxery.com/forum/uploads/reli-2290/dsc06597.jpg



Also pleasantly surprised to see metal posts for the screws


https://boomboxery.com/forum/uploads/reli-2290/dsc06604.jpg


Interesting-looking heat sinks.....


https://boomboxery.com/forum/uploads/reli-2290/dsc06588.jpg


Very scary-looking capacitators


https://boomboxery.com/forum/uploads/reli-2290/dsc06593.jpg



https://boomboxery.com/forum/uploads/reli-2290/dsc06594.jpg


Dimensions: 50 x 29 x 13 cm
Weight: 6.7 kg (14.7 lbs)
Sound is bright, decent highs, but not too much bass.....Can't go very loud.
Overall, crude, ugly, creaky plastic......But a piece of history.
So that is all, hope you enjoy!

 

[floyd]

i have seen these before , this radio kicks ass , i think it's beautiful in weird sort of way .

 

[ClaretBadger]

seen a few of these on ebay germany

fugly

just how i like em

go out and scare kids

 

[baddboybill]

now that is georgeous I love German made boxes, so well built

 

[Reli]

now that is georgeous I love German made boxes, so well built

Grundigs maybe.........but this one? not really

 

[stormsven]

Damn those LEDs are insane . Love the whole box. Never seen it before. It is not so common one. Have a few RFT and they are common in our part of the planet but this one is deffo a rare bird. So happy for you Reli . Congrats. Now will unleash my hunting dogs to find me one Thanks for the LED picture

 

[baddboybill]

now that is georgeous I love German made boxes, so well built

Grundigs maybe.........but this one? not really

Dont care for speaker grills but love the rest

 

[redbenjoe]

very cool --
thanks for that photo trip into the rare and the unknown

those screw posts are commercial hardware

 

[Reli]

It is not so common one. Have a few RFT and they are common in our part of the planet but this one is deffo a rare bird.

I am not sure how rare.....Check this out

http://www.ebay.de/itm/RFT-SKR-501-500- ... 3a6c5a7695

 

[THAFUZZ]

You weren't lying about Circuit boards galore That IS a piece of history. It def. has a Communist Industrial look to it. I like the LEDs for sure. I arrived in Germany in just after the Berlin wall came down and I got to see the former Eastern Germany (and Czech) before it started to be intergrated with Western Germany. It was like night and day as soon as you crossed the border. Unkept roads with huge pot holes surrounded by vehicle parts like radiators mufflers, axels,etc. Also, LOTS of guard towers all along the roadsides. I have a few grafitti painted peices of the Berlin wall I brought back with me. Don't recall seeing any boomers in Eastern Germany nor Czech. Congrats RELI

 

[ViennaSound]

got this crazy unit a time ago (think i never posted it)
It is overloaded with features, but built like a TRABANT

But everybody who loves outstanding boxes need this one

btw: HANDAUSST. means HANDAUSSTEUERUNG > manual recording level
FREQUENZGANGKORREKTUR must be a part of the AFC

 

[Reli]

got this crazy unit a time ago (think i never posted it)
It is overloaded with features, but built like a TRABANT

But everybody who loves outstanding boxes need this one

btw: HANDAUSST. means HANDAUSSTEUERUNG > manual recording level
FREQUENZGANGKORREKTUR must be a part of the AFC

Thanks for the info!

But strange how it could offer manual recording level, when there are no recording level knobs

Maybe the radio & mic mixers

 

[ViennaSound]

got this crazy unit a time ago (think i never posted it)
It is overloaded with features, but built like a TRABANT

But everybody who loves outstanding boxes need this one

btw: HANDAUSST. means HANDAUSSTEUERUNG > manual recording level
FREQUENZGANGKORREKTUR must be a part of the AFC

Thanks for the info!

But strange how it could offer manual recording level, when there are no recording level knobs

Maybe the radio & mic mixers

I think so
But i will look at mine.

btw LED: this box reminds me the dashboard of a WARTBURG 353S
rpm, waterheat and fuel goes over LED rows
tony, you need this car for your LED fetish

 

[Andy_from_Perth]

very cool

i have an interest in 1970's LED (not LCD) digital watches & a company frrom the USSR made a watch called the electronica 1 - they actually stamped the price into the back of the watch which was quite unusual, they also kept making the same watch up until the late 1980's, well after LCD digital watches had taken over.

interesting thread

 

[ViennaSound]

Ok, adding a few pics of "the monster", just taken

RFT

the LED equipment

a few buttons

too sad about the broken muting switch
But i dont really need it...

 

[baddboybill]

very cool

i have an interest in 1970's LED (not LCD) digital watches & a company frrom the USSR made a watch called the electronica 1 - they actually stamped the price into the back of the watch which was quite unusual, they also kept making the same watch up until the late 1980's, well after LCD digital watches had taken over.

interesting thread

Sorry for stealing thread
LED watches were so cool and I had to have one because I never got one on the 70's so you may like this

 

[Reli]

btw LED: this box reminds me the dashboard of a WARTBURG 353S
rpm, waterheat and fuel goes over LED rows

Wow, very rare, nice

reminds me of Chrysler Laser in early 80's

very cool, retro

But horrible 2-spoke steering wheel. All wheels should have at least 3 spokes.

 

[ViennaSound]

@reli: very cool, like Knight Rider
I remember a friend owned a Opel Kadett GSI, also with such spacy design.

But the Wartburg LEDs are the same like in the RFT
Crappy but funny

and about the steering: you need to buy an CITROEN.
The old ones only have ONE spoke

@bill: love that watch
I own a ton of classic LCD watches (by-the-way-fleascores), but no LED
Only a modern one from flea, here sold ~10euros.
Stylish but not classic

 

[Reli]

@reli: very cool, like Knight Rider
I remember a friend owned a Opel Kadett GSI, also with such spacy design.

But the Wartburg LEDs are the same like in the RFT
Crappy but funny

and about the steering: you need to buy an CITROEN.
The old ones only have ONE spoke

@bill: love that watch
I own a ton of classic LCD watches (by-the-way-fleascores), but no LED
Only a modern one from flea, here sold ~10euros.
Stylish but not classic

Yes, I remember that Citroen, the wheel looked so fragile like it would break off!

It also had hydro suspension as I recall

 

[ViennaSound]

Looks very fragile
The hydrobrake was in the DS21