1949 Air King Model A-2012 TV

Seventy-five years ago, this was one of the lowest prices on a console (or, to be fair, a “consolette”) teleivision. The Air King model A-2012 featured a 12-1/2 inch screen, and more importantly, a retail price of only $239.95 (or ten dollars more if you wanted mahogany).

You would undoubtedly be the first on your block to have a television, but even this budget model was expensive, since the price tag translates to over $3000 in today’s money.

But things were booming, and you could always cash in a war bond or two. This ad appeared in the November 1949 issue of Radio Retailing.

1944 One Tube Radio and Phono Oscillators with Hartley Oscillators

One tube radios don’t get much simpler than the one shown here, which appeared in the November 1944 issue of Radio Craft magazine, having been sent in by one Reggie Baker of Miami, Arizona. The circuit was described as a split Hartley with a type 30 tube. It could operate with two dry cell batteries.

Another Hartley oscillator was used in the circuit shown below, a phono oscillator. This circuit used a 6A8 or 12A8 pentagrid converter tube. It had been sent in to the magazine by Ralph Day of Moncton, N.B., who pointed out that it could also be used as a signal generator, using either phonograph music or an audio oscillator. It would appear that this is the same person as the Ralph Granville Day named in this 1959 marriage certificate, as the groom’s occupation is described as “T.V. and Radio.” He was born in 1924, which would have made him 20 years old at the time of the magazine submission. He died in California in 2003, and his obituary notes that he served during the war in the Canadian Merchant Navy, and after the war spent several years at sea as a radio operator.

1944 Instructional Model Telephone

Eighty years ago, Britain was at war, but that didn’t stop students from building instructional instruments, as shown by these plans for a telephone appearing in the November 1944 issue of Practical Mechanics.

The set was based upon the original telephone of Alexander Graham Bell, and could be built by senior schoolboys in the science room using readily available material. The magazine provided all of the construction details. Two instruments could be used to communicate from one room to another, strictly with sound power. For longer distances, the magazine recommended a carbon microphone with a battery running to the phone.

It could also be used as an extension for a Morse buzzer. All construction could be done with a few simple hand tools. The most delicate part of the operation was spacing the diaphragm just the right distance from the permanent magnet.

1939 Portable Sound System

Eighty-five years ago, the gentleman shown here spinning the records put his entrepreneurial skills as well as his tech savvy to work with this portable sound system he designed. He is one Fred Dingman, who authored two construction articles about how to build the sound system in the November and December 1939 issues of Popular Mechanics.

He reported that the investment was only about $25, as all parts are inexpensive, and he built the enclosures himself. The finished circuit put out 10 watts of undistorted sound to two 12-inch speakers, meaning that he could provide adequate volume for small halls or outdoors. It was designed as an inexpensive substitute for small dance orchestras, and he had no difficulty obtaining engagements for fraternity and sorority parties, dancing clubs, or lawn gatherings in a middle west university town.

At a reasonable rate, he provided the equipment, operator, and records. For those wishing to follow in his footsteps, the magazine could provide a complete set of blueprints. The system could also accommodate a microphone.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from OneTubeRadio.com!

The illustration of these thoroughly modern witches appeared in Radio Craft, October 1944.

1954 Bike Radio

Seventy years ago, this young woman was the proud owner of a bicycle radio. As she rode, she could listen to music, or perhaps a ball game.

The receiver was constructed according to plans in the very first issue of Popular Electronics, October 1954, and was a four-tube superheterodyne design. The project was somewhat involved, but the magazine promised that it was simple. Alignment was required, but according to the magazine, if you couldn’t locate a signal generator, a local radio technician or friendly radio amateur could do the job for you.

Of course, the magazine reminded that bike safety was important, and it cautioned readers not to get so engrossed in a radio program that they failed to watch traffic. The cabinet could be painted to match the bike, or personalized with some snappy decals.

Since the set was so easy to build, clubs could make them in an assembly line fashion so that members would have matching portables during jaunts together. In fact, once this girl started the fad, the magazine was willing to bet that other groups would be following in short order.

1964: A Ham in the White House?

Sixty years ago, there was a prospect of a ham in the White House, namely, Barry Goldwater, K7UGA/K3UIG. The October 1964 issue of 73 Magazine showed the logical conclusion, namely, an antenna on the White House. And the following cartoons, by Wayne Pierce, K3SUK, appeared in that issue.

He Has Your Battery: 1944

Eighty years ago, flasher signal lights and invasion -barge searchlights were more important than flashlights at home. Therefore, this ad from Burgess Batteries reminded readers that those needs came first, and whatever batteries made it into American homes had to be taken care of.

To do that, Americans needed to keep them cool and dry, use them as little as possible, and rest them as often as possible. The ad appeared 80 years ago this month in the October 1944 issue of Radio Craft.

1939 Motorola Model 41-S “Sporter”

Eighty-five years ago this month, the October 1939 issue of Radio Craft featured the Motorola Model 41-S “Sporter,” weighing in at only 6-1/2 pounds. The antenna was an integral part of the shoulder strap, and the four-tube set was much to be desired. Publisher Hugo Gernsback had recently predicted that “when we go down to about 5 or 6 lbs.–a not impossible figure–we will have a receiver of much greater popularity,” and that time had come.

The article concluded with the further prediction: “Radio-Craft predicts that, now that radio sets are within sight of being really PORTABLE–so that milady can carry them a block without gasping for breath–the battery portable is destined to “go places” not
only in design, but also commercially!”

1944 Cornell-Dubilier Capacitors

Eighty years ago, this mother-daughter duo are doing their part to defeat Hitler and Tojo, as Mom passes along the lore of capacitors. They both work at Cornell-Dubilier, and this ad, from the October 1944 issue of Radio News, points out that the company has been around almost as long as the modern capacitor has been in existence. With women hitting the workforce during the War, C-D points out that it’s not a new thing with them.

And just to let everyone know that they’re modern, they call their product “capacitors,” rather than the previously common “condenser” name.