Eighty years ago this month, the December 1942 issue of Popular Science showed how to put together this two-tube AC-DC set. The miniature set used two midget tubes, types 9001 and 9002. The 9002 pentode served as a sensitive detector, and the 9001 triode was used as a rectifier.

The filaments were wired in series, and since they required a 600 ohm dropping resistor, not one but two “curtain burner” cords were used, wired in series.

With a short antenna lying along the floor, the set could pull in local stations with good selectivity. Out in the country with a 75 foot antenna, it boasted a range of 600 miles.