(c) 1999,2008 Peter McCollum
RDR Corp., N.Y.C.
Many of the OSS and early-CIA sets were apparently developed
with the involvement of Radio Development & Research Corp. of New York
City. This company, which used the logo "RDR", was mentioned several
times in the preceding sections. Their name appears in accounts of the SSTR-1
development, on SSTR-4 schematic diagrams, on the meters of the
"RT-x" transmitter, and on early-production RS-1 components.
RDR was incorporated in NYC on February 9th, 1938,
and voluntarily dissolved on December 30th, 1965. The original legal
contact address for RDR in 1938 was a law firm in New York City. At the time of
dissolution, RDR was owned by Bogue Electric. It is likely that at some earlier
time, RDR quit the "clandestine radio" business, and sold its name
and assets to Bogue. Then when Bogue no longer wanted to support the RDR name,
it dissolved it.
For wartime projects, Major Henry Shore was probably the
representative from OSS that dealt with RDR. Irving Weiss was an RDR employee
at that time, and was probably the lead engineer.
Evidence of RDR's involvement in clandestine radio
design: A portion of the SSTR-4 schematic which identifies RDR as the producer
of the design, dated 12-27-43; the "RDR" mark on the tuning knob of
an RR-2B; and the "RDR" mark on RT-3 terminal posts.
RDR’s “Magic-Tone” radios
RDR also produced commercial AM radios under the brand name “Magic-Tone”,
with an address of Jersey City, NJ. Three chassis designs have been identified,
and were sold under five model numbers (500, 501, 504, 508, and 900). The first
of these was designed in early 1946, and the third in early 1948. The first
chassis is a very conventional 5-tube design, in two variants with either octal
or loktal tubes.
The two later chassis designs are simpler 4-tube styles, and
were packaged as ‘novelty’ radios. The model 504 was in the shape of a large
whiskey bottle, using the bottle’s cap as the on/off/volume control. Models 508
and 900 are in the shape of a root beer keg; the 900 also having a lamp socket
and lampshade on top.
The Magic-Tone radios are electronically very ordinary, simple
designs. Considering that RDR already had much experience building expensive
and sophisticated equipment for the OSS, why would RDR dabble in commercial
“novelty radios”? At about the same time as the “root beer keg” radio, RDR
would have been starting work on parts of the RS-1 set, and the large RT-4
transmitter. Perhaps the Magic-Tone products were a ‘cover’ activity, to hide
their work on secret CIA projects. The simple Magic-Tone designs would not have
been much of a distraction to RDR engineers that spent most of their time on
much more “serious” work.
The first type of Magic-Tone set, which has a conventional wood
case (see below), may have actually been intended to generate revenue for RDR,
since 1946 would have been somewhat of a ‘recession’ in the spy radio business.
No further orders were coming from OSS, and the CIA would not be formed until
the following year.
A Magic-Tone model 501 AM
table radio. It uses the same set of 5 octal tubes as many other radios of that
time. There is an RDR logo on the tuning dial, and also on the emblem below the
speaker. Author’s collection.
A close-up of the emblem
from the model 501 radio.
The Magic-Tone model 504
radio. Note the “RDR” logo in the middle of the label. The 2-piece cap is the
on/off/volume and tuning controls, and the bakelite base contains the speaker.
The 4-tube chassis is inside the ‘bottle’. Image courtesy of Mike Schultz.
The Magic-Tone model 900.
Note the Hire’s Root Beer logos on the base and on the lampshade. Image
courtesy of Steven at www.NewEraAntiques.com
.
In the early 1950’s, RDR
became one of the first companies to manufacture transistors. Irving Weiss
formed the Germanium Products Corp., a subsidiary of RDR, in 1952. Above is
shown the packaging for a transistor, and two of the transistor models that
they produced. The text in the top center is from a trade magazine ad in June
1952. Images courtesy of Jack Ward at www.transistormuseum.com
.