Every audience loves an accordion solo, as judged by the applause from this audience at a talent show. But the May 1953 issue of Popular Mechanics stresses the need to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Therefore, the magazine showed how to make this electronic applause meter to register its impartial judgment as to the amount of applause, thus removing all questions of fairness and suggestions of favoritism. The simple three-tube circuit was just the ticket for amateur shows, parties, school affairs, contests, and similar group activities. It could also be used in noise studies in places such as factories or offices.

An 8 inch speaker was pressed into service as the microphone. The amplifier was such that the gain decreased with the increase in sound level, making the output approximately logarithmic, just like the human ear. The meter was in the plate circuit of the second stage of amplification.

Of course, as with most electronic devices, the prices are much lower today. If you need an applause meter for your next talent show, you can easily find one on Amazon. You have the choice of the inexpensive handheld model, or to make sure there’s no suggestion of favoritism, you can put up one of the large displays so that the audience can see for themselves:

Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning that this site earns a small commission if you make a purchase after using the link.

One hundred years ago, the status of radio on the farm was no longer a luxury, but a necessity. The May 1923 issue of Popular Mechanics carried this guide for farmers to acquire, install, and operate that necessary piece of equipment.

The magazine pointed out thaqt thousands of farm boys had built their own set, and a set with a range of up to 1000 miles was a feasible project, and plans had appeared in earlier issues of the magazine. The magazine pointed out, however, that many sets covered wavelengths of 150-400 meters (750 kHz to 2 MHz), but that official weather and market reports were carried on 485 meters (618 kHz). Therefore, if a homebuilt set were to be used, extra turns of the coil would be required. And the following stern advice was given if a set was to be purchased: “Never purchase a set on the assumption, or on the verbal assurance that it is suitable for receiving market reports; insist that the dealer demonstrate this capacity by actually ‘bringing in’ these reports.”

The article gave pointers on setting up the antenna and ground, and also reminded farmers of the importance of noting them down carefully so that the reports from various stations can be compared. In fact, “it will be found that it is very convenient to have a blackboard mounted on the wall near the set, so that the items and figures can be jotted down as they are received.”

War or no war, this family were wired, thanks to the audio amplifier shown in the May 1943 issue of Popular Mechanics. They were proud supporters of the USO, as shown by the sticker on thier car. And if you look carefully, you’ll see a star in the window, indicating that they have a son in the service.

The magazine acknowledged that the “breadboard” design was designed primarily as a classroom project, it would also serve useful purposes in schools, homes, and workshops. This housewife placed the amplifier on the kitchen counter, with wires running to various parts of the house to call the family back for lunch. This was accomplished with a single run of wire to the speakers, with the return taken care of with a good ground connection at both ends.

The amplifier could also be used for a phonograph or a one or two tube radio, putting out 1.5 watts of audio.

A hundred years ago today, May 1, 1923, many American newspapers carried a headline like this one from the Indianapolis Times, about the kidnapping of seven-year-old Verner Alexanderson of Schenectady, NY.  Verner was the son of radio engineer Ernst F.W. Alexanderson, who was then employed by General Electric.

Police had a good description of the kidnapper, thanks to Verner’s eleven-year-old sister Edith.  The kidnapper promised to give Verner a rabbit, and asked the sisters to go fetch a box for them while he took Verner to get the bunny.  Of course, it was all a ruse, and Verner was whisked away.

But this criminal was the first to learn that while you can outrun the police, you can’t outrun the radio.  Thanks to the father’s position, he was able to quickly broadcast a description of the suspect on WGY, and probably other stations.  Thousands, or perhaps millions, of listeners were on the lookout, and police received many leads.  He was rescued unharmed near Watertown, NY, a few days later.

Verner was, however, a strong negotiator.  His kidnappers had a dog, and before consenting to be released, Verner demanded that he be given the dog, which became his pet, presumably a better one than the promised rabbit.  The kidnappers were said to have escaped to Canada, although the woman with whom Verner was found was presumably involved, and was taken into custody.  The two kidnappers were ultimately apprehended and served prison sentences.  You can see a press photo of Verner, his new dog, and the woman in whose cabin he was found at this eBay listing.

The elder Alexanderson is most famous for the Alexanderson Alternator transmitter, the most famous of which is still intact and fired up once a year by SAQ in Grimeton, Sweden.

Verner went on to be issued a number of patents.  He died in 1999.

And if you’re wondering about the headline at the left, that is announcing the paper’s new beauty reporter.

The handsome transmitter shown here appeared 70 years ago this month in the April 1953 issue of Radio News.  The designer’s name is probably familiar to our readers, since he was a prolific author of radio construction articles, and was in the electronic kit business, Hartland Smith, W8VVD, later W8QX.  We’ve previously featured many of his projects here, and had the pleasure of corresponding with him by e-mail a number of times over the years.  He died in 2022 at the age of 99.

The rig here was designed for mobile use, powered by a dynamotor under the hood of Smith’s V-8, although it can just as easily be used at a fixed location with the AC supply shown here.  It was his second mobile rig, the first one being a crystal-controlled 10 meter transmitter.  He noted that this didn’t work out very well on a dead band, so he made sure that the new rig had both a VFO and multi-band operation.  This set runs both AM and CW on six bands, 75-10 meters.  (For those keeping count, this included 11 meters, which was then a ham band.)

Smith reported that the 20-watt transmitter would run for hours on a fully charged battery, relieving him of the need to burn expensive gasoline idling the engine while operating.  The circuit was designed to minimize TV interference, since he noted that a poorly designed mobile in a fringe TV area could wipe out an entire neighborhood.

A hundred years ago, Omaha was gearing up for the Better Homes Exposition to be held at the Omaha Auditorium.  The April 29, 1923 issue of the Omaha Bee contained a special section highlighting the exhibits and lectures that would be there during the event.  Admission was only 25 cents.

A modern home would not be complete without a radio, and the A. Hospe Co., 1513 Douglas St., would have the set here on display.  They guaranteed that you would pull in stations as far away as 1500 miles, and hearing Havana or Puerto Rico wasn’t out of the question.

Shown here, 75 years ago today in the April 26, 1948, issue of Life Magazine, is Fred Waring touting the advantages of some of General Electric’s lineup.

For less than $200, you could take home the Model 119 radio-phono console, with storage for about 60 records.

Other rooms in the house could enjoy music and entertainment from models 102, 114, and 115.

Seventy-five years ago this month, the April 1948 issue of Radio News featured on its cover this radio-controlled sailboat, getting ready to sail the waters of Boston harbor.

The rudder was controlled by a DC motor, and the remote used two channels to set it to port or to starboard. Polarity was reversed to change direction of the rudder, and it was geared so that the full travel took about 15 seconds. The remote control transmitted on both 51 and 53 MHz, and the receiver circuit shown below featured two separate suprregenerative receivers, one for each channel.

The magazine reminded readers that an amateur radio operator’s license was required to operate the craft.