KING OF THE WIRELESS RADIO THE HOPE DIAMOND Start Price USD 0.01 Current Price USD 13,100.00 Time Left - Bid Count 19 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Wednesday, November 26, 2008 End Time Saturday, December 06, 2008 Location KEYSTONE STATE See more about 'KING OF THE WIRELESS RADIO' Description Kindly read word for word in the description as there is plenty of time. Even the most discriminating  radio collector will me amazed to see this long wave apparatus offered. It is a piece of FINE radio gear. Offered here is a once in a lifetime chance to take ownership of an extremely rare, understatement, Murdock model 506 complete radio station. First the history on how I was lucky to acquire it: About 20+ years ago, I attended a premium antique show down at the Meadows in Washington, PA. About 8:00 AM and a Mr. Ray Fisher, a known radio dealer in that area, had this radio on his table. He told me that he bought it the day before . He also mentioned that it was in a collection from an expired priest from St. Vincent college. Now, let's get to the radio : Seen in early Murdock catalogs,and maybe other early radio magazines, it is similar to the 505 model. The only difference is that this 506 utilizes an audion detector bulb and has all the bells and whistles.  It was also displayed about 5 years ago at the AWA meet in Rochester , NY.  The estimated year is from about 1912 about the same time the Titanic vanished. Very crude in every way please note the rheostat mounted under the board, made of wood instead of the more common porcelain found on Deforest audion equipment. I would bet the ranch that this may be the ONLY one that survived. Not seen in any museums to my best knowledge.  I would imagine that this 506 Murdock would give any Marconi wireless or similar early radio like Adams Morgan, Klitzen, RCA, Chicago Radio Laboratory, Wallace, and the list goes on, a run for the money.  My personal and humble opinion, this radio is one of a kind and is probably the KING of Murdocks and only needs a little tender loving care and cleaning.  There sure is a lot of history behind this early radio. Details: There is an audion bulb in the socket marked on a paper tag that is marked "AUDION DETECTOR" "PATENTED FEB.18, 1908" "THIS BULB NOT LICENSED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES".  Here is what's marked on the crystal detector: "WIRELESS SPECIALTY APPARATUS CO"  "LICENSORS" "SILICON" WM MURDOCK CO" CHELSA, MASS" LICENSEES". I am usually terse with my descriptions, but in this case putting in a little extra effort may pay off. Getting back to the bulb mounted in this beautiful socket, unfortunately the red and green wires from the bulb were pulled out , but the good news is that the horse shoe filaments are good and there is also a piece of HUDSON FILAMENT in place. This bulb(SINGLE WING) may be used as a great display, even though it might be repairable. Not shown in the pictures, there are G and R markings factory stamped in the board surface indicating  hook up of that bulb.  The bulb is a genuine original Deforest Audion. My interests in early radio have changed and it's time to move on. It's hard to let go, but must move forward.  My dream is to have a celebrity or famous person take ownership. Bill Gates(his accomplishments in electronics) is sure a contender, maybe even Rush Limbaugh or how about Oprah! that would surprise me!  I myself never got around to taking the time to learn more about this radio, how to hook it up, etc. The general dimensions are about 16" X 14" and it retains the original crazed finish. Noticeable is one of those STOP PINS mounted on the slide tuner front hard rubber plate, it is broken off, but one can't be too critical on an item like this. Also,  A substantial antique like this one needs some well deserved attention instead of laying in a dark storage bin for years and years. Hey, good luck with it. In most cases, this radio will probably be the king of your existing collection. And one more thing, you don't have to be a radio collector to jump in on this. This is that type of piece that will stop traffic and get much attention. It sure don't look like the average radio box.  There is only one of these available and chances are, after the lights go out on this auction, you will never see one again.   It will be missed by me. "King of the radios" is now bound for it's new home or museum. On Nov-29-08 at 10:58:43 PST, seller added the following information:IT IS URGENT TO CHECK MY OTHER AUCTION: THE INFORMATION IS SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT and supports this auction. AND MAY GIVE MORE CONFIDENCE and knowledge TO MY BIDDERS. Check out my other items!Check out my other items!Be sure to add me to your favorites list! There is a MURDOCK catalog that depicts this Murdock 506 wireless receiver. Page 23, catalog # 14. This is an original factory advertisement catalog and will be sold seperate. This catalog is in fair condition, and complete. Please note the specifications on the board size: When I initially listed the radio I inadvertently was off on the dimensions. Not much though! I was too lazy to fetch my rule and guessed at it. Everything matches now, just read the excerpts displayed! Sorry for the inconvenience. I have no way of adding more pictures to this existing auction. There probably is a way, but it is beond my computer skills to add hyper links,etc.On Nov-30-08 at 15:46:57 PST, seller added the following information:My Auction is now featured on Outrageous Ebay Auctions! On Dec-01-08 at 04:59:47 PST, seller added the following information: PLEASE NOTE: A question surfaced in this auction about a delayed payment. Since this item is commanding a large amount of money, I the owner of this radio will extend to all that need a few extra weeks to round up the money. 30-40 days is fair, this will give the high bidder a little extra time to complete the transaction. What I do expect immediately after the auction is a 5% security deposit to hold the item to pay for the ebay final value fees. Since PAY PAL frowns on a partial payment, I recommend a personal check or money order. My main concern is to make it as easy as possible for the high bidder. Please understand that there is not an established price to compare with and the investment will only appreciate in value. Upon completing the transaction, high bidder will than pay the total price indicated on the invoice and your 5% deposit will be included in the package via postal money order. Happy Holidays, and hope you enjoyed viewing a remarkable piece of radio history. Place a Bid!