But it’s not just a program, thanks to the golden tone of her General Electric radio. This ad appeared in Life magazine 85 years ago today, February 19, 1940.
GE Radio 1940
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1966 Grocery Prices
For a snapshot of grocery prices in 1966, this ad appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, February17, 1966. So the 59 cent butter was actually closer to $6 a pound.
There’s been a lot of inflation since then. According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1968 is the equivalent of $9.68 in 2025. And the whole chickens for 29 cents a pound were closer to $3 a pound.
What would you make for dinner if you were buying the groceries in 1966?
George Ott, Jr., Meadville, PA, 1950
Shown here 75 years ago is radio servicing professional George Ott, Jr., of Meadville, PA. Ten years prior, at the age of 24, Ott had lost the use of both of his legs. After being confined to bed and then surgery, he was able to get around with a wheelchair. In 1943, he enrolled in the National Radio Institute correspondence school, and made steady progress from that time.
He reported that despite his disability, he was doing fine in radio and television. His firm had taken on a contract with Montgomery Ward for service and installation, and he also worked with two other local furniture dealers. While they stocked some televisions, service was the heart of their business, rather than sales.
The picture appeared on the cover of National Radio News, February 1950.
1940 Mobile Puppet Show
Perhaps some entrepreneur will be inspired by this photo, and the self-explanatory concept will make a comeback. 85 years ago, the February 1940 issue of Radio Craft featured this mobile puppet show. The truck was equipped with a 1500 watt generator, which powered amplifier and lighting, along with a record player, mixer, and fader. The amplifier was a Lafayette Model 269-T, which put out 20 watts to two ten-inch speakers.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Valentine’s Day from OneTubeRadio.com!
Eighty years ago, it was the last Valentine’s day of the war, and for many GI’s, this cartoon probably summed it up. Let’s hope that Valentine’s Day 1946 was happier.
The cartoon appeared on the front page of the February 14, 1945, issue of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Radio Stamp Fad of 1925
A hundred years ago, this gentleman is enjoying the latest craze in the radio world, namely, collecting stamps issued by stations around the country. He purchased the album from the Ekko Company, 111 West Monroe St., Chicago for $1.75. It contained hundreds of spots for stamps for various stations. It also included cards to be sent to the stations with reception reports, along with a spot to place a dime. If the reception report checked out, the station would send you a stamp for your album. Chances are, they made a modest profit, thanks to your dime.
As your album filled up, you could show off to your friends what stations you pulled in, with the proof right in front of their eyes.
The cover is from the February 1925 issue of Radio News, which carried an article discussing the system. It also just happened to have an ad for Ekko, from which you could order your album.
1955 Giant Loop Crystal Set
This young woman has been collecting Social Security for a few years now, but 70 years ago, she was pulling in a program from the proverbial strong local station, thanks to this handsome giant loop crystal set, described in the 1955 volume of Radio-TV Experimenter.
Thanks to the large loop antenna, the set did not require an external antenna or ground for those strong stations. The loop consisted of 85 feet of wire around at 14 x 24 inch frame. Attention was given to finishing the wooden frame to make the object an item of beauty as well as utility.
The set could be rotated for best reception, and for added sensitivity (but reduced selectivity), it could be placed near a floor lamp to inductively use the power lines as an antenna. As you can see, this listener was quite impressed with the design.
Lola Lane’s Majestic Model 3C70, 1940
Actress Lola Lane is shown here doing some SWL’ing with her Majestic model 3C70. The cabinet is hand-rubbed sliced walnut. But more importantly, the seven tube chassis inside covered three bands (550-1700 kHz and 2.1 – 22 MHz) and included a loop antenna.
The photo appeared 85 years ago this month in the February 1940 issue of Radio Today.
1965 CB Sportscar Mobile
Sixty years ago, there was no better way to impress the chicks than installing a CB radio in your sportscar, as demonstrated here by one Dave Hallow, KLK6733. We have a hunch, however, that he’s actually shown here with his kid sister. In any event, the car was an Austin-Healy Sprite, and Hallow needed to figure out how to install a CB without disturbing the lines of the car. He accomplished this, first, by replacing the existing AM antenna with an Antenna Specialists M-103 combination AM-CB antenna. Since there was no room under the dash, he installed an E.F. Johnson M-III transistorized transceiver under the dash, along with a Johnson suppression kit to eliminate interference.
He’s shown wearing a Telex DYB-10 boom microphone headset to allow hand-free communication. The photo appeared in the February 1965 issue of Popular Electronics, which noted that the headset provided the ability to receive clear signals above 40 MPH. Perhaps regulators hadn’t gotten around to re-writing traffic codes yet, but a dual headset for the driver would be illegal in most states today, since it doesn’t allow road noises to be heard. These days, single-ear Bluetooth headsets, complete with noise-cancelling mike, are available.
We asked ChatGPT to write a story based upon this picture. I don’t think we have to worry about job security–just yet. But here’s ChatGPT’s take on it:
The Radio Roadtrip
In the summer of 1965, young Tommy had a dream–to make the ultimate road trip using nothing but his wits, his radio, and his dad’s old convertible. His little sister, Sally, wasn’t about to be left behind, even though she wasn’t quite sure what “ham radio” even meant.
“Are you sure you can drive this thing?” Sally asked, gripping the side of the car as she climbed in.
Tommy, adjusting his oversized headset and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, gave her a confident nod. “Of course! Well… kinda. But that’s not the point. The point is, we’re gonna talk to people all over the world—while driving!”
Sally giggled, excited despite herself. “Like astronauts?”
“Exactly! Or people in Australia! Or maybe even spies! Who knows?” Tommy grinned as he flipped a few switches on the makeshift radio setup he had wired into the dashboard. The soft crackle of static filled the car, and then a voice came through—
“CQ, CQ… this is W6XYZ. Anyone out there?”
Tommy’s eyes widened. He quickly grabbed the microphone. “W6XYZ, this is Tommy—uh, I mean, this is K0TOM, mobile unit, coming in loud and clear!”
Sally clapped her hands. “It works! It really works!”
Their adventure had begun.
Would they make contact with a scientist in Antarctica? A pilot flying high above the clouds? Or maybe even a fellow kid with a radio of their own? One thing was for sure—this was going to be a summer to remember.
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1925 Emergency Foot Bridge
A hundred years ago this month, the February 1925 issue of Science and Invention gave these self-explanatory plans for constructing an emergency foot bridge. It had the advantage of being able to use it as you constructed it, since you pushed each new section into place.
Each support was a pair of jumping poles. You would form them into an “X” shape, and then push them out ahead. Perhaps some student will be inspired to turn this into a science fair project. Or perhaps a scout looking for a good pioneering project might be inspired. (If the water below is deeper than ankle-deep, then the current Guide to Safe Scouting calls for participants to wear a life jacket.)
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