Vitavox APN 12936

Vitavox was founded in 1931 by Leonard Young, a former Royal Navy volunteer and wireless specialist who recognized the need for improved naval communication systems. The company initially focused on the maritime environment, becoming a key supplier to the Royal Navy, especially during WWII. After the war, Vitavox expanded into the new hi-fi audio market while continuing to produce military and naval equipment.

Admiralty Pattern Numbers (APN) were numeric part numbers that were used by the British Navy to identify various pieces of equipment and ensure that they were built to an exact specification.

This dynamic microphone from Vitavox closely resembles the STC 4017C, and was manufactured under license from ST&C, or possibly Western Electric. It is thought to be a Vitavox Admiralty Pattern 12936 from around 1953, based on the similarity to the microphone shown at Martin Mitchells blog. Our specimen does not have an APN and so may well have been produced for the civilian market.

A description of the Vitavox APN 1359 at Martin Mitchell's blog.

A description of the Vitavox APN 12936 at Martin Mitchell's blog.

A short summary of the history of Vitavox at Graces Guide.