Eighty years ago this month, the July 1944 issue of Radio News featured on its cover this U.S. Army Signal Corps photo of a radio operator reporting troop movements from his concealed position. It noted that his radio was a late model FM transmitter-receiver designed for armored vehicles. The magazine noted that the set was de-mountable and occasionally set up as shown here for field service.
The plans for this attractive and compact receiver were contained in the June 1944 issue of the British magazine Practical Wireless. Even though there was an invasion of Europe going on, the magazine reassured that the parts were available from their advertisers at a low price.
The set gave good reproduction, and the volume was found to be ample for all normal occasions, and it was said to be a good family receiver.
The B+ was supplied by a 120 volt battery, with filament and grid bias batteries also required.
These ads appeared eighty years ago this month in the May 1944 issue of Radio Mirror.Preview to encourage women to do their patriotic duty and get a job.
The ad below, sponsored by Pharma- Craft Corporation, makers of Fresh Underarm Deodorant Cream, advised women that the more of them hit the workforce, the faster the war would be over. If they didn’t do their part, it could be a month longer or a year longer than it otherwise would be.
The ad at left, published by the makers of Kleenex, gives some more practical advice for the woman who thinks she knows only housework. It reminds her that if she’s ever cooked or served meals, there were plenty of essential jobs waiting for her in hotels and restaurants. If she liked shopping, then she would probably be a good salesperson, since it was just like shopping–in reverse. Similarly, if she knew how to do washing or ironing, there were laundries in need of employees. Finally, if she was good with books, she could enlist in one of the armed services, freeing up a man to fight.
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While her sons, son-in-law, and granddaughter were off to war, Mrs. Louise Oeser does her part by calibrating radio transmitters for GE at Schenectady, NY.
This item appeared in the May 1944 issue of Radio Craft.
Eighty-five years ago, all of the countries that would soon be at war were gearing up for the inevitable propaganda battles, and the May 15, 1939, issue of Life magazine explained some of the technical issues involved. The Germans had an advantage when it came to broadcasting to South America, since their beam could be only half the width required by the Americans to cover the major population centers.
But as far as broadcasting to the respective homelands, the Americans had the advantage. They could blanket Europe with a narrow beam, whereas the signal from Berlin would need to be extremely wide to cover all of the United States.
Eighty years ago, somewhat to the surprise of many in the industry, the British government lifted the sartime ban on radio receivers installed in cars. This was welcome news to those who still drove a car for essential purposes. And it meant that the price of secondhand auto radios in dealer’s stocks suddenly increased in price.
Because both automobile and radio dealers were swamped with work, it probably meant that the owner of a car who wanted a radio installed would need to do it himself. This, the May 1944 issue of Practical Wireless contained an article outlining the basics. The car radio installation shown above appeared on this issue’s cover.
The magazine did stress the need for a license. The license for the receiver in your home would not cover the additional set in your car, and you would need to secure a license at the post office before tackling the installation.
Eighty years ago, the May 1944 issue of Popular Mechanics showed how to put together this two-tube home telephone system. Both the master and remote units were built breadboard-style. It might have looked austere, but there was a war going on, and a metal cabinet would have been an unnecessary luxury. It ran off the AC line, and the filament voltage was obtained by dropping it through a 40 watt light bulb. Calling was accomplished by an independent bell or buzzer. Therefore, it could be switched off until needed.
This couple were using it to communicate from house to barn. But the magazine noted that it could be used to communicate with the photographic dark room, since the remote emitted no light.
All parts could be found in the proverbial junk box, or from the dime store. For example, the talk-listen switch is fashioned from the handle of a toothbrush.
The plans for this crystal set from Down Under appeared 80 years ago this month in the April 1944 issue of Australasian Wireless Review. It’s dubbed a “mystery” crystal set, and the entire circuit is built in to one side of an ordinary pair of headphones. The coil is as many turns as possible of wire wound spider-web style.
Before installing it into the headphone, it was a good idea to test it on a board, and ascertain the best spot to tap the coil. Then, it would be soldered into place and inserted. A small hole was drilled through which a shaft to the trimmer condenser was inserted for tuning. Two wires, with spring clips at the end, were used to connect to a convenient antenna and ground.
The magazine recommended a fixed crystal of the “small round flat type,” although we’re guessing a 1N34 diode would work even better. It noted that the detector might be hard to obtain, with a war going on and all, “but all good Radiomen should be able to rig something up.”
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Eighty years ago, there was a war going on. That meant that you didn’t have gas to drive around, so your entertainment could mean nights at home. Since you might not have been able to go out and buy items to keep you amused, you might need to make them yourself.
This couple, for example, is playing a game of baseball, thanks to a tabletop baseball game, the blueprints for which appeared in the April 1944 issue of Popular Science. According to the magazine, the game was scientifically designed and offered all the thrills of a real major-league game.
Eighty years ago this month, the April 1944 issue of Radio Craft carried this circuit for a shortwave receiver said to have “brought in those far-off, hard-to-get stations.” It had been submitted to the magazine by one Jerome N. Seibert of St. Paul, MN. He noted that he used the 27 tube as a rectifier, because that was what he happened to have on hand. The use of a power supply rather than batteries is probably because batteries were hard to come by during the war.
The editors of the magazine suggested swapping the 27 rectifier with the 45 tube used as an audio amplifier. They noted that the 27 would provide more audio, and the 45 would be able to supply more power. Some modifications of the circuit were required.
It appears that the author was this Jerome N. Seibert, who would have been 19 years old when he submitted the circuit to the magazine. His gravestone indicates that he served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II, meaning that he was drafted or enlisted shortly after graduating from high school and sending his circuit to the magazine. He died in 1994.