About the Company
Radionette was a Norwegian electronics company originally founded in 1927 in Oslo by Jan Wessel, beginning with radio receivers and later broadening into a range of consumer audio/video products. The company used the Radionette trademark on devices including radios, loudspeakers, tape recorders, and TV sets.
Full company name: A/S Jan Wessel Radiofabrikk Radionette
Founded: 1927, Oslo, Norway
Best known for: Radios initially, later hi‑fi and tape equipment
Reel‑to‑reel involvement: 1960s (mid‑1960s to late 1960s)
Market focus: Consumer / home audio
Brand later history: Radionette was acquired by Tandbergs Radiofabrikk in 1972 and the Radionette name later passed to other owners after Tandberg’s bankruptcy in 1978.
Production History of Reel‑to‑Reel Tape Recorders
Early Electronics Background (1927–1950s)
Radionette’s roots were in radio manufacturing, starting with mains‑powered sets in the late 1920s and expanding through the transistor era.
The company became a well‑known Norwegian consumer brand, producing radios, amplifiers, speakers, and other audio gear into the 1960s.
1960s – Entry into Magnetic Tape Equipment
Radionette began producing reel‑to‑reel tape recorders in the mid‑1960s, targeting the home audio market:
Era: 1966–1969 (primary documented range for reel‑to‑reel models)
Location: Made in Norway (reflecting Radionette’s local manufacturing)
Early units used tube (valve) electronics; later ones in the decade transitioned to solid‑state transistor designs as that technology became standard.
Radionette’s tape recorder production was modest and consumer‑oriented, not large enough to rival big international brands like Akai, TEAC, or Tandberg, but it still reflects local Norwegian hi‑fi efforts of the era.
Documented Radionette Tape Recorder Examples
Radionette 1
Era: Mid‑1960s
Electronics: Tube‑based
Tracks: Half‑track (½ Rec/PB)
Speed: 7½ ips
Reel Size: Up to ~3″
Use: Consumer reel deck typical of the 1960s Norwegian market
Radionette Multicorder (1966–1969)
Era: Late 1960s
Electronics: Solid‑state (transistor) — early solid‑state consumer deck
Tracks: ¼‑track mono
Tape Speeds: 1⅞ & 3¾ ips
Reel Size: ~3″ maximum
Features: Two‑head design with both mains and battery operation; frequency response ~10 kHz
The Multicorder was an unusual compact design (appearing as a “single‑spool” deck) and is now a curiosity among vintage collector pieces.
Market Position & Legacy
Consumer‑Focused Tape Decks
Radionette’s reel‑to‑reel machines were intended for home use, not pro studio or broadcast applications. Their specifications (small reels, modest speeds, consumer signal paths) show that they sat in the entry to mid‑level consumer segment of the 1960s Norwegian market rather than the hi‑fi or professional bracket dominated by larger brands.
Brand and Company Evolution
1972: Radionette was acquired by Norwegian company Tandbergs Radiofabrikk — a major UK/Norwegian hi‑fi and tape recorder maker — as Tandberg expanded its consumer electronics offerings.
1978: Tandberg (and thus the Radionette brand under its umbrella) went bankrupt; the Radionette name survived under subsequent ownership for other electronics products.
Collector Interest
Today, Radionette reel‑to‑reel decks are rare vintage pieces known primarily among collectors of Norwegian audio equipment and examples of mid‑20th‑century Scandinavian consumer electronics.