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08.12
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On “Backscatter: Remember
Radio?” (July
2012)
Superb article. I still have the
family Philco which has to be at least 80 years
old. It sits in my living room, in a beautiful
console, on six legs, with doors that open to
the radio dials (all four). It has not been
turned on in 60 years. I also get an A+ in
response to your quiz on the Lone Ranger. I can
recite the entire intro. It was a must to listen
every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7:30 to
8:00 p.m. By the way, the Lone Ranger never even
wounded anyone. He was so good he would shoot
the bad guy’s gun from his holster or hand
without even scratching him.
Another favorite of mine was
Boston Blackie, “enemy to those who make him an
enemy, friend to those who have no friend.”
There are so many other programs
but we could go on for days.
Thanks for a fabulous article
and letting us reminisce. It goes in my file
forever.
Victor Zourides
IEEE Life Senior Member
Wheatley Heights, N.Y.
***
Terrific article, thank you. I
listened to radio a lot, from early childhood in
California (which included WWII) until the late
sixties in England. Several programs and
personalities of note that I learned from, or
simply enjoyed, included Walter Winchell, Edward
R. Murrow, Arthur Godfrey (with guest Mario
Lanza), Alistair Cooke (BBC, “Letter from
America”), Phil Harris and Alice Faye, Orson
Wells’ “War of the Worlds” spoof (revived
recently on NPR), “One Man’s Family,” “I Love a
Mystery,” Gene Autry, Sky King, and Ronald
Reagan (when host of “Death Valley Days”).
Hallan
Noltimier
Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
***
Enjoyed your article. Two radio
shows that were among my favorites were “Fred
Waring & The Pennsylvanians” and the
Lucky-Strike-sponsored “Your Hit Parade.”
Tom Kociuba
IEEE Life Member
Macungie, Penn.
***
Good article. I relived a lot of
pleasant memories. Ah, the Shadow! That, the
Green Hornet, and the Lone Ranger I lived for as
a child.
A few additional comments on the
transformer and power supply. The reason for the
transformer was to develop a high voltage (on
order of several hundred volts) for B+. That is
the term for the high voltage supply. There were
three supplies: A, (filaments); B, a high
voltage for the tube plate and screen grid; and
C, a high control grid negative bias voltage.
The latter was often not needed
as this voltage could be developed by placing a
resistor in the cathode of the tube, which
raised its potential. Then a resistor to chassis
ground would cause a negative voltage to exist
between the cathode and control grid.
Of course the HV transformer was
expensive. It could be eliminated by rectifying
the AC line, which would provide around 150
volts with respect to chassis ground. For a
higher voltage a voltage doubler circuit was
occasionally used.
Now for the filament problem.
Shortly after the war (WWII) the filaments in a
common radio tube line-up were designed so they
all used the same current. The result was an
“All-American 5” (five tubes including
rectifier) with filaments connected in series
that could operate directly from the 115-volt AC
line.
The problem was then that “hot
chassis.” After all, the polarized plug had not
yet been invented, so the plug had a 50% chance
of being inserted in such a manner that the
radio chassis was really 115 volts with respect
to any ground around the house. Whoops! (Several
manufacturers used plastic screws, or plastic
inserts and plastic knobs to solve the problem.)
As a kid I fixed many of these
radios. After a while I bought a small isolation
transformer to plug the radios into to avoid a
“shocking experience.” Later radios floated the
ground in the radio using a 0.047 uFd capacitor
between the floating ground and chassis. If the
cap didn’t leak too much, the shock was rather
mild. And yes, I did see more than a few of
these radios that were missing a knob or two.
Today, “Dewey, Cheatum and How”
would be advertising on late-night TV about the
big settlement shocked users could get.
Jim Ussailis
IEEE Life Senior Member
Florence, Mass.
***
Great article ....which covers
the period of my life!
I was born in 1930 on a Missouri
farm (no electricity, no phone) and I vividly
remember the early battery radios (with A, B, &
C batteries!) which I used to listen to Jack
Armstrong, the Lone Ranger, Amos & Andy, etc.
And the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor and
later the end of WWII.
Thanks!
Bob Huck
IEEE Senior Member
Indianapolis, Ind.
***
Great article on radio history(I
enjoyed it), but it's hard to believe you missed
the "Grand Ole Opry" which has been on the air
since 1925 on WSM-AM 650 and heard in over 30
states http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Ole_Opry
This show is a legend and I
believe is the longest running broadcast show of
any type to date.
Thanks for the memories,
John Ritchie
IEEE Member
Duluth, Ga.
***
Many of us did not have
expensive radios in 1935 but we were able to
pick up broadcasts by using a crystal and a set
of earphones. I was only 8 but my father, an
electrician, showed me how to do this and I was
hooked into electronics programs at that age. I
am now 85 and most of my life has been devoted
to many aspects of radio engineering. Very
interesting article, enjoyed the program
listings since I remembered them to this day. HI
YO Silver, Away.
Ted Yaeger
IEEE Life Member
Minneapolis, Minn.
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