Production year 1927 at $130 with-out tubes.

The Radiola 17 was produced by the Radio Corporation of America(RCA) as their first radio designed to operate on AC wall current rather then by battery power.

This radio is a tad heavy and is housed in a rectangular shaped cabinet, The cabinet top, bottom and sides are made from solid mahogany. While the front and back panels are made from veneered plywood. Like many of the broadcast band receivers from this era, it is rather simple to operate with only three operator controls on the front consisting of a volume control on the left, tuning control in the center, and an On/Off power switch located on the right.

From my research on this receiver, it appears that RCA produced around 200,000 of these radios. This receiver has seven tubes and 3 tuned AM circuits. An external speaker or headphones is required on this set. An external loudspeaker of headphones is required for operation.

The photograph on the left is of the top of the radio with the hinged cover closed. The photograph on the right is of the back of the radio. The power cord which is in the cabinet when this picture was taken would exit out of the left rear of the cabinet. The headphone or speaker connections are the two small round holes located on the right of the rear panel.

The photograph on the left is a close up of the manufacturers plate which is located front and center on the face of this radio. The photograph on the right is a view while looking down with the top hinged cover in the open position. In this picture we can see the 7 tubes, air variable capacitor and other components that make this radio do its thing. The birds nest of wires in this picture is actually the cloth power cord which will get replaced during the restoration of this receiver.

A couple of some what close up photographs showing the inside of the radio with the hinged top cover in the open position. In the picture on the right there is the letters "GEM" scratched on the inside where the top cover would rest. I have noticed markings similar to this on many of the electronic items I have serviced. Every thing from a former owner's initials to a full name all the way to social security numbers. With just a little research these old items are willing to tell us a story of their past.