Kw. E. a
 
This is the Kurtzwellen Empfänger A. (shortwave receiver "a"). A hefty beast weighing 50 kg, this radio is truly a work of art both electrically and mechanically. This is probably the best functioning of all WWII German communications receivers.
 
Specifications:
 
Principle: Superheterodyne with preamplification stage
Wave Bands : A short-wave receiver with several frequency bands
Power Requirements: Battery power supplying 90 Volts for anode and 2 Volts for the filament voltage
Speaker system: This set has no built-in speaker, nor does it have a speaker output/
Case material: Metal case, magnesium alloy faceplate
Vacuum Tubes: (11) RV12P800   (2) TE30

 

   
   
   
The front panel. Some of the cotrol knobs had surface "zink-pest" that I cleaned up and subsequently protected the knobs.
   
   

 

 

    
   
   
   
The front panel from another angle.
   
   

 

 

    
   
   
   
The year of manucfacture is 1943. Based on the manufacture dates stamped onto the coil turrets, this radio was made in October 1943.
   

 

 
   
   
Attemtion, no more than 2 Volts of fillament current!

 

 
Antenna connection controls, antenna connector, ground connector and one of the unlocking screws to remove the receiver from its housing.

 

 
Other controls.

 

 
The other dis-assembly screw, along with the tone filter switch. The on/off switch is below.

 

 
The coil turret drum. Notice the paint seals on all of the screws. Only properly trained staff with the correct diagnostic equipment was capable of correctly tuning this receiver. Any unauthorized field repairs were easily detectible by broken paint seals. The other purpose of these seals was to prevent the screws from loosening from vibration.

 

 
The TE30 Neon tubes to protect the receiver from antenna lightning strikes.

 

 
The coil turret drum is moved from one position to the next by means of a Maltese cross mechanism shown in this photo on the extreme left of the turret. But before the coil turret drum starts to rotate the contact fingers are lifted from their partners on the coil turret by means of a camshaft in front of the turret. When the turret has come to rest in the new position, the contact fingers are lowered onto the turret again. The fingers make a slight wiping movement when pushed onto the ring shaped contacts on the turret, thereby removing possible dirt deposits.

 

 
When I received the first images of this receiver, I noticed that the vacuum tube on the bottom right of the above image was different from the rest, and suspected a reworked system (gulp).

 

 
When I got the unit, the above contraption was pulled out of the first socket.....

 

 

An RV 12P 2000, which is a tube with a 13 Volt fillament current, completely unusable in the Kw. E. a.

 

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