282
Item nr.


URT Iliria Portable

A radio that opens borders

Data for URT Iliria
ProductionAlbania, 1980.
BandsMW (530-1600kHz), SW (6-12MHz).
Semi-
conductors		7 transistors (BF255, 2x BF254, 2x EFT322, 2x J7801) and 2 diodes.
CabinetPlastic. Size 27x16x10 cm.
PowerBatt 4xC.
DocumentsSchema.

The Design

Dan Gligor YO6OMD sent me the following information. Uzina e Radio - Televizorëve (URT) was an Albanian manufacturer in the city of Durrës, operating from 1963 to 1990. The Iliria was made around 1975, based on the Rumanian design of the Tehnoton Milcov. The Milcov was produced from 1972, first without handle, and from 1975 with handle. Where the Milcov was MW/LW, the Iliria, of which production started in 1977, was MW/SW. Its Rumanian roots can be recognised from the use of EFT germanium transistors. The year of manufacturing should be marked on the electrolytic capacitors.

For many decades, until 1993, Albania was a very closed country. It was difficult to get in and difficult to get out. With this little radio, the citizens could at least listen to foreign radio stations. To us the radio looks very much like a sixties model, compare for example the Constant TR-745 on the right, but Albania produced these in the eighties. Short wave reception is not very good, but perhaps this was deliberate, as the great communist leader Enver Hoxha didn't like his people to listen to foreign stations.

Obtained6/2006 from Dritan Pajenga.
Condition7.
DisposedSold 6/2018.
Sound samplePLAY SOUND   Balkan-style song, recorded November 18, 2006.

This Object

The lettering of the Albanian word Volumi (Volume) has gone; I need some 3mm letters for that. The V in the band designations means Valë (wave) and Sintonia is Tuning, as in Spanish.

I visited Albania (city of Elbasan) in 2003 and received this Albanian radio a few years later as a present from one of my Albanian contacts.

Part of Gerard's Radio Corner.
Generated by SiteBuilder on 26/2/2024 by Gerard (g.tel@uu.nl)