The Novice Class license was first authorized by the FCC effective July 1, 1951. Actually, July 1 was a Sunday, so the first exams probably took place on July 2, with the licenses arriving several weeks thereafter. Novices were allowed to operate initially on CW on 80 meters (3700-3750 kHz) and on the old 11 meter band (26.96-27.23 MHz), as well as both CW and ‘phone on 2 meters (145-147 MHz). The June 1951 issue of QST carried a feature “How To Pass the Novice Examination,” and included the 28 question study guide for the 20 question multiple-choice test.

The May and June issues also carried the plans for a simple transmitter for the novice to get on the air. The set was designed by ARRL Technical Editor Don Mix, W1TS, who pointed out that a higher power transmitter, or one on the 11 meter band, might require additional shielding or other precautions to avoid television interference. The simple circuit here, however, was capable of contacts even with an antenna as short as five feet, although longer was, of course, recommended. The retail cost of all of the transmitter components was only $15, and the set required only four hand tools to put together: screwdriver, pliers, hand saw, and soldering iron. The chassis consisted of a board, and the tube socket was mounted horizontally on two metal angle pieces.

The May issue showed how to put together the transmitter, and the June issue showed an accompanying power supply as well as ideas for an antenna. The author reported that with brief tests from West Hartford, Connecticut, he was able to put stations in Wisconsin and Florida in the log at night, with Maine and Pennsylvania during the day. The set was designed to run to a random wire, and some ideas for the transmitting antenna are shown here. A long outdoor antenna was, of course, recommended, but if necessary, and indoor antenna could be used, and the set would load up into an antenna as short as five feet.

The plans for this unusual looking two-tube receiver appeared in Popular Science 80 years ago this month, May 1941. The controls were mounted on top of the chassis, meaning that the added expense of a front panel was unnecessary.

The set is billed as having two detectors. In reality, a 1N5G tube is used for the detector, with regeneration provide by a 1G4G following it, with that tube’s output being fed back through a tickler coil to the first stage. This made the set very efficient, to the point where it would be able to operate a speaker directly at some locations. The detector could also serve as an audio amplifier, allowing a crystal phonograph pickup to be hooked in as shown in the schematic below. With the appropriate plug-in coil, the set could be used for shortwave.

A hundred years ago today, May 1, 1921, navigation in New York Harbor became a safer proposition thanks to being equipped with a system of radio warning signals aiding navigation. Lighthouses and light ships had long been present, but they were of very limited usefulness in foggy conditions. Therefore, the lighthouse at Sea Girt, NJ, as well as the light ships Ambrose and Fire Island were equipped with powerful radio beacons.

Official notices had been made to mariners, and many vessels were already equipped with radio compasses in the form of a rotatable loop attached to the receiver. The beacon would identify in Morse, and the bearing could be fixed to within one degree.

Radio had been in operation on the Fire Island for some time, as we recounted previously. That ship was equipped with both a wireless transmitter and a bell. By measuring the time between reception of the radio signal and the bell, distance could be accurately measured.  The Sea Girt lighthouse, however, was the first land-based radio fog beacon in the U.S.

This description of the system appeared in the New York Tribune, May 8, 1921.