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Unknown spy radio set
- not in collection
At the HAM RADIO 2024 in Friedrichshafen (Germany), a mysterious spy radio
turned up [1]. The heavy radio set is housed in a
leather suitcase
with the painted identification RVK IV.
The meaning of this ID is currently
unknown. We believe that it was used in post-war Germany.
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The inside of the suitcase has a
blue/purple velvet lining, similar to the
lining of the suitcases of the wartime
Abwehr spy radio sets.
The actual radio set, which can be
lifted from the suitcase, measures 455 × 390 × 155 mm and weights 28 kg.
It is housed in a black metal enclosure and has a
contiguous black front panel
with German inscriptions. The image on the right shows the radio inside the
suitcase with the lid removed.
The space to the right of the radio set is used for a mains power cable,
a battery cable, a pair of headphones and an external German morse key.
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The front panel can be divided into three segments:
(1) The power supply unit (PSU), which takes the rightmost 1/4,
(2) the transmitter, which takes the upper half, and (3) the receiver,
which is at the lower half. The receiver features a tuning scale that is
known from the HRO receiver, made by the American company
National.
Surprisingly, the transmitter is free-running and not crystal-operated,
as one might expect.
As all inscriptions at the front panel are in German, we assume it was
used in Germany, or in a German-speaking country like Austria or Switzerland.
At the right side are the sockets
for mains and battery power.
There is no sign of a manufacturer name anywhere on the body or the interior,
and there is no model or serial number tag either.
The radio is in extremely good condition and has
virtually no signs of wear. The only visible alteration is the
PL259 antenna socket
at the upper edge, which is clearly an aftermarket modification.
If you know this radio set, or if you have seen it before, please contact us.
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The interior of the device can be accessed by loosening the six knurled
bolts around the edges of the front panel, after which the entire radio can
be lifted from the metal case shell. This reveals the internal construction, as
shown in the image below. All parts are fitted to the front panel.
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The image on the right shows the interior as seen from the rear (i.e. with
the front panel facing away). At the right are the transmitter (top) and
receiver (bottom), each with its own – similarly constructed – chassis.
The transmitter is built around two metal 6L6 valves, one of which is
missing, as its ceramic socket is broken.
The receiver is built around a HRO tuning unit and six valves
(1 × 6R7, 2 × 6K8, 3 × 6K7), known from WWII receivers
like the HRO-5.
At the left is the PSU, which comprises a transformer,
two 6X5 rectifier valves and a vibrator.
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All valves (tubes) are American, but the electrolytic capacitors and the
vibrator pack are German. The meters and the knobs at the front panel are
also German. It is likely that most of the design is American, but it is
possible, if not likely, that the radio was made (under licence) in Germany.
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So far, we have not found any date codes on the various components, as a result
of which it will be difficult to date this radio. But given the fact that
the production of German valves had been stopped at the end of WWII
and that Germany was not allowed to develop its own technology in the
early years after the war, it seems likely that this radio was produced
some time between 1946 and 1949. After that time, Germany produced its
own valves again.
The fact that the suitcase has a blue/purple velvet lining, something
we known from the wartime Abwehr spy radio sets,
might indicate the involvement of former Abwehr members.
It is therefore possible, if not likely, that it was used in the years
following WWII by the newly established
German intelligence service Organisation Gehlen (OG), the forerunner of the current BND.
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- Who is the manufacturer?
- What is the model/type of this radio?
- When was it designed/produced?
- What was the purpose of this radio?
- Who was the primary user?
- What is the meaning of the red painted identification 'RVK IV' (RVK-4) on the suitcase?
- Technical specifications?
- Service documentation?
- User manual?
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- Günter Hütter, Unknown (German?) spy radio set
June 2024.
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© Crypto Museum. Created: Tuesday 16 July 2024. Last changed: Tuesday, 16 July 2024 - 19:26 CET.
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