The EKCO AD36 is a British valve radio introduced in 1935 by E.K. Cole Ltd. of Southend-on-Sea. It belongs to EKCO’s famous range of moulded Bakelite sets and is one of the distinctive circular “Round Ekco” designs associated with industrial designer Wells Coates.
An interesting point is that the AD36 is a TRF receiver rather than a superheterodyne. The incoming radio frequency is tuned and amplified directly, followed by detection and audio amplification. This makes its circuitry relatively straightforward compared with many later EKCO sets.
The circular cabinet is the feature for which it is best known. The approximately 14½-inch diameter Bakelite cabinet was designed specifically around the moulding possibilities of Bakelite, rather than attempting to imitate a traditional wooden radio cabinet.
The service manual for this radio is available in the Members’ Area here.
