1942 Radio Troubleshooting

1942DecPM75 years ago this month, this father, shown in the December 1942 issue of Popular Mechanics, engages in some troubleshooting of the family’s radio receiver while the kids look on admiringly.

He didn’t let wartime shortages of test equipment hamper his efforts. As the magazine suggests, he’s using a neon lamp with clip leads to trace the circuit.  For checking continuity, the lamp can be used with a 22.5 volt battery.

Despite the high voltages (as evidenced by the power transformer on the chassis), there’s no evidence to indicate that the kids got zapped by poking their fingers into the wiring.  And chances are, they both turned out OK, despite the exposure to secondhand smoke.



Happy Birthday Rose Mary Woods

Today marks the 100th birthday of Rose Mary Woods, President Nixon’s secretary, who was born on December 26, 1917. She is shown here demonstrating for the press how she accidentally created an 18 minute gap on one of the Watergate tapes. Ms. Woods died in 2005 at the age of 87.



Merry Christmas from Teddy Roosevelt!

Merry Christmas from OneTubeRadio.com, and from Teddy Roosevelt, who is seen here calling on his neighbors a hundred years ago today, Christmas 1917.



Santa Goes to War!

19-0339aAs a public service, we once again bring this reminder of the critical importance of keeping your name off the naughty list.

This 1942 poster was produced by the War Production Board.



1927 British Crystal Set

1927DecWirelessAmateurThe plans for this British crystal set appeared 90 years ago in the December 17, 1927 issue of Amateur Wireless.

The set was billed as an ideal Christmas gift for someone living close to a BBC station. “A receiver such as this is inexpensive to build and would make an admirable Christmas gift to someone who lives near a B.B.C. station and has facilities for the erection of a reasonably efficient aerial-earth system.”

1927DecWirelessAmateurPictAccording to the article, if the set was equipped with a good aerial and earth, it would work two pairs of headphones with good volume, at a range of up to 12 miles from a main BBC station, or about half that distance from a relay station. The set was simple to operate, since it used a “permanent” crystal detector.

The article used quotation marks, since apparently the detector (available from either R.I. and Varley, or the Jewel Pen Company) was capable of an initial adjustment. “When testing on actual reception, carefully adjust the crystal detector until loudest results are obtained, and then leave well alone, as far as the detector is concerned.”1927DecWirelessAmateurSchem



M. Adaire Garmhausen, 3BCK, “The First YL”

Garmhausen

Shown here in the October 1922 issue of QST is Marion Adaire Garmhausen, who the magazine reports was “born on May 28, 1899, but swears she does not look a day over sixteen.”

Miss Garmhausen was a telegraph operator who went to wireless school just after the war. There, she found an issue of QST that had been left lying about. She was struck by the spirit of the organization and became licensed as 3BCK. She was the author of a number of articles for QST, including “How to Build a Wireless Station” in the July 1920 issue and “Breaking Out” in the May 1921 issue.

She was featured in the September 2002 issue of QST which revealed that she was “The First YL.”  That article reproduces a 1920 letter to her addressed to “My Dear YL,” which pointed out that the new phrase was created for her benefit, “as you will readily see that OM will not fit and OL would certainly be most inapplicable.”

 



Air King A-410 Radio-Camera

1947DecRadioRetailingIn 1947, Santa undoubtedly received many requests for one of these little beauties. It was obviously an idea before its time, but Air King obviously anticipated the cell phone camera. With the available technology of the day, they produced this combination camera-radio, the model A410, shown here in the December 1947 issue of Radio Retailing.

The camera featured a 50 mm lens, and could take either black and white or color pictures on standard 828 film.

The four tube radio ran on one flashlight battery and a 67-1/2 volt B battery.