Category Archives: Radio history

BBC 100th Anniversary

Portion of 2LO's original transmitter. Wikipedia photo.

Portion of 2LO’s original transmitter. Wikipedia photo.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the BBC, the British Broadcasting Corporation. It was incorporated as a private enterprise, as the British Broadcasting Company, on October 18, 1922, and first hit the airwaves on 350 meters (857 kHz) on November 14, 1922, as station 2LO.  2LO had actually come on the air earlier, for an hour a day starting on May 11, 1922.

You can read more of the BBC’s history at their website.  Most of our readers on the American side of the Pond will undoubtedly be most familiar with the  signature tunes and interval signals of the World Service in the video below.  (And the familiar tune does indeed have a name, namely, Lilliburlero.)



British 1952 One-Tube Broadcast Set

1952OctPracWirSeventy years ago this month, the October 1952 issue of the British journal Practical Wireless showed how to put together this handsome little one-tube receiver for mediumwave and longwave. With even a short indoor antenna, it would pull in a large number of stations, both from Britain and the continent.

The magazine pointed out that the set was obviously much more sensitive than a crystal set, but as the beginner gained more experience, it would serve as the basis for a loudspeaker set, with the addition of an amplifier.

The tube (or “valve” as it’s known on the other side of the Pond), could be a 1N5, 1N5GT,  Mullard DF33, or Marconi/Osram Z14.

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Signal Corps Recruiting Ad, 1942

Eighty years ago this month, the October 1942 issue of Radio News carried this ad announcing that the U.S. Army Signal Corps was open for direct enlistment.  As long as they had not received notice of induction, young men ages 18 and 19 could sign up, as long as they were physically fit.  And up through ages 45, men with some experience in the communications industry could enlist as long as they passed the physical exam.

The ad appears to be paid for by Hallicrafters, probably as a way of keeping their name before the public, despite not being able to sell their wares for the duration.

 



1942 2-1/2 Meter WERS Transceiver

1942OctQSTEighty years ago this month, the October 1942 issue of QST featured on its cover this transceiver for the 2-1/2 meter WERS band.

The set was designed by George Grammer, W1DF, and the operator shown here is John Huntoon, W1LVQ, later W1RW, who was then communications manager of the ARRL. Huntoon went on to become ARRL Secretary and General Manager.

The three-tube transceiver was typical of designs of that era, with a superregenerative receiver that could be put into service as a transmitter at the flip of a switch.

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1922 Portable Crystal Set

Screenshot 2022-10-04 12.32.18 PMA hundred years ago this month, the October 1922 issue of Popular Mechanics showed this portable radio receiver suitable for Boy Scouts, campers, yachtsmen, or vacationists in general. The set was contained in a box measuring 6 by 6 by 3 inches, and featured a crystal detector tuneable between 100 and 600 meters (500 kHz through 3 MHz). It was said to be able to pull in stations 25-30 miles away, and included ground and antenna wires, as well as a ground stake. It could be set up in 15 minutes.

It was a product of the Bleh Co., Inc., of 53 Park Place, New York.



Young Ham With Bad Timing, 1941

1944JunePMAmateur radio was off the air for the duration during World War II, but a lot of young men were interested in radio (not unlike the ones shown above in a previous post.)  One of them had a really bad luck with timing, and received his ticket on December 6, 1941.  He wrote the following letter, which appeared with a response 80 years ago this month in the October 1942 issue of Radio Craft.

Dear Editor:

I feel that I have been cheated by the Japanese. or Germans, or the F.C.C. or someone. To explain this I will have to give you some of my past history.

I became interested in radio in the winter of 1939. I listened to amateurs on the short-wave end of my broadcast receiver. I also read radio books here and there for about a year. I got a telegraph set and learned to send up to about 12 w.p.m. on it. Then I got a key and buzzer. In May of 1941 I built a two -tube battery radio and had much trouble with it. I did not get it
to operate until July, 1941. Also in May I bought a license manual and radio amateur’s handbook, and rented a Teleplex instrument. It was two months before the Teleplex came, because of war needs. I studied in all of my spare time until September 22, 1941. That day I went 165 miles to Dallas and took my examination. I passed the code exam swell and I figure that I made about 85 on the questions.

From then until December 6, 1941, the day when my licenses came through the mail, 1 built my station. I bought a Sky Buddy receiver and built a 25 -watt transmitter and a lot of other equipment. The only thing was that my antenna was broken by a high wind and replacement had to wait several days before I could get some more of the right kind of wire. On December 8, ‘I finished it and was ready to go on the air for the first time in my life. I was excited all over. I had been waiting for this hour for two years. Then I heard over the broadcast receiver about the F.C.C. closing all amateur stations. You can imagine how I felt.

Between December and February, 1942, I did not see a R & T. magazine. Without it, I could not read about what was happening in the radio field. Now I have forgotten nearly all I knew; I can’t send or receive over about 10 w.p.m.; I have forgotten most of the ham slang and everything. I am very unhappy. I suppose a lot of other amateurs are, too.

The government claims it uses the amateur bands for aviation and army use. 1 have a good communication receiver and I search all over the amateur bands and I can’t hear anything. Not even a telegraph signal. Why can’t the F.C.C. give us amateurs just a little space to operate. For instance, they could give us back the 160 – meter band and not let us use over 40 watts input and operate only during a certain period of the day.

There are a lot of amateurs in the army and on defense jobs, but there are still some left, like the ones under 17 and over 64, or the blind, deaf, or disabled, who love amateur radio.

I am 14 years old. It will be at least three years before I can go to war. If I could get on the air and Use radio equipment and become experienced enough, I would be able to operate a radio in the army. I have my licenses, but I have never been on the air, and have not studied radio since December of ’41.

Isn’t there some way for us to get on the air, at least to learn?

GILES EASLEY,
Calveat [Sic, Calvert],Texas.

(Your letter stresses the nuisance of war but fails to consider the seriousness of war. If an amateur band were opened it would require constant vigilance to see whether advantage were not taken of this liberty by enemy agents, and the F.C.C. is too busy for that.  Undoubtedly you can find other amateurs in your vicinity who may be able to meet with you for occasional code practice–even if its only on an audio oscillator. You should have more time now to study the technical phases of radio and to do some experimental work which will be valuable to you later on. Perhaps your local Civilian Defense group will find use for your services, either for constructing or operating emergency transceivers. -Editor)

It appears that the author did eventually get on the air. The 1952 call book lists a Giles M. Easley of Silver Spring, MD, being licensed as W3SSG. According to the Social Security Death Index, he died in Texas in 1985 at the age of 58. His gravestone indicates that he did, indeed serve in the U.S. Navy in World War 2.



Quiz Time!

1962OctPE1Can you identify which animal goes with each of these electronic parts? This quiz appeared in Popular Electronics 60 years ago this month, October 1962. We’ll show the answers tomorrow.



1952 Two-Tube Regen

1952OctPM1952OctPM2Seventy years ago, this gentleman is pulling in the short waves, or possibly a station on the standard broadcast band, with this two-tube regenerative receiver. It was ideal for those interested in becoming hams, or just for those who wanted to listen to foreign broadcasts, hams, or just local broadcasts.

A 12SL7 was used as regenerative detector, with the other half of the tube serving as audio amplifier. This was fed to a 50L6 which served as final AF amplifier to drive a loudspeaker. A selenium rectifier rounded out the active devices, allowing operation on household current. The tube filaments were in series with a dropping resistor and could run directly off the household current. For best results, a 75-100 foot outdoor antenna was recommended, but stronger stations could be picked up with 20-40 feet of wire indoors.

Plans for the set were found in the October 1952 issue of Popular Mechanics.

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1937 Two Tube Transmitter

1937OctPS2Eighty-five years ago this month, the October 1937 issue of Popular Science carried the plans for this simple transmitter for 160, 80, 40, or 20 meters. The rig was designed with portable operation in mind, hence the small cabinet. To keep it small, the tube, coil, and crystal were mounted on top, which meant that the interior wiring was very uncluttered. A type 47 tube was used, along with a type 80 rectifier. All parts were said to be easily obtainable.

In tests, the rig was able to get out over 500 miles, and the quality was said to rival many larger and more expensive sets.

Any receiving antenna could be used, but a “single wire designed for the proper wave length” was recommended. The article included an interested method of calculating the length of a (half-wave) antenna: “To calculate the proper antenna length in feet, simply multiply the wave length to be covered (in meters) by 1.56.”  While I’ve never seen it expressed this way, this is the equivalent of the familiar 468/f formula.

The author was Donald Levenson, W8PIN.

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