National SW-4 Thrill Box

Object/Artifact

-

Radio Alpha

Image: Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

Image: Harvard Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments

Name/Title

National SW-4 "Thrill Box"

Description

General Coverage Receiver

Category

Receiver, HF

Made/Created

Manufacturer

National Company

Date made

1929 - 1930

General Notes

Note

Radio News, Jun 1929, p. 1147. Radio News, Sep 1929, p. 273. (inside photo) National replaced its original Thrill Box (unofficially called the SW-2) in June 1929 with a new version designated the SW-4 (also called a Thrill Box, and later desiganted SW-4, because it has four tubes). Not actually referred to as the SW-4 until September 1929. The big improvements were these: — it permitted loudspeaker operation (although a version of the SW-2 would also drive a speaker) — had decent audio — covered both shortwave and the AM broadcast band Tubes: (1) 222, (1) 200A, (1) 240, (1) 171A Frequency coverage (in separate coils) originally expressed in meters, stated here in megahertz for convenience, approximately: 520 kHz–19.3 MHz Coil A: 11.3–19.3 MHz Coil B: 7.3–12.7 MHz Coil C: 4.6–8.0 MHz Coil D: 2.6–4.7 MHz Optional coils 1.7 -2.7 MHz 1.0-1.7 MHz 0.52-1.0 MHz Requires National's external "Velvet B" power supply. +160 VDC +135 VDC +45 VDC –45 VDC and filament References Review. Radio News, Jun 1929, p. 1079. Some Refinements. Radio News, Nov 1929, p. 443.