National Radio SW3 & SW5 Unwound Coil Forms

I BROUGHT THEM BACK!!!!

I was making these coil forms in the past, but due to low demand I stopped making them. After getting numerous requests, I have decided to see what kind of demand there is and brought them back.
If demand is good I will keep them going. If not I will not make anymore.

Now you can buy one of those National Radios even though it doesn’t come with the coil forms.

These are exactly like the original, including the slot for the tickler windings.

The National SW3 & SW5 all share a coil design identified by three independent windings (Primary, Secondary, and Tickler) and a unique 6 pin base. This 6 pin base is unlike that of a regular 6 pin tube socket.

There were six coils for the radio that allowed coverage from 1.50-MHz to 33.3-Mhz.
Coil 1 (115 to 200 meters (1.5-2.6MHz)
Coil 2 (65 to 115 meters (2.6-4.6MHz)
Coil 3
(40 to 70 meters (4.3-7.5MHz)
Coil 4
(21 to 41 meters (7.3-14.3MHz)
Coil 5
(14.5 to 25 meters (12-20.7MHz)
Coil 6
(9 to 15 meters (20-33.3MHz)

A datasheet of the coil winding information will be included.

I have been building the classic 4, 5, and 6 pin coil forms for some time now with great success. Customers all over the world have been very satisfied with them. Many sold on Ebay with comments saying they are of high quality and work great.

You have to wind your own coils with this plug in coil form. It is made from Grade XX 
Garolite (Phenolic). Garolite is superior to Bakelite and it works flawlessly. The forms are equipped with a rim as well, making it easy to insert and pull out.
Coil measures 1-1/2" Diameter X 2-1/4"H (+/- some). Exclusive of the pins.

This is a specialized coil form for the National Radios only. It does not fit in any standard tube socket.
The coil form will plug into a National 6 pin socket as shown in the photos.
Socket is not included. It is shown for identification purpose only.

I personally build these by hand, one at a time in a regular home workshop!!
There is no fancy machine shop involved, no fancy CNC equipment used.

Each piece is handcrafted from various pieces of Grade XX garolite (phenolic).
They are very time consuming to build, but still lots of fun to make anyway.
The pins are the exact same size pins used in the original National coil Forms.

By no means am I getting rich on selling these. There is a lot of labor involved in building these. Each one has to put on a lathe so the tickler slot can be cut out. The holes have to be carefully drilled using a specialized custom template jig I designed and built. Each pin and the rim is glued in place piece by piece. In addition to the intense labor, there is the cost of the garolite, the pins, and the special glue and of course, the Ebay fees.


To use it, just wind the wire (usually magnet wire,) around the form following the chart for the number of turns, drill a small hole where you leave off and feed it through the center down to the pins. Then just solder the end of the hollow pins. To keep the wire from unraveling, apply some clear polyurethane or clear nail polish. When drilling the holes for the tickler coil, drill in the cutout or above. Do not drill below the tickler cutout!!

Now you can finally buy of those old National radios you have seen on Ebay, Marketplace, or one of the many radio shows but didn't because the seller didn't have the coil forms for it.

4, 5, and 6 Pin Coil Form also available in my Ebay store. Look under coil forms.

You will love these coil forms.

Listing is for one (1) piece.

I have compiled the information from personal experience, talking to owners of
the radios and from information I found on the internet. If any of the information in this listing is incorrect or can be added to, I would appreciate if you would share it so I can pass it on to others.

As in all my listings, I combine items to save you on shipping costs.
Be sure to request an invoice if you are buying several coil forms so I can adjust shipping costs.
Check out my other ebay listings.

Tube Socket is not included. It is shown for identification purpose only.

UPDATE OCTOBER 16, 2025.
I have been informed today by my suppliers of both the garolite and the pins that January 1, 2026 they are raising my prices I pay for the materials by 10%. They are blaming the tariffs. I will have no choice but to raise my price 10% beginning January 1, 2026. I sell outside of Ebay and several people have placed orders already to avoid the price increase. I am running a little behind now because of those orders. Your order may take an extra day or two-ish to ship. Keep this in mind when ordering. Thank you.