COURTENAY MODEL 63 'ALL WORLD' (1940)

The Courtenay model 63 was manufactured for Turnbull & Jones Ltd by Radio Corporation of New Zealand Ltd in 1940.

6-valve all-wave tombstone radio. 

Appears to be electrically nearly identical to the Columbus 69 and looks like it was aimed at those not quite wanting a full-blown bandspread model 75, but wanting slightly more than the dual-wave model 66 provided

The 1940  'Defiant' series from Courtenay included some very interesting cabinet designs that were a throwback to the good old days at a time where cabinets were fast becoming bland rectangular boxes.  Certainly the tombstone-style was on the way out - but this model seems to have been 'one last hurrah' to that style.

The Courtenay model 63 All World was a 6-valve dual-wave radio with broadcast band and two shortwave bands with expanded shortwave tuning (Bandspread) and temperature compensation to help avoid frequency drift as the set warmed up.

Courtenay model 63

Technical Information

Valves (6): KTW61, X65, 6B8G, 6J7, 6F6G, U50

Intermediate Frequency: 455kc/s

Frequency Bands: 3

Chassis Notes(most schematics can be clicked to download a full size version)

1940 Courtenay model 63 Schematic

Service information (RCNZ_-_model_63_-_6V_Bandspread_AC_-_1941.pdf) here

General Construction Notes for Radio Corporation of New Zealand Ltd:

The first digit of the serial number typically indicates the year of manufacture of RCNZ chassis' (although not the decade - that requires a little knowledge of the valves, construction, etc). Sets from around 1934 onwards were often (but not always) constructed in a distinctive pressed 'baking pan' style chassis, seemingly unique to RCNZ.

Model codes beginning with a 0, for example the model 051, are Osram valve versions of the model without the leading 0. Technically the 0 should be an O (for Osram), however the digit 0 was used throughout the site before this fact was discovered.

The E suffix indicates a magic eye option is fitted (in models which were available with or without, such as the model 25).

A and B suffixes appear to be simply updates to the current model, R also appears to be simply an updated model ('R'edesign, perhaps?)

P indicates either a permanent magnet speaker version of a model which also came with an electromagnet speaker (the model 26 for example), or a portable model (like the model 694P).  This suffix was used in the mid 50's when Radio Corp was changing over.

N and M indicated miniature valve versions of a model which started with all (or a mix, ie: model 5) of larger valves. One of these two codes may indicate a transitional mixture of octal and miniature - clarification is required.

S often indicates a stereo model.  It can also indicate 'self-biased' in the transition period between back-biased and self biased sets where there were models with both methods employed (53S for example)

Finally, other suffixes and prefixes make occasional appearances in the RCNZ lineup - like the 66W (a variant of the long-running model 66) and the 75XA (a 10-valve version of the model 75 with a separate amplifier chassis).

Model nicknames are often sourced from either newspaper advertising, company literature or the NZ Radio Traders Federation official trade-in price books (Particularly Courtenay models from this publication)

In 1954, model numbering changed, to begin with the number of valves (ie: 501 - 5 valves, 1006 - 10 valves, etc) although the final 2 digits don't appear to have much significance.  Middle digits of 5 (portable) or 6 (mantle, including clock radio) are used on the AWA-designed plastic-cased sets.