Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I'm pretty sure the only one the LaVine's reproduced was the top-of-the-line radio head plate.

Actually I thought that the bush button type was the top of the line but now that I think of it, maybe you’re right that the signal-seeking one was preferred.

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The top of the line was the Custom radio but I don't believe the 40 era radios are really what we would call signal seeking like the ones Packard used in the 50s. The 50s models do feed an actual rf circuit into a tube that picks out the signal based on selected strength and triggers the solenoid to stop the spring driven dial motion when a strong enough station is being received. Strength or number of stations it stops on depends on the 3 position sensitivity lever to select more or less stations. While the 40s radio did have a local/distance switch I think all that did was change the strength of the antenna making it a bit more sensitive if trying to pick up a distant station.

The multi button prewar Custom radio and the single button radio like the 39-42 radios in question actually are fixed stations selected by a motor which stops at the individual stations. On the Custom radio a station is chosen by having a specific button connect to a specific contact in a rotary multi position switch. On both radios stations are set by tuning coils that modify the tuner circuit inside the big case.

Pushing a button makes the motor move the multi position switch and when it lands on the contact connected to the button the motor stops and another contact section on the switch simultaneously connects the circuitry to make a single pair of the coils active. It will only stop at one of the stations tuned in by specific coils no matter how many other stations are available but the Custom radio can make a complete circle around without stopping if you change your mind and push another button. While the Custom radio can select a specific station by directly pushing an individual button the single button radio will stop at each station in sequence before another push of the button will cause it to move to the next. It may take several pushes to have the single button radio cycle back to a specific station.

The first real signal seeking version Packard used was in the 51 models and had no buttons -- only the wide bar across the top which triggered the mechanism to run until it found a strong station. Later versions starting in 53 or 54 also had the individual buttons below the dial to select a specific station. You moved a tab behind the little door which carried a contact. That contact was made active by pushing a button which simultaneously disabled the rf feed to the tube and connected the contact to the tube. When the indicator needle slid over the contact and touched it to complete the circuit that forced the tube to trigger and stop at a station.

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My radio appears to be similar to the Single Unit radio from the Accessory Catalog, however, push button and the preselect dial are arranged horizontally instead of vertically. I don't have a provision for central buttons as on West Peterson's radio. Mine must be a different version of the Single Unit radio, perhaps a mid-year redesign as my car was sold new in July of '39. The face plate offered on LaVine's website definitely would not fit my radio. I guess I will have to improvise something. But I wish I had the Custom Radio. If anyone has a complete one that they would like to sell, I'd be interested. Thanks to everyone who responded.