Monthly Archives: April 2019

American Television Turns 80

1939AprRadioRetailingAmerican television didn’t really get off the ground until after the war, but by 1939, there were a handful of stations, mostly in New York City, using standards compatible with postwar standards. For example, we’ve previously written about W2XBS, which later became WNBT, and is currently WNBC, which came on the air 80 years ago today, April 30, 1939. That station has been in continuous operation, meaning that modern television in the U.S. is 80 years old. The receivers numbered in the hundreds, and the majority of them were in public places such as taverns. The April 1939 issue of Radio Retailing shows the offerings available from a number of different manufacturers.

The viewer shown here is enjoying a program on her set manufactured by the American Television Corporation.



Teaching Women to Read Electric Meters

1919AprPS3This interesting article appeared in Popular Science a hundred years ago this month, April 1919.

Due to wartime labor shortages, many women took over the profession of electric meter reading, and the magazine noted that this was one area of employment for women that would probably survive the war.  Utility companies had started schools to train girls for the job, made somewhat challenging due to the fact that each dial ran in the opposite direction of the one next to it.  So in the example shown here, the dial at the left ran counter-clockwise, and the one next to it ran clockwise.

The course instructor discoursed largely upon the hardships of the work, which managed to drive away many of the students.  Then, some of them were unable to pass the examination.  But those who made it through the intensive three-day course “stick to their jobs just as tenaciously as do the men.”

Image result for electric meter

Wikipedia image of electromechanical meter currently in use.

The other striking thing about this century-old article is the fact that the same dials of the electromechanical meter are easily recognizable today.  While many home electric meters have digital components, many of the type shown here remain in service.



1944 Portable Phono

1944AprPMPhonoSeventy five years ago this month, the April 1944 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to make this portable phonograph, to easily bring recorded music to a friend’s house.  Since the friend presumably already owned a radio, then it was a simple matter of plugging this set into the phono input of the friend’s radio.

And if there was no phono input, then you would screw in two 60 watt light bulbs (which served as the dropping resistor for the filaments) which would bring to life the two-tube oscillator contained in the phono.  The music would be heard near the top of the radio dial.

1944AprPMPhonoSchematic



1944 Grocery Prices

1944April27MilJourHere’s a snapshot of grocery prices during World War II. This ad for National Tea Food Stores  appeared in the Milwaukee Journal 75 years ago today, April 27, 1944.

Many items were rationed.  For example, the beef and pork indicate how many points were needed, meaning that the shopper would need to redeem a ration coupon.  Other items, such as chicken and fish, are advertised as “no points,” meaning that they were not rationed.



1949 Simple Camp Stove

1949AprPM2Seventy years ago this month, the April 1949 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to make this quick and dirty camp stove out of a coffee can. After punching some vent holes, sand was placed in the can, which was soaked in “gasoline or fuel oil.” The magazine cautioned not to add fuel without waiting for the sand to cool off.



1944 Emergency Supplies for Downed Flyers

1944AprPSSeventy five years ago this month, the April 1944 issue of Popular Science showed this illustration of the survival items that could be dropped to airmen who were forced to make an emergency landing in the Arctic.

For a larger image, click twice on the image above from most browsers.



1934 One Tube Regen

1934AprSWcraft2The plans for this handsome one-tube shortwave receiver appeared 85 years ago this month in the April 1934 issue of Short Wave Craft.  The set employed a single type 30 tube as its regenerative detector. The magazine recommended putting together one of these simple sets for those just becoming acquainted with the short waves, in order to acquaint themselves thoroughly with the operating and handling of a shortwave set.  Plug-in coils would allow tuning 16-200 meters.

An antenna of 30-100 feet was said to be adequate, in conjunction with a good ground. But the magazine advised keeping the antenna as high as possible.

1934AprSWcraft3



Signal Corps Recruiting Women, 1944

1944Apr23MilJourSeventy-five years ago today, the April 23, 1944, issue of the Milwaukee Journal carried this article noting that recruiters from the Signal Corps were in Milwaukee looking for women to take jobs in Arlington, Virginia.

It’s likely that the women thus employed were part of the operations of radio station WAR, such as the operator shown below.

 



1959 Two Transistor Regen

1959AprPEregenSixty years ago this month, the April 1959 issue of Popular Electronics contained this project, a two-transistor regenerative receiver for the broadcast band. The circuit used a 2N247 (or 2N274) transistor as regenerative detector, with a 2N109 (or 2N217) serving as audio amplifier to drive headphones. A built-in ferrite loopstick served as antenna for portable use, although there were terminals for external antenna and ground to pull in more distant stations.

1959AprPEregenSchematic