Budapest Radio Engineering Factory

The company's profile is the design, manufacture and installation of radio transmitter equipment, microwave equipment and industrial high-frequency equipment of various powers.

Radio telephone product family:

• portable equipment (AM, FM)
• vehicle-mounted (mobile) equipment
• VHF transceiver equipment
• fixed installation equipment
• Radio transmitters and industrial high-frequency equipment up to 5 kW
• control units
• antennas, filters
• special equipment
• marine electrical equipment
• accessories

Tape recorder product line:

• cassette tape recorder mechanics
• dictaphones
• cassette tape recorder SM mechanics
• cassette tape heads
• portable cassette recorder (MK-27)

Special tape recorder product line:

• single-channel, cassette report storage (FMK 221)
• multi-channel, reel-to-reel magnetic tape report storage (SHR 16A, SHR 108)
• time transmitter and time receiver equipment
• special tape recorder
• answering machine (TR 10)

Computer peripheral product line:

• cassette tape mechanism (LK-4M)
• cassette magnetic tape data storage (LK-4)
• digital data recorder with magnetic tape cassette unit
• cassette magnetic tape alphanumeric data processor (SLK-4)
• wide magnetic tape converter (EK 9006 B)

MCD-1 cassette floppy

The predecessor, the Vörös Szikra Factory, founded in 1953, was closed down as an independent company in 1956 and continued to operate as the “V” factory unit of the Beloiannisz Radio and Television Factory. On January 1, 1957, it was transformed into an independent company again under the name “Budapest Radio and Television Factory” – BRG.

The company became a holding company through self-privatization in 1989. BRG Mechatronics Co. Ltd. merged 8 Co. Ltd. and 12 Ltd., almost all of which had more or less foreign capital.

First, its Kecskemét factory was closed down, then the Lakitelk tape recorder assembly plant was also liquidated in 1994. The independent BRG Rádiótechnikai Rt in Salgótarján, which produced radio communication equipment, was purchased by Videoton in 1998, and its name was changed to VT-BRG Rádiótechnikai Rt, but this also ceased to exist a few years later and the building was demolished in 2009.

The BRG logo was designed by cartoonist Ferenc Sajdik, a competition was held and his was awarded the best.

Many top athletes have worked at BGR.

The very first product of the Red Spark Factory was a toy train, but it was ultimately not marketed.

They manufactured an electric ship bell, the installation of which was also carried out by BRG personnel on cruise ships.

Other interesting products include the steam tube battery charger and the electric hardening furnace.

They produced surveillance devices for armed organizations (Ministry of Internal Affairs, military, etc.).

The surveillance kit manufactured for agents of the Ministry of Internal Affairs consisted of 4 parts:

– transceiver on the belly, operated with a 9-volt battery

– vest antenna (shoulder strap)

– vibrating alert (it vibrated when someone called)

– laryngeal microphone

They manufactured weather balloons and ionosphere research equipment, with which they examined the propagation and reflection of radio waves at an altitude of 300 km.

Marcell Jánosi, former chief designer and then director of the Development Institute at BRG, is the designer and production manager of the deservedly (world)famous MCD-1 cassette floppy. More detailed documents on this topic can be found in the Product and People sections.