Category Archives: Radio history

1940 “Tom Thumb” Portable

If you were looking for a portable radio 85 years ago, you could get this one for $9.95, as seen in this ad in the August 3, 1940, issue of the Tacoma (Washington) Times. The set was billed simply at the “Tom Thumb,” and I haven’t been able to track down the manufacturer.

But the main selling point was that the “A” battery was a normal flashlight battery, which could be replaced for a dime. Of course, there was also the B battery (of perhaps 45 or 90 volts) which would have been more expensive. But in fairness, the A battery would run down faster, and when it did, you could get one at any gas station or drug store.

You could get the radio at the Weisfield & Goldberg jewelry store, and if you credit was goo, it was only 85 cents a month.



Radio to the Rescue: 1955

Seventy years ago this month, the August 1955 issue of Popular Electronics didn’t contain any articles specifically related to this cover illustration. But the painting was just to good not to use. All we know for sure that the painter was Ed Valigursky. The gentleman with the radio was probably a ham, and probably using six meters. He undoubtedly saved the town by directing the other gentleman to add a few more sandbags at this critical spot.



1940 Radio Batteries

If you were a radio dealer 85 years ago, you wanted to be the one on the left, and not the one on the right. But it wasn’t quite that simple, as discussed in the August 1940 issue of Service magazine.

There was a wide variety of non-standard batteries for radios, and if a dealer stocked them all, there would be the problem of selling stale ones when the customer for one of the rare ones came in. So first of all, when selling new portables, you would keep your customers satisfied in the long run by selling only sets using standard batteries. In some cases, it was an underhanded trick by the manufacturer–they would design the set so that only their proprietary batteries would fit (not unlike printer manufacturers today, who make their profits from selling ink cartridges, a practice which can be beat by taking the advice on our website).

Customers were often reluctant to have you permanently change the wiring of their set to add a plug that would fit standard batteries. A good solution was often to sell them an adapter. Some were available off the shelf. In other cases, you could make an adapter by removing the socket from the old battery and connecting it to a standard plug.



1950 Code Oscillator

Seventy-five years ago, many would-be hams were applying themselves to learning the code, and the July 1950 issue of Radio-Electronics obliged them by providing the plans for this simple code practice oscillator. The circuit is simplicity itself, and is built in to a jam tin, complete with speaker. The 6-volt tube ran fine on 4.5 volts from three flashlight cells, and the circuit required no additional B+ voltage.

It featured adjustable pitch, and put out a clear tone through either loudspeaker or headphones.



A Rare Species: 1925

One hundred years ago, it was the rare breed who did not have a radio set. And that was true on both sides of the Atlantic, as demonstrated by this cartoon in the July 1925 issue of Wireless Constructor.

Under pressure, this man had to admit that he didn’t own a wireless set. As the caption notes, we also wonder what he lived for.



1945 Radio Listings

Here’s what was on the radio 80 years ago, from the radio listing in the July 25, 1945, issue of the Washington Evening Times. You can click on the image above for a larger version.



Kimbark Electric, Chicago, 1945

Eighty years ago, there was still a war going on, but people were itching for things to get back to normal. For example, civilian radios were still out of production, but this dealer guessed (correctly, it turns out) that there would be new ones rolling off the assembly line come fall. The picture appears on the cover of the July 1945 issue of Radio Service Dealer, and that issue gives no clues as to exactly where the sign is located.

But with a little bit of detective work, we found the location, and we also determined that the picture shown above was Photoshopped! The sign above reads “This Fall! New Radios.” The magazine doesn’t say where the sign is located. The magazine states only “dealer looks forward.”

But the identical photo appeared in the December 1943 issue of the magazine.  Well, we should say that it was almost identical.  Because the sign really said, “Wanted-Used Radios.”  I bet they still wanted them in 1945, but a graphic artist (if not the dealer) guessed that the end of the shortage was in sight.

The 1943 issue reveals that the shop was Kimbark Electric Appliance Co., 1309 E. 53rd St., Chicago.  The owner was Harold E. Wollenhaupt, who died in 1989.



1925 Portable Radios

A hundred years ago, the July 1925 issue of Talking Machine World carried this ad from RCA showing Radiola models 24 and 26.  These models had performance on par with modern receivers, as they were superheterodynes containing six UV-199 tubes.

Millions of Americans were heading for sea and mountains, and this ad reminded dealers that they were all prospects for a set such as this, if only the dealer took time to sell them on the idea.

They weren’t cheap, however.   They started at $195, which works out to over $3600 in 2025 dollars.  Today, for a tiny fraction of that price, you can get an inexpensive portable which will pull in AM, FM, and weather broadcasts.  (And, of course, don’t forget to buy some extra batteries, which we guarantee will weigh a lot less than the ones this gentleman is using.)



Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after using the link.

1965 Sprage Quig Connectors

Sixty years ago this month, the July 1965 issue of Electronics Technician carried this ad for a useful product from Sprague Capacitors, the “Quig”. It was for making connections for replacement components in tight spaces. It was essentially a solder-covered spring. When removing the old component, you would leave part of the lead in place, slip the Quig over it, and then slip the new component into the Quig. With one hand, you could hit it with the soldering iron, and be done with the job.

As far as I know, the Quig no longer exists. But for replacing components in old radios, a similar method is employed. You leave a portion of the old lead, and then wind a little spring on the new component. You slip that over the old lead and solder it in place (with two hands).



1940 British Air Raid Shelter Radio

Eighty-five years ago, this British family was taking refuge in their air-raid shelter, and had the luxury of information and entertainment courtesy of their radio. The July 13, 1940, issue of of Practical Wireless gave some pointers on the best way to equip the shelter with radio. The magazine acknowledged that there was no single solution for every case, but the provided food for thought.

One option was to employ a remote speaker with the normal family radio. Somewhat counter-intuitively, it suggested that the best option might be to place the radio in the shelter, and put the speaker in the house. This was because they would have access to the radio while in the shelter, and could change stations if the need arises. And, of course, if the set was turned off, it could be turned on without delay getting to the shelter.

The magazine also discussed the possibility of a portable. Here, it cautioned that if the shelter had a damp environment, it might be best to store the set outside. Finally, it discussed the possibility of using a car radio, particularly if a battery were in place for lighting.