Category Archives: Radio history

1963 Student Experimental Licenses

1963SepPEShown here, in the September 1963 issue of Popular Electronics, is Albert Pabin (I believe with the headphones) and two other students demonstrating an audio console by using it during an actual broadcast. Pabin was a ninth-grade student at Utica Free Academy, Utica, NY. His science project was the console he designed and built, and he wanted to demonstrate it under actual broadcast conditions.

To do so legally, he procured an experimental license from the FCC, and was able to go on the air, on 27 MHz, with the call KF2XGJ. According to the magazine, the FCC rules made provision for student experimental licenses for students, seventh grade and above, who had “a good idea of what he is trying to show, and that he have older and more knowledgeable persons available to help him in case of difficulty.” In particular, “the FCC believes that a student’s instructors are fair judges of his motives and sincerity, and looks favorably on projects endorsed by an instructor.” Notice to the FCC Engineer-In-Charge for the district was also required.

The application required various technical descriptions of the transmitter, as well as a statement from the principal or faculty member, on school letterhead, stating that the project had he approval of the school. The magazine noted that the frequencies generally available were 27.23-27.28 MHz., 460-461 MHz, 462.525-467.475 MHz, and 2450-2500 MHz. Power was often (but not always) limited to 5 watts.

While experimental licenses are still provided for in Part 5 of the FCC Rules, there is no specific provision today for student experimental licenses.



1943 Barb-Wire Telephone

1943SepRadioCraftEighty years ago this month, the September 1943 issue of Radio Craft carried this circuit, dubbed the “barb-wire telephone.” It was sent in to the magazine by one Fred H. Randolph (from another submission to the magazine, apparently of Booneville, AR), who reported using it to communicate with a friend three miles away, courtesy of an iron fence wire. The circuit is nothing more than an audio amplifier using a carbon button mike, and puts out enough power to drive a speaker at the other end of the circuit, where an identical unit is located.



Courtney’s Radio Service, Stratford, CT, 1943

1943SepRadioRetailingThe cover of Radio Retailing, September 1943, was a tribute to the WWW. No, it had nothing to do with the internet–it was honoring Women War Workers, such as Mrs. Wallace Courtney of Courtney’s Radio Service, Stratford, CT.

Before the war, the shop was run by her husband, who had recently taken a job in a war plant installing radios in planes. Despite shortages of both parts and help, Mrs. Courtney, also the mother of a 12 year old boy, kept sets moving along as fast as possible.

The magazine noted that Mrs. Courtney was typical of a lot of American wives and mothers, who without any fuss or furor, had stepped calmly into their men’s places for the duration.



1963 Homemade Microphone

1963SepEIWe’ve previously shown (here, here, here, and here) other homemade microphones. This idea for a carbon mike appeared in Electronics Illustrated, September 1963. The mike element itself is made of carbon granules. These are obtained by cutting open an old carbon-zinc battery and removing the carbon rod.
You grind them up finely with a file, or by using a metal rod as a rolling pin. The resulting granules are placed in a plastic bottle cap, and wired to a battery and transformer. Almost any type of transformer can be used, either an audio transformer or power transformer. The larger winding is connected to the mike element. The cap is set on top of a paper tube 2-3 inches in diameter, into which you speak.



1923 Radio Walking Chair for Baby

1923SepPMA hundred years ago, this youngster is literally getting off on the right foot, thanks to this walking chair on which an eastern mother has installed a radio. Any station could be tuned in, and the child left to enjoy a concert or stories from the air. “Meanwhile, the child is able to push itself about and be entertained, and the cares of the mother are lightened.”

The photo appeared in the September 1923 issue of Popular Mechanics.



1923 Homemade Radio

1923AugSciInv2Shown here is Miss Dorothy Benkeser, from the August 1923 issue of Science and Invention, , in which she described building her first radio set. When she decided to make a radio, she told a friend (presumably male), and was told “when you need my help, just call me up.” She vowed not to call him, no matter how much assistance she needed.

She bought the parts, and managed to put it together. She had only the tools from her mother’s sewing machine, which seemed to get the job done, until soldering was needed. For that, she tried using a curling iron, the type which was heated up on a stove. While she was able to do some soldering after it got red hot, it didn’t prove completely satisfactory. Eventually, she borrowed an alcohol powered iron, and got the job complete.

She had another friend help with the antenna:

In order to attach one of the poles, I tried to climb on a little ledge which is a good deal higher than the rest of the roof and quite near the edge. My friend told me it was very foolish to do this for the house was old and she thought any part of it might be very apt to become detached and besides, she didn’t think the chimney was a safe thing to hold on. I asked her if
she were making any reference to my weight and told her to “unhand me” for I was very confident the chimney was strong enough to hold me. This she refused to do and I was struggling to get away from her and to pull myself up when the piece of the chimney which I held gave way and had she not held me, I should most likely have landed on the cold and unsympathetic pavement three or four stories below.

She reports that the set had been in service for about two months, and picked up distant stations with little difficulty. She concluded with, “no, I do not wear overalls.”



1963 External BFO

1963AugPE3Sixty years ago this month, the August 1963 issue of Popular Electronics carried the plans for this outboard BFO, dubbed the “Code Bander.” The two-transistor circuit would add CW and SSB capabilities to any receiver, making them useful for the novice ham.

No internal connections were required to the radio, because this BFO operated not at the receiver’s IF frequency, but on the same frequency as the received signal. It covered 3.5 – 4 MHz, the 80 meter ham band. It was usable on the other ham bands thanks to the harmonics.

The designer and author is familiar to our readers, Hartland Smith, W8VFD, later W8QX. Smith became a silent key in 2022, but we were privileged to exchange a few e-mails with him prior to his death.

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1943 British One Tube Reflex Set

1943AugPracWirelessThis one-tube circuit appeared in the British Practical Wireless 80 years ago this month, August 1943. It made the best of wartime parts shortages, since the single tube, a P220, did double duty as both RF and AF amplifier. A fixed crystal was used as detector.

It had been sent to the magazine by R.J. Amblin of Bath, England, who reported that with 18 volts of anode (plate) voltage, it gave good volume through the headphones, and he was able to pull in the BBC Home Service with as little as 1.5 volts. For normal listening, he left it at 4.5 volts, which proved quite satisfactory.



2000 Mile Crystal Set? 1923

1923AugRadioNewsA hundred years ago this month, this illustration appeared on the cover of the August 1923 issue of Radio News. Most radio listeners had graduated beyond the crystal set, but this gentleman purports to have a super crystal set that can not only pull in a station 2000 miles away, but provide loudspeaker volume.

His friend is apparently convinced, but he doesn’t see the man’s confederate under the table, actually pulling in the program with a modern vacuum tube set.



Radio Prices & Grocery Prices, 1923

1923Aug25OmahaBeeA hundred years ago, radio was rapidly becoming a national phenomenon, and if you didn’t already own a radio, you would have one soon. If you lived in Omaha, this ad from the Omaha Morning Bee, August 25, 1923, showed you that you could get everything you needed at the newly expanded radio department of the Brandeis Store.

The easiest way to get started on a budget would be the Little Gem crystal set. For only $10.45, you would get not only the radio, but also headphones and aerial wire.

The General Electric crystal set was $5.95, but by the time you bought headphones and antenna wire, the price was probably about the same.

If you were well heeled, you could get a complete three-tube Radiola, complete with batteries, tubes, antenna, and tubes, for $142.50.

If you need something to compare those prices to, this grocery ad appeared on the same page. A yard of spaghetti tubing would set you back a dime, but three packages of real macaroni would be a quarter.

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