Junior will be the envy of his friends if you build him his very own chariot, as shown here in the November 1938 issue of Popular Mechanics.
The design is simplicity itself. You just need an old set of wheels and axle, and attach them to the bottom. A 2×4 and a couple of pieces of pipe serve as a towbar, allowing two of Junior’s lucky friends to pull him around the yard. The reins are a nice touch, and I’m sure the friends appreciate them.
Unfortunately, the magazine doesn’t seem to provide any details as to what’s going on in this picture, from the cover of Radio News, November 1943.
But obviously, these men are mastering the finer points of voice communication.
Sixty years ago this month, the November 1958 issue of Electronics Illustrated reviewed the Knight 83Y766 five-transistor radio kit from Allied Radio.
The magazine’s set was put together by a beginner with absolutely no experience, “who didn’t know a transistor from a transmitter, or a capacitor from a cake pan.” But by following the meticulous ste-by-step instructions, the builder reported that he had “never seen anything so easy in my life. The instructions are simpler than those on a ready-mix cake box.”
The kit retailed for $29.95 and required only pliers, screwdriver, and soldering iron.
I’m sure that most of our readers agree that you can’t have too much banjo music on the air. In 1938, WHAS Louisville did things right by carrying “Cousin Emmy”, as shown here in the November 1938 issue of Rural Radio.
The day was guaranteed to get off to a good start, since the program was carried at 6:45 AM, six days a week.
Yesterday, we showed how Hugo Gernsback’s magazine Radio News was promoting television. And the cover of his Science and Invention magazine for November 1928 was also engaged in the enthusiasm, with plans for the set shown here.
Ninety years ago, it was clear that television was going to be the next big thing, and the November 1928 issue of Radio News contained all of the information needed to get started.
In addition to showing the plans for the mechanical set shown here, the magazine carried the television schedule of the magazine’s flagship station, WRNY.
Wikipedia image. By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1970-083-42 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link
Ninety years ago this month, the November 1928 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to put together this trickle charger for your set’s “A” battery (the one supplying filament voltage, which appears to be 6 volts in this case).
The voltage was dropped over two lamps in parallel, and the current was rectified by a homemade rectifier consisting of a strip of aluminum (as pure as possible) and strip of lead, in a solution of borax. The article noted that the charger wouldn’t do much good for a completely dead battery, but by hooking up the trickle charger when the set was not in use, it would keep it topped off.
This tutorial on soldering appeared 70 years ago this month in the November 1948 issue of Popular Mechanics.
It reminds you to keep your trusty Eveready flashlight handy when soldering. First, you can use it to locate the broken wire. Then, you can prop it up to brightly illuminate the work area.
