Wilderness Survival Overnighter: 1951

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One of my more memorable experiences from Scouting was earning Wilderness Survival merit badge.  Surprisingly, my favorite and most memorable requirement is no longer a requirement. While the current merit badge asks scouts to demonstrate making a shelter and building a fire, it doesn’t have a requirement to tie it all together. The final requirement when I earned it was to spend the night alone, with only minimal supplies. I put together some kind of shelter, and cooked my own meal without utensils. Even though there were no utensils, I was miraculously provided with the food, which included some raw ground beef. Using green twigs, I was able to construct a basket to cook my hamburger over the fire. I believe I was also allowed a match, so I didn’t have to resort to a more primitive method of fire starting.  Overall, it was kind of a miserable night, but it was miserable in a good way, enjoying my half-cooked hamburger and sleeping under some makeshift twigs.

Seventy-five years ago, the August 1951 of Boys’ Life showed the same general experience. A group of Explorer Scouts decided to do a “survival overnighter.” They were more fortunate than I was when it came to shelter–they were allowed a sheet, which they could form into a tent. Other than that, they were allowed ten feet of cord, a blanket, a poncho, some charred cloth in a waterproof envelope, a pocket knife, canteen, and first aid gear.

They didn’t get any ground beef. Their food consisted of some biscuit mix and salt. Other than that, they were to live off the land. They managed to catch a few fish, and they demonstrated a deadfall trap, although they noted that trapping was prohibited in some states. One big fish was caught with a handmade line and hook, and other smaller fish were simply caught by hand. Unlike me, they didn’t get a match, and had to use friction to get their charred cloth going.

Elsewhere in the magazine, scouts were shown an example, shown at left, of what might go in their pockets, to help ensure survival if they got separated from their pack.



1926 Parks On The Air

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One hundred years ago this month, these proto-POTA hams were on a camping trip, and their natural inclination was to bring along a rig and make a few contacts.

In 2016, the ARRL’s National Parks On The Air (NPOTA) program brought a boost to operating from parks. After that program ended, it gave a boost to the already existing Worldwide Flora and Fauna (WWFF) program, from which Parks On The Air (POTA) spun off. But for many hams, including myself, operating from remote portable locations has always been a natural.

This picture appeared on the cover of QST, August 1926.



1966 Harley-Davidson 50cc

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I was unaware that Harley-Davidson ever produced a 50cc motorcycle, but they did, as shown by this ad in the July 1966 issue of Popular Mechanics.  Despite the Young America monicker, the bike was actually made in Italy, where only 10,500 rolled off the assembly line.  Helmets apparently weren’t a thing back then, but a cape was.  They started at around $225, which works out to $2319  in 2026 dollars.



1951 Western Union Telecar

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Shown here on the cover of Radio-Electronics magazine, July 1951, is a Western Union messenger in a specially equipped telecar. The last mile was a challenge for Western Union delivery of telegrams. In the central business district, a messenger could be dispatched from the office. But in residential areas, the system was not efficient. Therefore, Western Union equipped vehicles with a two-way radio and facsimile machine. Even when unattended, the fax would print out an incoming telegram, delivered by 30-50 Mhz radio, and the messenger would quickly deliver it to an address in his area. According to the magazine, the system was already in operation in Baltimore.



1966 Six Meter Superregen

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Shown here on the cover of QST for July 1966 is a transistorized “rush box” superregenerative receiver for 6 meters, designed by Technical Editor Doug DeMaw, W1CER (later W1FB).

The main design consideration was low cost, but the circuit was very sensitive. And it put out two watts of audio, making it suitable for use in noisy environments.



1966 Two-Transistor TRF

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Sixty years ago this month, the July 1966 issue of the British Radio Constructor carried the plans for this two-transistor TRF receiver for the medium wave band. The magazine noted that the TRF (tuned radio frequency) set would never match the performance of a superhet, but for the beginner, it was easy to understand and build, and no complicated alignment procedures were necessary.



1941 Crosley Displays

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No, she’s not pedaling to power the radio. And if you look carefully, she’s just a cardboard display. This is actually a retail display for Crosley radios, as shown in the July 1941 issue of Radio News. The magazine notes that it’s not enough for a radio retailer to just have the product. Also needed are effective sales aids, such as these.



1966 FM Wireless Mike

Sixty years ago this month, the July 1966 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to make this FM wireless mike. Construction was simple, since a printed circuit board was available, and there wasn’t really much that could go wrong. A supplier of the circuit board ($1) or a complete set of parts ($8.95) was provided.

The tuning procedure was explained, and the magazine stressed that to comply with FCC rules, you had to pick a blank spot on the FM dial. Transmitting outside the band was strictly prohibited. And undoubtedly, all builders followed this admonition: “The transmitter should be tested by a competent electronic technician. He should determine that the unit meets FCC requirements and give you a written statement to this effect. Attach this certificate to your transmitter.”



Vacuum Tube Criminal: 1956

Shown here are the mug shots of Joseph Bernard Lynch of Boston. When his cellmates asked him what he was in for, he would have to tell them “tube rebranding.”

His scheme is exposed in the July 1956 issue of Radio News.  He bought bad tubes for two or three cents each. The magazine noted that the sellers should have been suspicious, because there was no legitimate use for them. He then fraudulently rebranded them, and labeled them to show that they were still under warranty. He then returned them to the manufacturers and got replacement tubes, which he sold at a discount.

But the long arm of the law eventually caught up with him, and he was sentenced to two years. The magazine gives his address as 82 Carver Street. That was apparently the bad side of town. The address no longer exists, having given way to urban renewal in the 1960s.