Marine Receiver – RFT EKD 500

Dear Sparks,

here is a summary of the history of the East German factory RFT than one of her last receiver produced for East European market largely used in merchant marine communications:

VEB Funkwerk Dresden was a publicly owned company (VEB) in the city of Dresden during the times of the former DDR (East Germany). The company was founded under Russian occupation immediately after WWII, in 1945, and was initially known as Radio H. Mende & Co. Dresden. In 1948, it became a Volkseigener Betrieb (VEB) and was renamed to VEB Funkwerk Dresden . As the company was also part of the RFT consortium, it is also known as RFT Funwerk Dresden. Initially Funkwerk Dresden contentrated on the production of radio receivers for the domestic market, with bulk production starting in 1951. In 1962, the production of radios is cancelled and moved completely to Stern-Radio Staßfurt. From that moment on, the company concentrates on the production of measuring equipment and radio communication systems.
In 1969, Funkwerk Dresden is merged with two other VEBs, Vakutronik and Schwingungstechnik und Akustik Dresden, and moves on as VEB Meßelektronik Dresden (abbreviated as MKD).
A few years later, in 1972, the name ‘Otto Schön’ is added to the title and the company becomes known as VEB Meßelektronik ‘Otto Schön’ Dresden. This name lasts until the company is merged with the large VEB consortium Robotron in 1979, after which the name is changed to VEB Robotron-Meßelektronik ‘Otto Schön’ Dresden. On 30 June 1990, after a variety of problems in the supply chain, the company was dissolved in the light of the reunification of Germany .

Professional receiver  RTF  VEB  Funkwerk   DDR model EKD 500

10 kHz  – 30 MHz

AM/USB/LSB/CW/FAX/ISB

keybord direct entry

triple PLL  synthesizer

16 selectable tuning steps

adjustable   BFO

all scan functions

filter bandwidth = 0,15/0,4/0,75/3,1/6  kHz

weight  25 Kg

73’s

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