Category Archives: Radio history

WWV Moves to Colorado: 1966

Today marks the 50th anniversary of WWV’s move to its current location in Fort Collins, Colorado. At 0000 hours GMT on December 1, 1966 (5:00 Mountain Standard Time on November 30), the station began its transmissions from the new location on the familiar internationally allocated standard carrier frequencies of 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 megacycles.

The move was announced in the November 1966 issue of Electronics Illustrated, which contained the photograph shown above. At the center of the photo is the station’s 10 MHz dipole antenna. The 3-1/8 inch diameter transmission line can be seen snaking off to the right. In the background to the left is the WWVB transmitter building (WWVB and WWVL had previously been located at Ft. Collins). The antennas in the background are, at the left, a backup 88 foot monopole, and at the right, the 400 foot WWVL tower.

NIST photo.

To celebrate the move, the station issued a special first-day QSL card for reception reports on the first day. To ensure that SWL’s had really picked up the station, the voice identifcation used a special message on the first day, which had to be copied exactly to receive the special QSL, which is shown here.

According to the accompanying note on the card, WWV had apparently planned to award a photograph of the new station to the first three reception reports. However, it proved impossible to determine which were the first three, and three were selected from the batch. One of those went to long time ARRL staffer Lewis “Mac” McCoy, W1ICP.

The station had previously been located at Greenbelt, Maryland. The move was designed to give better coverage and to move the station closer to the National Bureau of Standards’ frequency standard lab in Boulder, Colorado.

1936 Popular Science Portable Transmitter

Eighty years ago, the November 1936 issue of Popular Science carried the plans for this portable 20 watt AM transmitter for 160-20 meters.

The compact transmitter was designed for operation on a 6-volt storage battery, with a motor-generator supplying the B+ voltage. Also included were plans for an AC power supply.

A type 42 tube was used for the crystal oscillator, with a 6A1 final amplifier. Modulation was handled by two 6A6 tubes.

1943 Emergency Blackout Receiver

The November 1943 issue of Popular Mechanics carried the plans for this wartime emergency receiver. Built in a cigar box, the set was an updated version of the “Hurricane Receiver” previously published by the magazine and featured here earlier.

The article noted that the set could be used under blackout conditions in areas where a power line would be unavailable. Both the filaments and B+ were provided by six volts, which could come either from dry cells, or obtained from the nearest automobile. For portable use in shelter conditions, the article suggested a wood carrying case such as shown here for transporting the battery.

The set was said to be of considerably more volume and greater range than the original model. It employed two 6G6-G tubes, and the article noted that these tubes were commonly found in the junk boxes of radio students, experimenters, and servicemen. The set employed one tube as the regenerative detector, with the second one serving as audio amplifier.

The coil was wound on a cardboard tube, and the wire could be salvaged from a burned out choke or audio transformer. A ground connection was recommended for maximum results, and a 20 foot indoor antenna could be used for local stations, although a longer outdoor antenna would pull in stronger signals.

With this set and a 6 volt battery, the owner would be able to listen to local stations for emergency safety and blackout instructions.

World’s Largest One Tube Radio, 1923

At OneTubeRadio.com, we appreciate one tube radios of all varieties, but in general, the bigger the better.

In 1923, the one shown here was billed as the world’s largest one tube set. The set is being operated by Miss Agnes Leonard, at the Radio Show being held at the Grand Central Palace, New York City. The photo appeared in the November 1923 issue of Radio Topics.

1916 Wireless School

The young men shown here a century ago are training to become wireless operators at the Montreal wireless school operated by the Marconi Company. The school had opened on June 1, 1916, and was under the direction of instructor in charge Mr. Douglas R.P. Coats, who is shown standing behind the back row of students.

In order to make the training resemble as closely as possible actual working conditions, specially designed apparatus and automatic transmitting devices were used. The school also had the latest 17 kW apparatus available, and other installations were to be installed.

The photo appeared in the November 1916 issue of Wireless World.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from OneTubeRadio.com!

For the 1920’s radio dealer, an important way to get potential buyers in the door was the window display. And Thanksgiving was a tried and true theme for that display. This 1928 store window featured a cutout turkey listening to the radio.

The photo appeared in the April 1928 issue of Radio Retailing.

1966 One Transistor Regenerative Receiver

Fifty years ago, the “Beginner’s Corner” of the November 1966 issue of Electronics Illustrated carried three circuits for basic radio receivers. The first was the crystal set, the second added one stage of audio amplification, and the third was this basic regenerative set.

The tuner was a ferrite loopstick coil, which were available in abundance for experimenters to use in similar circuits. It used permeability tuning by moving the ferrite core in and out. The tickler coil was added on as a winding around the outside.

1944 Code Practice Oscillator

This simple idea for a code practice oscillator appeared in the January 1944 issue of Radio Craft magazine.

No doubt inspired by wartime parts shortages, the audio feedback loop could be created with an old telephone receiver and microphone placed next to each other. The idea was sent in to the magazine by one Mr. Ivan H. Walker of Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin.

WLS Chicago, 1946

In this ad from the November 1946 issue of Sponsor magazine, WLS Radio in Chicago reminds its potential advertisers that it is the radio home of tomorrow’s friendly audience.

In July of that year, 2000 boys and girls from every county in Indiana were in the studio audience of the WLS Dinner Bell Time broadcast, “a program familiar in their homes from babyhood.” They were attending the annual 4-H Round-Up being held on the campus of Purdue University.

WLS presented the plaques for outstanding 4-H achievement, all broadcast live over the station’s 50,000 watt Chicago blowtorch. People in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin considered the station “one of the family,” and its complete weather, market reports, news, and down-to-earth entertainment expemplified the quiet neighborly way that WLS served both today’s and the future’s friendly audience.

RCA Victrola Model V-215, 1941

This ad appeared in Life Magazine 75 years ago today, November 17. 1941. Victor Record recording artist Rose Bampton is listening to records on the RCA Victrola Model V-215 radio-phonograph console. The nine-tube set provided 12 watts to the 12 inch speaker. In addition to the standard broadcast band, it tuned two shortwave bands, 2.3-6 MHz and 9.3-15 MHz. You can view a nicely preserved example of the set at this link. The set had an original retail price of $214.95.

As the ad points out, the set features the “Magic Brain” automatic changer, and points out that the Magic Brain does all the work–you just sit back and listen. It also points out that the changer has “no needles,” meaning that it had a sapphire stylus and ceramic cartridge rather than “old-fashioned needles,” and that the total weight of all moving parts on the tone arm was “less than the weight of a postage stamp.”

Mezzo-soprano Rose Bampton performed with the Metropolitan Opera from 1932-1950. She died in 2007 at the age of 99.