1965 One IC Radio

Sixty years ago this month, the March 1965 issue of Electronics Illustrated devoted much of the issue to a new kind of electronic component, the integrated circuit. In particular, it included some projects making use of the Motorola MC356G IC. The device, measuring only 5/16″ in diameter, packed in a full six transistors, along with five resistors. It could be had for only $3.55 plus postage.

The IC was designed for logic applications, so putting those transistors to use in a radio posed some challenges, since they were packed so close together physically. But with some trial and error, the magazine settled on the circuit shown below, which had good selectivity, sensitivity, and audio output.

The circuit used four of the six transistors. Components inside the IC are shown in black in the schematic, with added components in red.

1955 British Radio-Phono

The excitement is palpable in this image from the cover of the March 1955 issue of Practical Wireless. It looks like they’re simply listening to a record on their radiogram (what we would call a radio-phono on this side of the Pond). But one of them actually built the set according to plans in the magazine.

The set was said to be a selective and sensitive station getter, and had a tolerably high standard of reproduction for both the wireless and the gramophone. The March issue started the construction plans for the eight-tube set, to be continued in the April issue.

Radio in Seward, Alaska, 1925

This ad for dealer Cal M. Brosius appeared a hundred years ago today in the March 9, 1925, issue of the Seward (AK) Daily Gateway. There were no broadcast stations in Alaska, so a crystal set probably wouldn’t do you much good. But if you had a superheterodyne, there would be a lot to listen to at night. This dealer included a list of stations that had been received in Seward on the Radiola Super VIII or Super Heterodyne. They included stations on the east coast, as well as stations in western Canada and the U.S. west coast.

But it wouldn’t be cheap. The Super Heterodyne would set you back $285, and the Super VIII would be $425. When adjusted for inflation, that works out to $5233 and $7804.

Scouts Build Radio, 1925

One hundred years ago this month, the March 1925 issue of Boys’ Life showed Eagle Scouts Andrew S. Bostwick and H.I. Swanson, both of Troop 711, Brooklyn, at the controls of the radio they had built. The magazine reported that they picked up 150 stations during the course of one evening.

Perhaps the duo inspired some scouts to build the two-tube receiver described in the same issue of the magazine:

1965 Light Beam Communicator

The young man in this drawing is now a senior citizen, but in 1965, he was taking part in the school science fair, using a project shown in the Winter 1965 issue of Elementary Electronics. He was communicating with a light beam, with a rudimentary setup consisting of two audio amplifiers. The output of one of them was hooked directly to a light bulb (in series with a 3 volt battery), and the input of the other one was hooked to a photocell.

According to the article, this unit was good for demonstration purposes only, and was only capable of a couple of feet. I’m surprised that they are so conservative in their estimate, since I made virtually the same setup when I was a kid, and it traversed the length of the house without much difficulty.

The only difference in my version was the addition of a transformer to the output of the first amplifier. The primary was hooked to the amp, and the secondary was wired in series with the battery. I used a flashlight, and just sandwiched two pieces of foil, insulated by cardboard, between the lamp and the battery terminal. I suspect my use of a flashlight, complete with its parabolic reflector, was probably an important factor in my success.

1940 Cane/Seat/Radio

Eighty-five years ago, this no-nonsense outdoorswoman is enjoying a hike, but when she stops to rest, she can listen to a favorite program on this combination cane/seat/radio described in the March 1940 issue of Popular Science.

One HY115 tube served as a regenerative detector, with a second serving as AF amplifier. A final HY125 audio stage powered the headphones. The cane itself could serve as an antenna, or a convenient fence wire could be used.

As with everything, cane-seats can still be found on Amazon. The exact instructions for mounting a radio will differ, but we’re confident that our readers can figure it out.

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1976 Grocery Prices

For a snapshot of the cost of living in the Bicentennial year, this ad for A&P stores appeared in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on March 5, 1976. While the prices look low, this was the era of the WIN button, and there was a lot of inflation in progress. According to this online calculator, one dollar in 1976 works out to $5.58 in 2025 dollars. So 59 cents for a five pound bag of flour works out to about $3.29 per pound today. You can check the current price at Amazon at this link.

Converting Your TV to a Big Screen, 1950

Shown here is Popular Science author Robert Gorman upgrading his 10-inch television to a “big screen” 16-inch set. He owned a 10-inch RCA 630-type circuit (which he had built from a kit). That circuit was widely distributed, both by RCA and other well-known brands. It had enough power to run the larger picture tube, and an article in the March 1950 issue of Popular Science showed how to make the conversion.

The new tube had the same pin configuration, and only a few small changes to the circuit were required. The larger tube required adding some wiring to the socket, and the article warned of the importance of using wire insulated for the high voltages involved.

The larger tube required a new cabinet. An accompanying article showed how to make one. The cost of the cabinet was a significant portion of a TV’s cost, so even if you were buying a new TV, you might save money by just buying the chassis and putting it into a cabinet of your own making.

Charging the Battery With Your Toaster

If you were one of the growing number of Americans who owned a radio 100 years ago, the cost of batteries would soon become a concern, and you would be thinking of ways to run the radio from your lighting current.

In many large cities, the power company supplied 110 volts direct current, and if that was your situation, the March 1925 issue of Popular Science showed you how to power the radio. Even though the power was DC, the generators down at the power plant generated a lot of ripple, and if you just ran the radio straight from the line, the result would be a loud high pitched whine. So the filtering arrangement above could be used.

For the filaments, since you already had a battery, you could just use that, but then recharge it with 110 volts DC, as shown here. To drop the voltage, you would start with a 60 watt lightbulb in series. But to finish the job, you would want to lower the current, which meant putting the toaster in series.

If you weren’t sure about the polarity, you could run the simple test below:

2025 New York As Envisioned in 1925

Shown here, in the March 1925 issue of Science and Invention is “a good idea of the probable appearance of New York’s skyscrapers in the year 2025.” It was to include triple and even quadruple-decker streets. The lower level would be occupied by trucks, with lighter vehicles on the upper levels. Sidewalks would be moving. The subways, both long distance and local, would be in multiple layers underground, with daily commutes of a hundred miles, such as to and from Philadelphia, commonplace. The skies being filled with aircraft would be almost quaint, as they were to be there by 1950.

While the image above is not recognizable, the image below doesn’t miss the mark by very much. You can see a modern view from a similar angle at this link.

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