We’ve previously mentioned prolific radio author Tom Kneitel, best known by his 1960’s era call sign, K2AES.  Starting 50 years ago this month with the March 1966 issue of Electronics Illustrated, Kneitel wrote the regular column Uncle Tom’s Corner, which he continued until the magazine’s demise in 1972.

His first column carried a sidebar with a biography, calling him an “irascible misanthrope, a rabble rouser and the dirty old man of electronics.” It noted that he was the leading writer on the subject of SWL’ing who later “gave the Citizens Band its name and was instrumental in making it into the world’s most dynamic radio service.”

According to the biography, Kneitel was born in Brooklyn in 1933 and got his start in electronics as a disc jockey. He later spent six years with United Artists, “selling 16mm films in–of all places–Greenland and Liberia.” In 1966, he had lived in New York, Florida, California, and Oklahoma. It noted that he drove a Jaguar and had a bloodhound named Zelda.

Kneitel had earlier held the calls K3FLL and WB2AAI. Prior to his death in 2008, he was W4XAA.

Click Here For Today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Cartoon

In an earlier post, we covered WMBB radio, which broadcast from the Trianon Ballroom, the “World’s Most Beautiful Ballroom” from 1925 to 1928. Shown here is more of the station’s on air talent, Lola Schofield. This picture appeared in the March 13, 1926, issue of Radio Digest, which noted that she helped make the station’s programs pleasant with her dramatic soprano voice. The station concluded its broadcasts with the cast singing, “W-M-B-B Chi-ca-go,” an early example of a station jingle.

Shown below is more of the station’s talent, “Dell Lampe’s Syncopators,” which, according to the caption, could always be depended upon to provide lively dance music.

Click Here For Today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Cartoon

The 1941 issue of the Radio Handbook carried this ad for the Meissner Model 9-1081 2-1/2 Meter Transceiver.

This portable transceiver covered the 2-1/2 meter band, 110-120 MHz, and was reportedly built to withstand the abuse of portable service. It contained a compartment for microphone, headphone, and log book, and ad a built-in telescoping antenna.

The set measured twelve inches high, eleven inches wide, and 6-1/4 inches deep. It weighed 13 pounds without batteries.

Few details were given in the ad, and I haven’t been able to find any reference to a surviving example of this early portable. I suspect that the set was similar to the 5 meter transceiver I wrote about earlier, in that it probably used the same tube as both a superregenerative receiver and transmitter.

A later ad shows the price as $34.50.

Click Here For Today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Cartoon

This advertisement from the March 1936 issue of Radio Today shows a Zenith car radio.

The ad touts Zenith as producing “America’s safest auto radio,” and details some of the safety features. The tuning and volume controls are mounted on the steering column to keep the driver from having to fumble with the actual radio, which would be mounted somewhere else under the dash.

The dial pointer on the large “safety dial” was illuminated, but only when the dial was actually being turned. The dial was viewable at any angle, with never any glare to blind the driver.

The ad in this trade publication was directed at dealers, and reminded them that this radio sold fast!

Click Here For Today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Cartoon

Shown here is one of the tools of the trade of the radio serviceman 80 years ago, as shown in the March 1936 issue of Service magazine.

From the Precision Apparatus Corporation, this is the Electonometer Model 500 tube tester.

Click Here For Today’s Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Cartoon