Seventy years ago this month, the February 1955 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to build this transceiver for the two-meter ham band. The heart of the four-tube set was a 6C4 tube which served as superregenerative detector on receive, and as a Colpitts oscillator on transmit. Since the tuning circuit was in common with both circuits, there was no problem with tracking, but care had to be taken to keep the entire transmitted signal within the band.
When it comes to one tube radios, the holy grail is one that produces loudspeaker volume. And 75 years ago, this humble set from the February 1950 issue of Radio Electronics rose to the challenge. The set used a 3B7 ultraudion with some superregeneration. Regeneration was automatic, and no ticker winding was required on the coil, which was a permeability tuner.
The choice of a volume control was interesting, namely, a wire-wound potentiometer right in line with the antenna. The author noted that the inductance formed part of the circuit, and a carbon resistor shouldn’b be used. The author used a surplus 103.5 volt battery for the B-plus, but noted that two 45 volt batteries in series would be adequate. An outdoor antenna was needed. In areas with strong stations, 25-50 feet would work. But in rural areas, 100 feet as high as possible would be needed.
As an added bonus, the set could be used as a code practice oscillator. The plate of the audio section of the tube was connected through the key to a capacitor to ground.
But it’s not just a program, thanks to the golden tone of her General Electric radio. This ad appeared in Life magazine 85 years ago today, February 19, 1940.
Shown here 75 years ago is radio servicing professional George Ott, Jr., of Meadville, PA. Ten years prior, at the age of 24, Ott had lost the use of both of his legs. After being confined to bed and then surgery, he was able to get around with a wheelchair. In 1943, he enrolled in the National Radio Institute correspondence school, and made steady progress from that time.
He reported that despite his disability, he was doing fine in radio and television. His firm had taken on a contract with Montgomery Ward for service and installation, and he also worked with two other local furniture dealers. While they stocked some televisions, service was the heart of their business, rather than sales.
The picture appeared on the cover of National Radio News, February 1950.
Perhaps some entrepreneur will be inspired by this photo, and the self-explanatory concept will make a comeback. 85 years ago, the February 1940 issue of Radio Craft featured this mobile puppet show. The truck was equipped with a 1500 watt generator, which powered amplifier and lighting, along with a record player, mixer, and fader. The amplifier was a Lafayette Model 269-T, which put out 20 watts to two ten-inch speakers.
A hundred years ago, this gentleman is enjoying the latest craze in the radio world, namely, collecting stamps issued by stations around the country. He purchased the album from the Ekko Company, 111 West Monroe St., Chicago for $1.75. It contained hundreds of spots for stamps for various stations. It also included cards to be sent to the stations with reception reports, along with a spot to place a dime. If the reception report checked out, the station would send you a stamp for your album. Chances are, they made a modest profit, thanks to your dime.
As your album filled up, you could show off to your friends what stations you pulled in, with the proof right in front of their eyes.
The cover is from the February 1925 issue of Radio News, which carried an article discussing the system. It also just happened to have an ad for Ekko, from which you could order your album.
This young woman has been collecting Social Security for a few years now, but 70 years ago, she was pulling in a program from the proverbial strong local station, thanks to this handsome giant loop crystal set, described in the 1955 volume of Radio-TV Experimenter.
Thanks to the large loop antenna, the set did not require an external antenna or ground for those strong stations. The loop consisted of 85 feet of wire around at 14 x 24 inch frame. Attention was given to finishing the wooden frame to make the object an item of beauty as well as utility.
The set could be rotated for best reception, and for added sensitivity (but reduced selectivity), it could be placed near a floor lamp to inductively use the power lines as an antenna. As you can see, this listener was quite impressed with the design.
Actress Lola Lane is shown here doing some SWL’ing with her Majestic model 3C70. The cabinet is hand-rubbed sliced walnut. But more importantly, the seven tube chassis inside covered three bands (550-1700 kHz and 2.1 – 22 MHz) and included a loop antenna.
The photo appeared 85 years ago this month in the February 1940 issue of Radio Today.
Sixty years ago, there was no better way to impress the chicks than installing a CB radio in your sportscar, as demonstrated here by one Dave Hallow, KLK6733. We have a hunch, however, that he’s actually shown here with his kid sister. In any event, the car was an Austin-Healy Sprite, and Hallow needed to figure out how to install a CB without disturbing the lines of the car. He accomplished this, first, by replacing the existing AM antenna with an Antenna Specialists M-103 combination AM-CB antenna. Since there was no room under the dash, he installed an E.F. Johnson M-III transistorized transceiver under the dash, along with a Johnson suppression kit to eliminate interference.
He’s shown wearing a Telex DYB-10 boom microphone headset to allow hand-free communication. The photo appeared in the February 1965 issue of Popular Electronics, which noted that the headset provided the ability to receive clear signals above 40 MPH. Perhaps regulators hadn’t gotten around to re-writing traffic codes yet, but a dual headset for the driver would be illegal in most states today, since it doesn’t allow road noises to be heard. These days, single-ear Bluetooth headsets, complete with noise-cancelling mike, are available.
We asked ChatGPT to write a story based upon this picture. I don’t think we have to worry about job security–just yet. But here’s ChatGPT’s take on it:
The Radio Roadtrip
In the summer of 1965, young Tommy had a dream–to make the ultimate road trip using nothing but his wits, his radio, and his dad’s old convertible. His little sister, Sally, wasn’t about to be left behind, even though she wasn’t quite sure what “ham radio” even meant.
“Are you sure you can drive this thing?” Sally asked, gripping the side of the car as she climbed in.
Tommy, adjusting his oversized headset and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, gave her a confident nod. “Of course! Well… kinda. But that’s not the point. The point is, we’re gonna talk to people all over the world—while driving!”
Sally giggled, excited despite herself. “Like astronauts?”
“Exactly! Or people in Australia! Or maybe even spies! Who knows?” Tommy grinned as he flipped a few switches on the makeshift radio setup he had wired into the dashboard. The soft crackle of static filled the car, and then a voice came through—
“CQ, CQ… this is W6XYZ. Anyone out there?”
Tommy’s eyes widened. He quickly grabbed the microphone. “W6XYZ, this is Tommy—uh, I mean, this is K0TOM, mobile unit, coming in loud and clear!”
Sally clapped her hands. “It works! It really works!”
Their adventure had begun.
Would they make contact with a scientist in Antarctica? A pilot flying high above the clouds? Or maybe even a fellow kid with a radio of their own? One thing was for sure—this was going to be a summer to remember.
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Eighty years ago there was still a war going on. But people knew that it wouldn’t last forever, and there was a pent-up demand for consumer products like radios that had been unavailable for the duration.
The cover of the February 1945 issue of Radio Retailing reminded dealers of the importance of keeping their names in front of consumers. When the war ended, and products were available, you wanted them to come to you to buy them.