Grundig 186 B/GW Boy (1950–1951)
The Grundig 186 B/GW Boy is a very early Bakelite portable radio, launched in 1950 as a slightly cheaper alternative within Grundig's lineup. Grundig called it a "universal travel device". It ran on both mains (110/220 VAC/VDC) and batteries (58/9 VDC). It was a four-tube superheterodyne, medium wave only, and came in either brown or red plastic. The tube complement is recorded two ways: a European set (DK91, DF91, DAF91, DL92) and a U.S. equivalent set (1R5, 1T4, 1S5, 3Q4).
The company's own history notes that 1950 was the year the 150,000th Grundig radio was produced, with new offices and a production plant going up. It also says "a new product is manufactured: the 186 B/GW." The December 1950 issue of Funkschau covered it as the "Reisesuper »Boy« 186BIGW," and described a beautiful Bakelite housing and sonorous sound reproduction ("klangvolle Wiedergabe"). That same issue lists a price of DM.-.70, though no other source corroborates that figure.
The "B/GW" suffix is not documented anywhere in the research. The "Boy" name was used across several early Grundig portables, and this is one of the earliest.
Known specifications:
- Type: Portable superheterodyne radio, medium wave only
- Tubes: DK91, DF91, DAF91, DL92 (or 1R5, 1T4, 1S5, 3Q4)
- Power: Mains 110/220 VAC/VDC; batteries 58/9 VDC
- Cabinet: Bakelite/plastic, brown or red
- Controls: 2
- Dimensions: 255 × 195 × 100 mm (W×H×D)
- Intermediate frequency: 468 kHz
Service documentation exists. Two schematics or technical documents are available for the 186 B/GW, and owner-manuals.com lists a service manual containing circuit diagrams. The record is thin otherwise: no original price in a confirmed currency, no sensitivity or output figures, no speaker specs, and no owner reviews beyond the period press tagline. Collectors describe surviving examples as quite rare and in good condition.
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