Radiophile.com - Radiola 526

Radiola 526, 1942

Approximately 10 inches / 25 cm wide. This radio was made by RCA, which marketed some of its product under the Radiola brand name.

Tube complement: 12SA7 mixer/oscillator, 12SK7 IF amplifier, 12SQ7 detector, 50L6GT AF output, 35Z5GT rectifier.

This set has a standard All American Five tube complement, but since it's an RCA design, it has extra RCA quality touches: a padder condenser as well as a trimmer condenser to set the AM band calibration at both ends of the dial for superior tracking; a phono input jack; feedback around the audio output stage for low distortion. Other RCA models in my collection (66X3, 8X521, 8X682) also possess superior circuits.

[Woodgrained cardboard]

More RCA extra quality: Not content with a plain cardboard back, RCA goes to the expense of printing on a woodgrain pattern. (I'm not sure this works on a plastic radio, but it's the thought that counts.)

This radio was available with or without the shortwave band, and in a wooden or plastic cabinet. Here's what I've been able to learn about the model numbers of this series of radios.

	No shortwave band	Shortwave band
Plastic cabinet	516	526
Wood cabinet	517	527