01
Authentic Station Dial
Features historic regional station designations including Akash Vani, Bombay, Dacca, Lahore, and Colombo.
Curio Gallery
01 / 04
01 / 04National-Ekco 5-Band Wooden Valve Table Radio — photograph 3
Highlights
Why this object
still matters.
Housed in a solid wooden tabletop cabinet with rounded top corners, this National-Ekco valve radio features a dual-panel front layout dividing the woven speaker grille and the glass tuning scale. The illuminated dial lists major South Asian and regional broadcast hubs including Bombay, Delhi, Calcutta, Dacca, and Colombo across five reception bands labeled A through E. Front controls consist of four rotary knobs positioned below twin decorative metallic horizontal inlay strips.
02
Five Wavebands
Encompasses bands A through E spanning shortwave bands from 13 to 90 meters alongside standard broadcast reception.
03
Curved Wood Cabinetry
Constructed with rounded upper corner joinery and dual inset horizontal accent trim strips.
04
Dual-Fascia Architecture
Balanced front layout presenting the loudspeaker grille to the left and tuning station display to the right.
05
Quad Lower Controls
Four lower rotational knobs regulate power, volume, tone, waveband selection, and tuning.
06
British-Indian Heritage
Representative of the historic manufacturing collaboration between E.K. Cole Ltd. (UK) and Tata/National in Bombay.
Specifications
The useful facts,
clearly recorded.
Measurements, construction, identity, and seller-supplied details are kept together for direct comparison.
Reviewed · Curio catalogue
Maker
National-Ekco Radio & Engineering Co. Ltd., Bombay
Origin
India
Year
1953
Department
audio
Packed shipment
5 kg · 45 × 32 × 30 cm
Brand
National-Ekco
Type
Tabletop valve radio receiver
Cabinet Material
Veneered wood with dark lacquer finish
Tuning Bands
5 bands (marked A, B, C, D, E covering mediumwave and shortwave down to 13 metres)
Controls
Four front rotary controls including three fluted bakelite knobs and one knurled metal knob
Dial Markings
City station names across India and neighboring countries, including Akash Vani, Lahore, Peshawar, and Teheran
Details
Close inspection,
recorded in photographs.
Detail № 01 · National-Ekco 5-Band Wooden Valve Table Radio — photograph 1
Detail № 02 · National-Ekco 5-Band Wooden Valve Table Radio — photograph 2
Heritage
A traceable life,
carefully recorded.
Provenance documentation was not supplied for this specific National-Ekco 5-Band Wooden Valve Table Radio; this listing is based on the supplied photographs only.
BROADCAST HISTORY
Voices of the Subcontinent
Shown on the tuning face in photograph 3, the dial lists regional stations from Kabul and Peshawar to Trivandrum, capturing the post-independence era of mid-century radio broadcasting across the Indian subcontinent.
CABINET WORK
Veneered Tabletop Craftsmanship
Viewed in profile in photographs 1 and 2, the dark timber case features gently swept curves and horizontal brass accents, engineered to serve as a distinguished decorative centerpiece in domestic living rooms.
Timeline
An object in time,
one continuous story.
1940
National Radio Formation
National Radio & Engineering Co. is established in India, entering commercial radio production.
1946
Ekco Partnership
Partnership with Britain's E.K. Cole Ltd. creates National-Ekco to manufacture radios locally in Bombay.
1953
Multi-Band Tabletop Era
Introduction of expanded shortwave and mediumwave wooden valve receivers tailored for South Asian domestic broadcasting.
1960s
Transistor Transition
National-Ekco shifts domestic receiver manufacturing toward solid-state transistorized models.
Condition
Honest wear,
documented clearly.
The wooden cabinet exhibits authentic aging with surface scratches, scuffs, lacquer flaking, and light veneer edge wear across the top, sides, and base. The printed glass tuning dial and station scale remain intact and clearly legible. The second rotary control from the left is an aluminum/metal replacement differing from the other three molded black knobs.
✓
InspectedCabinet Finish
Noticeable contact scratches, shallow chips, and crazing on the dark-stained wooden exterior as seen on the top and side panels.
✓
InspectedTuning Scale Glass
Glass station dial is unbroken with bold yellow and red graphics, station names, and frequency bands cleanly preserved.
✓
InspectedFront Controls
Three original dark-ribbed knobs are accompanied by one unpainted turned-metal knob at the second control position.
✓
InspectedSpeaker Grille Fabric
The woven cross-hatch grille cloth behind the left cutout is intact with slight age-related dust accumulation.
Logistics
Inspected, insured,
door to door.
Step 01
Delivery
Inspected, photographed, and packed with its condition report.
Step 02
Shipping
Custom-fit protective packing with tracked, insured courier service.
Step 03
Returns
Return requests are accepted within fourteen days of confirmed delivery.
Step 04
Dispatch
Prepared for courier handoff within three to five business days.
Acquisition
Make it part of
your collection.
Contact the seller for more information or to discuss this object.
✓ Insured Shipping✓ 14-Day Returns✓ Condition Report✓ Reviewed Listing
National-Ekco 5-Band Wooden Valve Table Radio