Shown here on the cover of the February 1958 issue of Radio & TV News is Dorothy Hicks, K0BRZ, of Omaha, Nebraska, at the controls of the demonstration ham shack of World Radio Laboratories (WRL) in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa. The store maintained the station to showcase available products, both its own and those of other manufacturers, which were rotated through the station on a regular basis. The station was made available to hams passing through who might need to maintain a schedule, as well as to new novices.

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Dorothy’s home station was more modest, with a Viking Ranger transmitter, National NC-300 receiver, and WRL tri-band beam. She typically did about three hours a day of ragchewing, usually on 10 and 15 meter phone.

Dorothy’s husband was Curt Hicks, K0AMM, the president of the Ak-Sar-Ben Radio Club. Their son Paul received his novice ticket at age 11, with the call KN0GZJ.

Shown at the WRL station is an Astatic D-104 microphone, Hallicrafters HT-32 transmitter, and Vibroplex bug for CW operation. The output of the HT-32 exciter fed a WRL Globe King 500 B transmitter, capable of 720 watts PEP input. Either the Hallicrafters or WRL could be used individually as transmitter.

Two receivers are shown, a Hammarlund HQ-110 and a National NC-109.