The set has a broadcast band of 540-1500 Kc and a shortwave band of 5400-15.350 Kc. This AC "midget" measures 17 inches high by 14 inches wide. In 1933, RCA came out with the beautiful cathedral cabinet design of the Model 121, shown in Figure 1. The RCA Model 121 midget has a beautiful cathedral cabinet design. The midget radio market faltered for a while in 1931-1932, but then made a strong comeback for a few more years.įigure 1. In 1929, the average unit price of a radio sold was $136. In 1933, there were 3,800,000 radio sets sold at an average unit price of $61.
As a result, most manufacturers began producing superhet radios in the early 1930s. RCA had a pretty good clamp on the superheterodyne market and patents, and it wasn't until 1928-1929 that they really started to lift these restrictions. However, the weight of these sets (about 25 pounds) and the price (averaging $50) were well below that of the heavy and relatively high-priced consoles of the period ($100 plus). The power, tone and overall general performance left a lot to be desired. The cabinets of tombstone or cathedral design occasionally used moulded wood. These radios were usually TRF (tuned radio frequency) sets that used the new screen-grid tubes.
This style of radio came into being on the West Coast in 1929, and by 1931 had spread across the nation. One of the first magazine advertisements in 1930 on the new "midget" radios reads in part, "Only 17.5 inches high and 16 inches wide, with reception limited only by the suitability of your location." The radio industry invented the name "midget" for these radios, but years later they came to be called "cathedrals" or "tombstones." Midget Radios and the RCA Model 121 BY RICHARD ARNOLDįrom Antique Radio Classified for January 1996 Antique Radio Classified: Midget Radios and the RCA Model 121
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