Monthly Archives: January 2026

1951 British Five Tube Car Radio

If you were a British motorist and radio enthusiast 75 years ago, putting a radio in your car was a do-it-yourself project, thanks to this five-tube superheterodyne medium-wave receiver shown in the January 1951 issue of Practical Wireless. There was nothing novel about the circuit, and it probably wouldn’t pull in a lot of foreign stations. But for entertainment and information from local stations, it would serve well. A vibrator power supply was on a separate chassis, which employed a sixth tube, the rectifier.



Putting Up An Antenna: 1951

Seventy-five years ago, it was kind of a given that a scout might have a crystal set or a one or two-tube radio. So it was only logical that the January 1956 issue of Boys’ Life would contain pointers on putting up an outdoor antenna.



1926 Two Tube Receiver

There was a time when the Sunday newspaper would show you the schematic for a two-tube short wave receiver, and a hundred years ago today was one of those times. The diagram shown here appeared in the San Antonio (TX) Light, January 17, 1926.



What Can I Get? 1926

One hundred years ago, the young woman shown here is obviously an experienced broadcast listener. But she had to start somewhere, and at some point, she probably asked the question, “what can I get?”

A discussion of that question appeared in the January 1926 issue of Radio In The Home, and this listener’s picture graces that article. It covered a number of issues, such as selection of the set, and the importance of a good antenna and ground. But it concludes by noting that the most important factor in DX reception was the “dial touch.” This listener is clearly demonstrating that, and the article notes that every night, the answers to “what will I get” will become more and more numerous.



1956 Home Hi Fi

This gentleman and his canine companion are relaxing seventy years ago to music from a state-of-the-art Hi Fi system. The photo appears on the cover of Radio News, January 1956, which notes that some of the equipment was bought assembled, while other parts were put together from kits.



Custom TV Installation, 1951

Seventy-five years ago, it was a red letter day for this housewife when the man in the white lab coat showed up at her door to do the custome installation of what would later be called a home theater. This particular installation included a Radio Craftsman Model RC 101 16″ television and model R-10 AM-FM radio. The record player came from Milwaukee Stamping Co., and the speakers were from Jensen. Atop the extra cabinet unit was a Talk-A-Phone “Chief” intercom, and there was a storage compartment that could later be used for a tape recorder.

The picture appeared on the cover of Radio News, January 1951. The accompanying article noted that custom installation was once considered a novelty, but was rapidly becoming an important factor in the trade.

This unit was a free-standing cabinet, but the article noted the many options for built-in equipment. Architects, interior decorators, and home designers were said to be having a field day with the new options. The magazine traced the evolution of home heating. It began with open fireplaces, then stoves, then fancy baseburners, and finally a furnace hiddn away in the basement or utility room. It predicted a similar progression for home electronics.



Iran Protests: The Importance of a Shortwave Radio

I know that this site has at least one follower in Iran.  But I’m certain that they are not following us at the moment, because the government of Iran shut down the internet.  International telephone service has also been cut.  When things settle down, they’ll be back, and they can know that they were in our prayers.  But since they obviously have an interest in radio, we hope that they are getting news from the outside world via radio.

If they have Starlink, they can use that.  But it’s unlikely that most people have the hardware just sitting around, since it’s expensive.  And it’s probably illegal.   Satellite TV is apparently popular, but it’s also illegal.  And if the revolutionary guards are running around shooting people, you probably don’t want to have an illegal satellite dish visible on your balcony.

Once again, we are reminded the importance of having even a very inexpensive shortwave or even mediumwave (AM) receiver.  With it, even if due to circumstances outside of your control cause you to lose contact with the outside world, you can still keep yourself informed.

To get some idea of what you would be able to hear on a radio in Iran, I went to one of the closest WebSDR’s I could find, a remote receiver in Kuwait.  The medium wave stations would be different from the ones I would hear in Iran, but the shortwave band would sound about the same.  There were dozens of signals available.  Most were in local languages, but I did hear French, and at least one English station, Radio China International on 9600 kHz.

Undoubtedly, many of the signals I was hearing were in Farsi or Arabic, meaning that local listeners would be able to get news from the outside world, such as from the BBC Persian service from transmitters in Cyprus, Rwanda, and Oman.  During normal times, having an FM receiver is also a good thing.  But in this case, unless you were close enough to a border to hear foreign stations, it wouldn’t provide much useful information.

You needn’t spend a lot of money on a shortwave radio.  And even during normal times, a portable AM/FM radio (since the inexpensive shortwave sets also get AM and FM) can come in handy.

This link will take you to the Amazon search results for inexpensive shortwave radios.  The list is sorted by price, and also includes only products with free shipping available.  So if you have Prime, you pay no shipping.  If you don’t have Prime, then add some items to your order to bring it up to $35.  (My favorites in this category are toilet paper, coffee, or canned goods.)  As you can see, prices start for under $10.  I don’t have experience with these particular models, since they come and go.  But my experience is that most of these cheap receivers perform very well on FM, serve the purpose on AM, and will pull in at least a few strong shortwave stations.

Looking at the reviews, it appears that this one performs adequately, and would get at least some shortwave stations, although the small dial makes it tricky to tune.  It requires AA batteries, so be sure to stock up on them as well.    This one is slightly larger, meaning that it’s easier to tune.  It has a built-in rechargeable battery which charges from a USB.  (See our earlier post on preparing for power outages to make sure you’re prepared to recharge it in an emergency.)

For most of our readers, it’s very unlikely that your government will intentionally put you in the dark.  But even in circumstances as mundane as a power outage, it’s good to know that you can find out what’s going on in the world.  And the price for making this preparation is close to zero.

آزادی، آزادی، آزادی



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Big Beam Jr. Flashlight, 1951

If you were in the market for a flashlight 75 years ago, you couldn’t go wrong with the Big Beam Jr. from the U-C Lite Mfg. Co. of Chicago.  It could be focused to provide a sharp beam, or as a floodlight.  It retailed for $6.75, less battery.

It is featured here in the January 1951 issue of Popular Mechanics.



Tropicalizing Radios, 1946

Eighty years ago, this Indiana radio worker is “tropicalizing” radio equipment. The chassis has just had a lacquer applied, and it is now passing through an infrared drying oven. The photo was taken at the Farnsworth Television and Radio Corp. in Marion, Indiana, and appeared on the cover of Radio News, January 1946.



Grant’s Department Store Radio Department, 1926

A hundred years ago, if you were in need of radio parts in San Antonio, then you couldn’t go wrong by heading to the Radio Department of Grant’s Department Store, 305-311 East Houston Street, where you could find tubes, B batteries, or even tuning condensers for just a dollar a piece. This ad appeared in the San Antonio (TX) Sun, January 8, 1926.