Tesla ARS 291

Cable radio receiver. It contains a loudspeaker, a transformer and a volume control switch. It would be connected to a 30V line and had 0,3 W output power. The cable radio network was based on a Soviet design and provided an alternative to the wireless radio. It was composed of a central audio amplifier and a system of two-wire lines of different nominal voltages, which were transformed to 30 V in each building and brought to the wall sockets. The listeners would pay a monthly fee that was cheaper than the electricity consumed by a tube radio. Moreover, it was not necessary to build an antenna and there was no interference in the sound, which was a great advantage in the cities. The system had a political background - if the country had been attacked and the wireless transmitters damaged, it was possible to inform the citizens with the cable radio. Local audio systems with street loudspeakers were built for the same purpose in smaller towns. In the August 1968, the cable radio was really used for this purpose.