Gerard's Nanaola 8NR-102

37
Item nr.

Nanaola 8NR-102 Portable

Radio perhaps brought to the Netherlands by American Soldiers?

**Data for Nanaola 8NR-102**
Production	Japan, 1964.
Bands	MW.
Semi- conductors	8 transistors.
Cabinet	Black Plastic . Size 22x11x5.5 cm.
Power	Batt 4xC.

The Design

This radio was sold under different brand names: Ross, Skyliner, and Nanaola. It could be manufactured by Toshiba. It has a radio-frequent amplification stage (triple-gang tuning condenser) and performs quite well. The presence of a phono input, two earphones jacks (1 cuts out the internal speaker, the other does not), tuning reduction gear and very good audio indicates the effort to market it as a better class portable than the common 6 transistor cheapos of that era.

Fred Mason wrote me that Toshiba sold radios under many brand names, including Marconi, Nanaola, Belair, Penneys, MMA, Trancel, and also, how Toshiba-made radios can be recognized:
1. 6- and 7-digit part numbers all over
2. Toshiba transistors
3. yellow or green shielding tubing on component leads
4. often twin earphone jacks
5. sometimes funny switches, like sensitivity or tone.
On the other hand, as pointed out by Russ Spreeman, the serial number scheme isn't Toshiba's, the speaker is not of Toshiba, and the overall quality isn't what is usual for Toshiba. Rod Jensen (Austin TX) writes me that the radio was manufactured by Nanao Radio Company Ltd.

The CONELRAD Defence System and Marking

In the early fifties the American military became obsessed by the fear that the Soviets would nuke the States by missiles navigating using the many American MW broadcasting stations. As a counter measure, it was decided that in case of a nuclear attack all stations would abandon normal operation, and change to one of the frequencies 640kHz or 1240kHz to inform the public about measures being taken. This system of CONtrol of ELectromagnetic RADiation was called CONELRAD.

As part of the system it became obligatory for all radios sold in the US after 1953, that the CONELRAD frequencies 640/1240 kHz were marked with triangles on the dial. The triangles were referred to as CD marks, for Civil Defense. We find the triangles on American radios from that year and later (like this RCA Victor 5-X-560), but also on portables produced in other countries but marketed in the US. The obligation was lifted in 1963, but the markings are found incidentally on later radios, including this one.

Obtained	2/1996 from Kringloopwinkel.
Condition	7.
Disposed	Sold 3/1999.

This Object

I actually bought this radio as a scrap piece, because it looked as if it could not be saved. A large black piece was broken out of the cabinet. But I decided to buy it (for one guilder only) and see if I could repair this by glueing in something. It did not work out very well, but for the rest the radio turned out to be a nice piece.

But how did it get here? Conelrad markings were not common on radios sold in the Netherlands. But wait... I got this from a second hand store some time after an American Air Force base nearby was closed. Perhaps some of the returning American military had cleared his house before leaving?

Part of Gerard's Radio Corner.
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