Mount Evelyn DX Report: RETRO RECEIVER REVIEW #9 : SELENA VEGA B206

RETRO RECEIVER REVIEW #9

Click on the photos for an enlarged view

SELENA VEGA B206

by Craig Seager VK2HBT

Given that East-West tensions continue to simmer under the surface, with the Russian annexation of the Crimea region in recent years, and talk of unorthodox “participation” in the election of Donald Trump, I thought it might be appropriate to revisit the heady days of the Cold War, and an interesting receiver offering from the Soviet Union.

Around about the time the Japanese manufacturer Yaesu was promoting its now venerated FRG-7, and many Australian DXers were having trouble letting go of their trusty valve Trio sets, some attention began to turn to a transistor portable that was receiving some good references out of Europe. In fact, local DX club bulletins of the time spoke positively about the Selena Vega B206, as examples had started to make it to these shores in the late 1970s, and demonstrated performance that benchmarked relatively well against other contemporary analogue radios.

The Okean 209 receiver

Although bearing a model name reminiscent of what one might imagine to be a comely Russian lady, the Selena was constructed in the rather dour premises of the Minsk Radio Works, in the Byelorussian Soviet Republic. Readers might also be familiar with the “Okean” brand, which came from the same source. This factory was originally established in 1939, after the Red Army moved an electronics manufacturing business known as Elektrit from Vilnius (then part of Poland) in the face of the advancing Nazi forces. In fact, at that time it became the Minsk Molotov Radio Works, in honour of Stalin’s then Foreign Minister, who of course later also lent his name to a certain makeshift incendiary device! The facility was eventually renamed Gorizont (Horizon).

Interestingly, the man who assassinated JFK (conspiracy theorists notwithstanding), Lee Harvey Oswald, spent some time working at the radio and television factory in Minsk from 1959-1962, in the experimental section as a low paid labourer, operating a metal lathe. The hapless Oswald, who was considered to be of generally low capability, was not trusted by the U.S., but the Soviets also held him at arm’s length – just in case he was a CIA spy, though did think enough of him to provide work and lodgings.

Meanwhile, the former Elektrit factory in Vilnius, which in its heyday employed 1100 people, was nationalised after the war and became a cornerstone of the USSR aviation industry and cutting-edge technological pursuits. You can read about the facility, which came to be known as “555” and its role in the development of early oscilloscopes at this URL:

http://www.edn.com/Home/PrintView?contentItemId=4428341

That’s the historical context out of the way, but I digress …

The Selena Vega 206B boasts 5 shortwave bands, longwave, mediumwave and FM, which are selected by a rotary turret arrangement that has a very robust feel. Quite heavy for a portable (4kg), the main part of the case is timber, with plastic fascia and rear. One of the main distinguishing features is that the dial reads backwards, with the metre bands increasing from left to right. Counter-intuitive for us, but perhaps more logical for Europeans. There are separate markings on the mediumwave segment for the dial positions of the major European capitals, including some from the West such as Paris and Brussels.

Coverage:

• LW: 150 - 408 kHz

• MW: 525 - 1605 kHz

• SW5: 5.97 - 7.3 MHz

• SW4: 9.5 - 9.77 MHz

• SW3: 11.7 - 12.1 MHz

• SW2: 15.1 - 15.45 MHz

• SW1: 17.7 - 17.9 MHz

• FM: 87.5 - 108 MHz

Rotary controls are used for volume, bass, treble and tuning, and there are pushbuttons for momentary illumination of the dial lamp, FM AFC, on/off and mains/battery. On the rear there are antenna and earth sockets (suitable for banana plugs); headphones (3.5mm phono) and 5 pin din for record-out. There is an-inbuilt telescopic whip for shortwave and FM, with a nicely sized ferrite rod for mediumwave.

Lifting the lid off the B206

A fairly conventional superhet design, the Selena had 19 transistors and 18 diodes, with 1st I.F at 465 kHz and second at 10.7 MHz. Audio output is a respectable 750 mW into a 126 x 75mm single speaker.

Under the covers shows some components that look a bit different, and some values may be difficult to ascertain, but in reality it’s all the usual stuff, tightly packed together. The transistor complement seems to be mostly Russian manufacture, including some germanium PNP types, but silicon equivalents will suffice if replacements are needed (though you’ll have to do some research). NOS examples will be harder to find.

6 “D” cell batteries are required to run the set if mains isn’t available.

The Selena is surprisingly lively on all bands, and is only let down by its rudimentary frequency display and only average selectivity. Stability is also not great on some examples. There are different variants available depending on market and date of import. Myself and fellow collector Phil Ireland had three versions together in a room at one point, and all were marginally different!

Russian components up close

An astute buyer can pick up one of these for as little as AUD $50 (USD $37) (I bought one at a swap meet for $5, which is a bit rough but still works, and selflessly provides spares for a cleaner unit). Watch out for dirty contacts on the band change switch – the largest contributor to individual ranges not working. Also check for corroded battery compartments and issues with the rather fragile telescopic whip.

Other than that, a nice casual listening portable, robustly built, and a reminder of Eastern Bloc manufacturing prowess. Later sets include the B210, B212 and B215, whilst the B202, B203 and B205 were notable precedents.

Various models were also released with either Astrad or aforementioned Okean badges, the latter primarily intended for the Soviet domestic market.

Another fun fact is that Selena Vega is a minor character from the crass and vacuous American Pie film franchise. I wonder if the writer is a shortwave fan?

Collectors of Soviet radios will also have come across portables manufactured by VEF, some bearing similar model names/numbers to the Selena. VEF has Latvian heritage, and also made sets badged as Spidola, occasionally encountered on popular auction sites or at vintage radio swapmeets. More great history there, but that’s for another time!

(This article first appeared in the April 2014 issue of the the Australian DX News)

Once again, many thanks to Craig Seager for contributing this retro review to MEDXR, and helping to keep the memories of radio alive!

Missed the other Retro Reviews? Check them all out by clicking below:

Retro Receiver Review # 1 - The DANSK RX4000

Retro Receiver Review # 2 - The HITACHI KH-3800W

Retro Receiver Review # 3 - The SCHAUB LORENZ ITT TOURING T104A RECEIVER

Retro Receiver Review # 4 - The RACAL RA6790/GM

Retro Receiver Review # 5 - The REALISTIC (RADIO SHACK) DX160

Retro Receiver Review # 6 - The KENWOOD QR 666

Retro Receiver Review # 7 - The RODHE & SCHWARZ EK890

Retro Receiver Review # 8 - The YAESU FR101S

Retro Receiver Review # 9 - The SELENA VEGA B206

Retro Receiver Review # 10 - The DRAKE SPR-4

Retro Receiver Review # 11 - The NATIONAL RF-5000

Retro Receiver Review # 12 - The YAESU FRG-100

Retro Receiver Review # 13 - The MARC NR-82 F1

Retro Receiver Review # 14 - The MURPHY B40

Retro Receiver Review # 15 - The STROMBERG CARLSON AWP-8

Retro Receiver Review # 16 - The YAESU FRG-7

Retro Receiver Review # 17 - The ALLIED/REALISTIC SX-190

Retro Receiver Review # 18 - The PANASONIC RF4800/4900 (DR-48/49)

Retro Receiver Review # 19 - The ZENITH TRANSOCEANIC B600

Retro Receiver Review # 20 - The SONY ICF-5900W

Retro Receiver Review # 21 - The KENWOOD R-5000