Seventy years ago, this gentleman undoubtedly had the smallest radio in the ballpark to pull in the play by play, thanks to this miniature radio described in the September 1952 issue of Popular Science.

A few years later, the same circuit could be duplicated with transistors, but this one relied upon acorn tubes designed for hearing aids. The earphone was also one designed for that purpose. The three-tube set featured a regenerative detector, and the regeneration control could be used as a volume control, but only over a limited range. For more volume, the article suggested clipping the antenna to a larger metal object. For normal use, a 3-foot wire served as antenna.

The radio was mounted in a small plastic box said to be about the same size as the proverbial cigarette pack.

The set featured permeability tuning. The coil had to be wound at home, but the author showed how to do it easily with a hand drill clamped into a vice.

This maestro is playing a tune thanks to the electronic organ described in the September 1952 issue of the British journal Practical Wireless.  It employed six tubes, including rectifier, and was suitable for either home or professional use. It could play only a single note at a time, and the player here is playing the tune with his left hand. It had, however, a number of effects such as vibrato, and he is controlling them with switches on the right hand. The keyboard covered two octaves, but since a switch shifted the range, the instrument was capable of four octaves.

The difficult part was obtaining a keyboard. The magazine noted that some builders might be lucky enough to find a discarded accordion and use its keyboard. But for those not so lucky, the magazine included construction details for making your own.

While building one of these might be a fun project today, we have to admit that you can do a lot better just buying one.  All of these have many more features at a much lower price.  But none of them glow in the dark with six tubes:

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The gentleman shown here is now about 80 years old, but in September 1952, he was in Nebraska, pulling in Guam on an inexpensive broadcast radio, thanks to the converter described in that month’s issue of Radio News.

He’s quite possibly the son of author Stan Johnson, W0LBV, who was previously featured here.  According to the author, the setup was the answer for a novice looking for an inexpensive but well performing receiver, or for the old timer who needed a second set. Despite the low cost, it was said to give $100+ communications receivers a run for their money. It could be used for any band between 160 and 10 meters with suitable coils, but the construction article specifically showed how to wind coils for 80 and 11 meters, the bands open for novices at the time.

The output of the converter was at the top of the standard broadcast band. It included a BFO to allow reception of code signals.

Fifty years ago, the September 1972 issue of Electronics Illustrated carried this sampler of small projects for the electronic hobbyist. Of course, of special interest to our readers is the one-tube receiver shown at the upper left. The regenerative set, using a 1U4 tube tuned the broadcast band and 3-14 MHz in three bands. In addition to a flashlight battery to light the filament, it used a 45 volt B battery.

Also of interest was the two-transistor QRP transmitter that put out one watt on 80 meters. The author, Herb Cohen, pointed out that the little rig was “just the ticket for QRP contests, field trips and any other time you really want to pit your savvy against the vagarities of radio communications.” The set ran on 12 volts.

Seventy-five years ago this month, the September 1947 issue of Radio Craft sang the praises of the Pilotuner model T-601 FM tuner, designed to cover the new FM band. The set had audio output, so could be plugged into the phono jack of a standard broadcast radio or into a phonograph. Priced at only $29.95, it was predicted to be the thing to bring FM out of the luxury class and make it available to the average man.

Those with prewar FM sets that covered 42-49 MHz could simply add the new tuner without making “complicated and costly conversions.” It had a built-in antenna that could be used in strong signal areas, and it had provision for hooking up an external antenna.

It had a power transformer, which was an important feature, since it was isolated from the power line. This meant that it could be hooked to an AC-DC set without having to worry about polarity.

In tests in downtown Manhattan, the set functioned well with the built-in antenna, with no signs of frequency drift. Two strong stations separated by only two channels (in other words, 400 kHz) were easily separated.

Seventy years ago this month, the September 1952 issue of Radio-Electronics carried the plans for this miniature regenerative receiver covering three bands with the convenience of band switching. The coil was wound by the builder, and different windings were switched in to cover the broadcast band, 1.5-4 MHz, and 6-16 MHz. The set was 7.5 inches deep, 6 inches long, and 1.5 inches high, and housed a 7H7 regenerative detector, with the audio being amplified by a 6SQ7 and 6F6. It was billed as being suitable for “signal monitoring, dial-twirling, or emergency standby service.” In addition to 6.3 volts for the filaments, the set required a power supply of 180-250 VDC.

Shown here is Dr. Ralph W. Davis (left), chief surgeon at Audubon Hospital, Audubon, N.J. He is shown with Max Joseph Bonsted, W2EQ, who facilitated a transoceanic medical consultation. An unidentified soldier was dying of injuries sustained in a plane crash, on Palmyra Island, 6000 miles away. There was no doctor on the island, so a government weather observer used his amateur radio to contact Bonsted. The men treating the soldier followed Dr. Davis’ instructions, and they reported back that he seemed to be improving.

The photo appeared 75 years ago this month in the September 1947 issue of Radio News.

A hundred years ago this month, the September 1922 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to make this radio transmitter. According to the author, F.L. Brittin, the set was capable of distances of up to 16 miles, and relied upon an automobile ignition coil to generate the high voltage for the spark. It was small enough to put in a small suitcase, and “well adjusted to the needs of outers in motor cars or boats, and for boy-scout field work.”

If parts were bought new, the cost was about $15, but by using materials commonly available around the shop, this could be reduced.

The magazine reminded readers that a license was necessary before transmitting, and full details could be obtained from the radio inspector in the builder’s district.

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