Gilligan's Island Radio

Mr_Sparkle · Jul 25, 2006

I just picked up an old radio like the one they used for the Gilligan's Island radio prop and am hoping to convert it. There isn't much to do to it, just add a drawer pull to the top (already have that part) and throw an antenna onto it. (see below)

www.gilligansisle.com

Only problem is I don't have any good reference to figure out what the antenna really looks like. Does anyone have anything they can send me or post? Screen caps or better?

I'm also looking for a good photo to display along with the radio showing it from the TV show. All I can find are photos of the cast without the radio though.

Any help would be awesome.
Thanks

bleyd · Jul 25, 2006

Maybe it's an antennae off a boat? I was thinking a car antennae but where would they have gotten that? They probably canned some parts of the boat to make stuff around the island and to fix the radio.

SithLord · Jul 25, 2006

I think they guessed the audience wouldn't be able to tell if it was a car or boat antenna....it looks like a car one...American...but not Ford......that's a really cool radio...I remember those when I was a kid :confused

houdiniguy · Jul 25, 2006

LOVE IT.

May I ask where you got the radio?
What moldel it is?

Thanks and great fund.
The professor live here on Bainbridge Island near Seattle.
I got an autographed coconut saying "One of the professors nuts"
The professor - Russel Johnson Giligans Island

lonepigeon · Jul 25, 2006

I think you guys are missing the point.
The antenna and handle were added to the radio by the prop department to make it look better on TV. It's not supposed to be converted by the shipwrecked crew.
The antenna is most likely just off another radio or found in a pile of surplus parts the prop guys had on hand.

CessnaDriver · Jul 25, 2006

<div class='quotetop'>(houdiniguy @ Jul 25 2006, 03:58 PM) [snapback]1287803[/snapback]</div>

LOVE IT.

May I ask where you got the radio?
What moldel it is?

Thanks and great fund.
The professor live here on Bainbridge Island near Seattle.
I got an autographed coconut saying "One of the professors nuts"
The professor - Russel Johnson Giligans Island
[/b]

AR-851 Packard Bell

http://www.gilligansisle.com/radio.html

Probe Droid · Jul 25, 2006

Once again, alas, the guy who was the resident expert on this was Wayne.

Mr_Sparkle · Jul 25, 2006

Does anyone that can take screen caps own the DVD's? Better reference or just more reference would be good.

It may well be a car antenna but I lean more toward just an antenna off of another radio since that fat bottom on the antenna mates up well with the flat top of the radio. I would think that if it were off of a car it would have a bit of an angle to the base to match a car panel and probably wouldn't me a manual retractabe either . Can't rule it out though. Its certainly worth a look.

Thanks all,

rtfirefly · Mar 2, 2013

It's a Packard Bell AR-851 with a drawer handle and a fake antenna attached. The prop from the stills is a Magnavox Celestial model FM-97 which is darker and has a real antenna.

Weaselhammer · Mar 2, 2013

7 year Necro post ! Woo Hoo !

CessnaDriver · Mar 3, 2013