Category Archives: Radio history

1948 British Two-Tube Bedside Portable

The plans for this two-tube British bedside portable appeared 75 years ago this month in the November 1948 issue of Practical Wireless. The set was designed to pull in the BBC Light and Home Service programs with loudspeaker volume, using commonly available components. It ran on battery power, and used two tubes. Because a small frame antenna would be used, the author realized that at least one stage of RF amplification would be necessary. Therefore, the first tube was a dual tube, servicing as RF amplifier and detector. Another tube served as AF amplifier to drive the speaker.

1923 Brandeis Department Store Radio Dept.

If you were looking for radio supplies in Omaha a hundred years ago, the Brandeis department store was the place to go, as shown in this ad in the Omaha Bee, November 24, 1923.

You could get a complete Radiolet crystal set, normally a $10 value, for only $6.95. That included everything you needed to start pulling in stations, since it included the headphones and antenna.

And they knew that the secret of selling radios was to get the kids campaigning for a set. So in addition to their normal radio department on the main floor, they were to be set up in the toy department on Saturday so that the kids could make sure Santa knew the family needed a radio.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from OneTubeRadio.com!

As you serve your Thanksgiving dinner, you very well might have the radio playing in the background, and, if so, you are part of a century long tradition. This ad, from the October 28, 1923 Washington Sunday Star, for the Lansburgh and Brother Department Store, 420-430 7th St. NW, displays various accoutrements you’ll need for Thanksgiving dinner, such as an electric percolator for only $12.

But the close-up below shows how to really impress your guests. There were sure to be special Thanksgiving broadcasts, and you could entertain your guests with them with a brand new Radiola IV for only $275. It would be a wonderful source of pleasure for your home.

A Knock On the Door: 1943

In America 80 years ago, a knock on the door, even when you are listening to the radio, meant that a friend had come to call.

But as this RCA ad in the November 22, 1943, issue of Life magazine reminded readers, things weren’t the same in the Axis countries. It could mean the Gestapo and death if they knocked when you were listening to an American or British broadcast.

In America, you could even listen to enemy propaganda without worry, and it was often good for a hearty laugh. For now, American manufacturers such as RCA were supporting the war effort exclusively. But the ad reminds Americans that they would soon be back with fine radios and other electronic products.

Washington, DC, Outside Antennas Need Permit: 1923

It’s quite possible that the stealth antenna had its genesis a hundred years ago today, as seen from this banner headline in the November 20, 1923, issue of the Washington Times.

According to the newspapers, Washington D.C. radio fans with an outside antenna would need to get a permit from the district engineer office. That permit would need the approval of the District electrical engineer, would require an in-person inspection, and, not unimportantly, a fee of $2 (the equivalent of $36 in 2023 dollars). Since this was the first anyone had heard of such a requirement, the newspaper pointed out that a multitude of radio fans were outlaws.

The order had come down from superintendent of police Daniel Sullivan, who informed the force of the requirement. In no event were the wires to cross any public space. The law had actually been in effect for many years, but the city electrical engineer had only recently brought it to the attention of the police department.

One motivation for the new law was the death of a park police officer while putting up an antenna, presumably on his own time and on his own property. The tragedy apparently prompted the police to begin enforcing the requirement.

1963 8-in-1 Project Kit

Sixty years ago this month, the November 1963 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to make this 8-in-1 project kit. The heart of the unit was a 2N107 transistor. It could be used as a code oscillator, or with the pitch of the oscillator turned way down, it would start clicking and serve as a metronome. It could also be used as a continuity tester, or for making various alarms.

RCA Tubes: 1938

Eighty-five years ago, RCA reminded dealers of the importance of the RCA name when it came to tubes. Since the earliest days of radio, RCA had cranked out 35 million tubes, and the public trusted the name. They were relied upon in industry, and by radio stations, both foreign and domestic.

If you were a dealer, would you want to take a chance on an off brand? The ad appeared in the November 1938 issue of Radio Retailing.

Emerson Models AX-211 and BM-216, 1938

Eighty-five years ago today, the November 14, 1938, issue of Life magazine carried this ad for the Emerson model AX-211 radio, as well as the model BM-216 radio-phono. The radio was a five-tube set, and the radio-phono had four tubes (plus a “ballast”).

As you can see, this was a time when people dressed up to listen to the radio. But you treat it as a formal occasion, too, if the radio provided a whole philharmonic performance from a radio the size of your hat! According to the ad, this was possible because the sets included a “miracle tone chamber.” It was the first time the miracle chamber had been offered in a set selling for less than $29.95. And indeed, they were considerably below that price point. The radio sold for $9.95, and the radio-phono went for only $19.95.

You could visit your closest dealer. Or, if you preferred, you could mail the coupon to Emerson, and their closest dealer would bring you a set on approval, with no additional shipping charge.

I’ve Fallen And I Can’t Get Up: 1973 Antecedent

Over a decade before Mrs. Fletcher (played by actress Dorothy McHugh) famously told the world that he had fallen and can’t get up, London engineer Douglas Wells, presumably shown in the dramatic re-enactment shown here, was at work on the problem. An elderly neighbor had tripped and fallen down the stairs of her home. She was found three days later, dead. This inspired Wells to come up with the early prototype shown here. It consisted of a mat which was placed at the bottom of the stairs. If someone fell down the stairs and landed on the mat, it would trigger an alarm bell and lighted “HELP” sign outside the house.

This would, of course, be a great benefit if someone fell on that particular stairway. But it would be of no help if some casualty afflicted the person elsewhere in the house. So the wireless device worn around the neck, hooked up to the telephone line, is probably a better solution.

For those in need of such a system, the first point of inquiry is often your local hospital, some of which provide these systems free of charge. If that’s not an option, one alternative is a medical alert service. They typically supply the equipment at no cost, but provide the service for about $20 per month. So if the person requiring assistance pushes the button, like Mrs. Fletcher, they will speak directly to an operator who will summon the required assistance. You can find a comparison of the available services at this link.

Another option is to purchase equipment similar to that shown here.
It consists of a base unit that connects to the normal landline telephone. If either of the panic buttons is pushed, it automatically dials up to three telephone numbers and plays a prerecorded message. The advantage of this type of system is that the caller ID information is displayed at the other end. So if it’s set to call 911, then the 911 dispatcher will know the location of the emergency. However, it’s probably best to program it to dial the numbers of friends or relatives who can intervene in emergencies, which may or may not warrant 911.

The third option is a system similar to the one shown here.
This small unit is actually a cellular phone. It relies upon the fact that all cellular phones in the U.S., whether or not activated, are required to be able to call 911. In this case, 911 is the only number it will call. The disadvantage is that, since it is not an activated phone, the 911 dispatcher probably won’t have access to your location. But as long as the owner is able to speak, they will be able to tell the dispatcher where they are, and what the emergency is. The phone is turned off until the button is pushed, so batteries (normal AAA batteries) will last a long time, and only need to be replaced once a year or so.

A final option for anyone potentially in need of such assistance is any cellular phone. Again, even if the phone is not activated, it can be used to call 911. One disadvantage is that it does require the user to affirmatively dial 911, which might be difficult in an emergency. Also, batteries need to be charged on a regular basis, which means it’s not something that can simply be forgotten until needed. But since most people have old cell phones lying around, it is a zero-cost option. If you’re worried about someone, simply asking them to put an old phone in their pocket gives some assurance that they can call for help, even if they can’t access their normal phone. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to keep an old phone, along with a 12 volt cord, in your car as a backup communications method in an emergency.

The picture at the top of the page of the 1973 system is from the November 1973 issue of Elementary Electronics.

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1963 British Two-Tube Regen

Sixty years ago this month, the November 1963 issue of the British journal Practical Wireless carried complete plans for constructing this handsome two-tube shortwave receiver. A transformer and solid state rectifier allowed it to be run from the AC mains. An acorn tube served as detector, with a dual triode supplying two stages of audio amplification for loudspeaker volume.

The set could tune 1.2 MHz to 100 MHz (or even lower, although each band would be quite narrow). For general use, the magazine suggested a coil covering 7-22 MHz, and perhaps a second one for 2-5 MHz. Coils could be wound on old tube bases, and complete coil data was included.

Since the set was designed for beginners, the blueprint also included a wealth of data useful new SWL’s, such as a list of stations, frequency allocations, and the Q-code.