We’ve previously written (here and here) about the Heathkit Model CB-1 CB transceiver. Sixty years ago this month, the September 1959 issue of Popular Electronics carried a review of the kit.

The magazine described the set as handsome and lightweight and convenient for use either at home or in the car. The set had a built-in 120 volt power supply, and could be used mobile with a vibrator power supply.

The set was easy to put together, but the magazine warned not to rush and try to do it in a single evening. During that sunspot peak, the author reported that stations from several time zones were heard. When operated from the car, a station a few miles away reported a good signal with high modulation.

Fifty years ago this month, the September 1969 issue of Electronics Illustrated reviewed a number of pocket (for large pockets, that is) portable AM-FM receivers.

The magazine noted that many such sets were showing up as loss leaders and prices below $10, and the article asked how these cheap models compared with more expensive brand names. The surprising result was that the cheap no-name sets performed as well as the more expensive models, although the more expensive sets were, in some cases, easier to tune and looked better. But the moral of the story was that these were a class of products where shopping strictly for price was the best strategy.

I’m not sure what this old tube is doing, but it appears on the cover of the September 1929 issue of the Soviet publication Радиолюбитель (Radio Amateur). One would think that the word written on the ground would add some context.  But according to Google translate, “скатертъюборога” means “tablecloth,” so that doesn’t seem to help.

Since I can’t think of any other reason why atheist Soviets would be showing Christian crosses, I assume that these are grave markers.  Modern Soviet tubes have replaced the old models, and this old tube is visiting his fallen comrades at the cemetery.  Perhaps he plans to have a picnic on the tablecloth.

Sixty years ago, a 1959 issue of Radio-TV Experimenter carried the plans for this one-tube VHF receiver. The superregenerative set covered 27-200 MHz. Since the sunspot cycle was cooperative in 1959, the set pulled in a lot of DX. On the 10 meter amateur band, the author reported hearing hams in Mexico, Cuba, Alaska, and Japan. In addition, he pulled in paging services in California and Puerto Rico, and police stations in South America, all with an indoor wire antenna. With an outdoor beam antenna, he pulled in the audio of BBC television in London.

One half of the 12AT7 tube acted as the sensitive detector, with the other half serving as audio amplifier. Plug-in coils were used for band switching.

A hundred years ago this month, the September 1919 issue of Radio Amateur News carried this “pocket size” (for large pockets, presumably) crystal set. According to the author, the set was, from Illinois with a 140 foot antenna, able to pull in NAA Arlington, NAR Key West, as well as a large number of ships off the Atlantic coast. Tuning was accomplished through taps on both the primary and secondary coils, and could tune to a maximum wavelength of 3500 meters (86 kHz).

The radio was mounted in a leather-covered carrying case for a No. 2 Folding Brownie Camera.  It was set so that one side could be opened completely, allowing access to controls. The detector was a galena crystal, and the set contained a test buzzer for use in finding the “sweet spot” on the crystal. A fixed capacitor was made of two 2×6 inch sheets of tinfoil, separated by wax paper and folded.

Fifty years ago, the September 1969 issue of Electronics Illustrated showed how to put together this greeting card radio. The chasis was a 6×9 inch greeting card. On the left side is a homemade circuit board consisting of aluminum foil attached to cardboard with rubber cement. The top half of the circuit board is also the stator of the variable capacitor, with the rotor being another piece of foil cemented to cardboard. The crystal earphone was permanently attached, presumably meaning that extra postage was required.

If the idea looks familiar, it’s because we’ve featured similar ideas in the past, such as this 1947 one-tube set or this 1940 postcard radio.  If you’re looking for parts, see our crystal set parts page.

The 160 Meter band was reopened to use by Amateur Radio Operators in 1949, but the band was also used for the LORAN radio navigation system. That system allowed ships to plot their location quite accurately. It relied on shore stations that transmitted synchronized signals. The time difference between the two signals placed the ship on a given line, and by noting the intersection of two such lines, the location could be determined.

Because the band was shared, hams were limited in both frequency and power to protect the LORAN signals. The map shown above showed the initial restrictions in 1949, and appeared in the September 1949 issue of Radio Electronics.

Essentially, each state and territory was assigned two 25 kHz segments with specified day and night power levels. The Gulf Coast states were allowed 200 watts power during the day, but this segment of the country was not allowed on the air at all after local sunset.

By the mid-1970s when I got on the air, the restrictions had been relaxed considerably, and the band was quite good for regional contacts at night. While ‘phone operation was allowed, almost all of the activity I remember was CW. The restrictions as of 1975 are shown here, from the 1975 edition of the ARRL License Manual: