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Can anyone tell me when radio dials changed away from being numbered 0-100 to the numbers used on the AM band today?

This was the closet thing I could find, maybe somebody has a better answer...

from http://www.collectorsweekly.com/article ... ue-radios/

The band and frequency markings on the dial can tell you something about a radio’s age. The earliest 1920s radios did not show any station numbers; instead, their knobs were marked with numbers from 0-100 or sometimes nothing at all. If your radio has a band marked Police or Aircraft, it was probably made before World War II; those frequencies are no longer used for such communications. Shortwave radio was common from early days, but FM broadcasting wasn’t developed until the 1930s. The FM band frequencies were changed after World War II, so if you have a radio that tunes FM from 42-50 megahertz rather than the modern 88-108 megahertz band, you know it was manufactured before 1942. A radio that has FM stereo was made in the late 1950s at the earliest. Civil Defense (CD) markings on the AM dial at 640 and 1240 kilohertz indicate that the radio was made between 1953 and 1963.

The short answer is around 1927-28. It was the advent of single dial tuning that really precipitated the change. In the days when one manipulated two or three dials to tune a station, the tuning circuits rarely tracked in unison so it was virtually impossible to mark them with the frequency of the station. With the development of the single dial system it became practical. There was a short period where some manufacturers marked the dials in meters, that is to say the wavelength rather than frequency, but by 1929 virtually all the sets manufactured in the U.S. and Canada were marked in kilohertz ...or kilocyles as they said in those days. One of the last holdouts for the old system of 0-100 was Atwater Kent, one of the largest manufacturers at the time, but even they had capitulated by 1930.
Jim

Thank you. Both your answers were very helpful.

Since on an off topic subject of early radios, I thought I would share my favorite. It is a 1925 Freshman Masterpiece. I was into radios for awhile before getting into phonographs. I don't have many radios left, but had to keep this one as it belonged to my Grandfather before he passed. I have seen Freshman Masterpieces on eBay, but they are usually just the rectangular radio component. Sometimes they have an attached speaker and sometimes they don't. I haven't been able to find any example in a cabinet like this one. I wish I could find out more to verify whether this cabinet was built for the radio, or if it was fitted into a random cabinet by a handyman. Anyway, here it is:





Everything is there electronically speaking with the exception of the tubes. (Of Course) Does anyone know where I could find the correct tubes? My Grandfather used it to store his coin collection. When I received the radio, there was a nice 1881 Morgan silver dollar down in the electronic components. Anyway, I would love to restore it to working order again if anyone knows where I could find the tubes.

Thats a very nice cabinet radio you've got there. If you dont get any answers here, you might want to try posting it on the antique radio forum.

http://www.antiqueradios.com/forums/

I dont know much about radios at all- especially American models, but the difference in wood colour on the radio face board looks a little strange to me.
That being said, Im sure I've heard that companies in USA made cabinets that an existing mantle/table(?) radios could be fitted into, which did away with the external horn speaker as well. This could explain why the speaker grille matches the cabinet but the radio face does not.

Thanks for the advice Shane. I came across a few old ads last night and a couple of them showed this particular cabinet as an option for the radio to come in. So I guess it is original to the Freshman company.

Also, the picture I took of the actual radio unit came out funny. It was very red and does look funny. I took another from a different angle and it shows the true color a little better. Either way, thanks again for the advice!

There are many more folks into antique radio collecting than are into phono collecting. Lots of expertise exists in this area. Go to the above link or to this one for more information and links:

http://www.antiqueradios.com/resources/

The most common tube type in radios of the early 1920s is the 01-A. I don't know if this is what your Masterpiece uses, but that type and most others are still readily available, most of them for fairly reasonable prices still. Schematic diagrams and other information can be readily obtained. Radio collectors are pretty friendly and willing to help you get your set up and operating. If you live near a large city, there probably is a radio collector convention and flea market at least once a year in your area. See the Antique Wireless Association (AWA) website for a local branch that may be near you:

http://www.antiquewireless.org/

Thanks for the links and the great advice. Hopefully I can get this in working condition soon. I will check into the links provided. Here is a picture of the inside. (Sorry it doesn't show everything.)

Hi Jeff:

Saw your post about finding tubes for your radio. I have had good luck with Antique Electronic Supply at http://www.tubesandmore.com/ Some tubes can be a bit pricey, but if you really want to get a set working and have no other places to go . . .

I use my 1934 Atwater Kent all the time. It's not as old or interesting as yours, but I have had it since 1962 which makes me the radio's longest caregiver! It was younger than my 30 year old Sony console TV is now when I got it.

Bryant Stott (thepianolist)