Volume 1, Number 2, June 2011

IN THIS ISSUE:
The First A.C. Tubes; Screen
Grid Tubes
Browning-Drake and Stewart-Warner
Histories
Tools and Instruments for Restoration
The 2011 AWA Convention

Your Entry to the Fascinating World of Vintage Communications

 Welcome to The AWA Gateway!
3 .......The 50th AWA World Convention
The Logotype
AWA Gateway
w/ Frame is an
electronic publication of The Antique Wireless 4 .......The Receiving Tube Story
Association, downloadable without charge from the AWA website
www.antiquewireless.org, to stimulate interest in vintage com-
Part 2: The First A.C. Tubes; Screen Grid Tubes
munications history, equipment restoration and collecting.
8 .......Company Chronicles
OFFICERS Browning-Drake and Stewart-Warner
Director ..............Tom Peterson, Jr.
Deputy Director.....Robert Hobday 9 .......Play it Again
Curator ...............Bruce Roloson Part 2: Basic Tools and Instruments
Secretary.............Dr. William Hopkins
Treasurer .............Stan Avery
10 .....About the Antique Wireless Association
TRUSTEES
Stanley Avery, WM3D Richard Neidich 11 .....Members' Corner
David Bart, KB9YPD Lauren Peckham News of Particular Interest to the AWA
Lynn Bisha, W2BSN Allan Pellnat, KX2H Membership
Geoffrey Bourne Thomas Peterson, Jr.
Marc Ellis, N9EWJ Ronald Roach, W2FUI 12 .....Clubs That Will Welcome You
Dr. Thomas Ely, W2ODW Bruce Roloson, W2BDR
Robert Hobday, N2EVG John Terrey
Prof. William Hopkins, AA2YV Ron Walker, WA2TT 13 .....Equipment and History on Member Sites
David Kaiser Morgan Wesson
Felicia Kreuzer, KA2GXL Roy Wildermuth, W2IT
James Kreuzer, N2GHD From The Editor
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COMMITTEE
Chairman........................Richard Neidich
AWA Journal Editor...........Marc Ellis, N9EWJ
H ello and welcome to the second issue of The AWA
Gateway, a free electronic publication of The An-
tique Wireless Association. I hope you enjoy going
Membership Data ...........Ed Gable, K2MP*
AWA Review Editor ...........Robert Murray* through it as much as we did putting it together! If you
Conference Chairman ........Roy Wildermuth, W3RLW are just beginning to get involved in antique radio col-
*Ex Officio Members lecting and/or restoration—or if you are thinking about
WEBSITES becoming involved—this new quarterly publication is
Website: www.antiquewireless.org especially for you.
Special Convention website: www.awaconference.com In addition to its other features, this issue continues
Special Development website: www.antiquewirelessmuseum.com new installments of the three series we began last time:
“The Receiving Tube Story,” “Company Chronicles” and
Antique Wireless Association is an
IRS 501(c)3 Charitable Organization “Play it Again.” Right now, much of the Gateway material
is being contributed by your Editor, having appeared in
THE AWA GATEWAY STAFF a former publication some years ago. However, we would
Editor like for The AWA Gateway to become a vehicle for mem-
Marc F. Ellis N9EWJ
mfellis@alum.mit.edu
ber contributions, just as is our sister print publication
The AWA Journal.
Design and Production Click on our web site http://www.antiquewireless.org/
Claudia Gray Sweet
to find out more about The AWA Journal and The Antique
Copy Editor Marconi at his St. Johns Wireless Association. Once on the site, click on “Join the
Joseph J. Schroeder, Jr., W9JUV receiving station. Courtesy AWA” to either access a printed application or join the
David Read.
ABOUT OUR COVER Association via your PayPal account.
The scene that is partially revealed behind the gateway is the We’d like to know what you think of The AWA Gateway
Marconi transmitter complex at Poldhu, southwest Cornwall, and hear about features you would like to see added. Be
England, that sent the first transatlantic radio signal. The three sure to contact me at mfellis@alum.mit.edu or tweet to
dots, representing the Morse letter "s," were received by @AWAGateway!—Marc Ellis, N9EWJ
Marconi at St. John's-Newfoundland on December 12, 1901.
Shown are two of the four sturdy towers that replaced the two
antenna masts used in the original test.
From The Deputy Director
The AWA Gateway cover was created by Will Thomson of
Armadillo Arts, Iowa City, Iowa.
H i everyone and welcome to the second issue of the
AWA Gateway. It is Spring! Yea!! But, whoever is
praying for rain, can please stop. I think I said the same
The AWA Gateway is published approximately four times a year by The
Antique Wireless Association. AWA is a non-profit historical society thing about snow last issue.
founded in 1952 and incorporated in the State of New York. Antique I am sure you will enjoy this issue as much as the first.
Wireless Association is a trademark of the Antique Wireless Association.
Please share both with your friends and especially with
AWA is not liable in any way for any buying or selling transaction entered young people. Talk to them about the concepts and tech-
into as a result of the content of this publication. Contents © 2011 An-
tique Wireless Association; © 2011 Antique Radio Club of America except
nologies of our hobby.
where otherwise indicated. This week a group of 20 Girl Scouts visited our

2 THE AWA GATEWAY

Museum and they had a great time. They especially en- Museum Annex—used primarily for storage and library re-
joyed using the wooden cabinet wall telephones, and search—is now empty. The artifacts and books have been
when I explained that cell phones are telephones based moved to our new Museum campus across the road.
on “radio” technology, a receiver and a transmitter, the Please look at our previous issue, Volume 1 No. 1, for a
flood of questions just kept coming. complete description of the new campus.
Another staff member was busy upstairs demonstrating The keys to the Annex have been turned over to the
our thousand-watt spark transmitter to the amazement Town of East Bloomfield. Since the building will be the
and enjoyment of others in the group. Even though he headquarters of the summer recreation program, one of
warned that it would be loud, they jumped anyway. It is our antennas has been left up. We expect to provide
always great to see the expression of fascination on the demonstrations of Amateur Radio as part of the pro-
faces of young people as we introduce them to our work- gram—something that has pleased and excited the town
ing exhibits. officials.
One of the goals of AWA is to interest and educate We now have over 200 donations for the new Mu-
youngsters in the technologies that are used to communi- seum—totaling nearly $1.5 million. Some of the donations
cate and entertain, ranging from the telegraph to the cel- have notes and stories attached, and one especially comes
lular telephone. Our new Museum, now in the planning to mind. A gentleman donated $2 with a note saying that
and early construction stage, will have a 60 seat audito- he is 94 with no pension and has medical bills of $6,000
rium, allowing two classes of school children at once to per month. The $2 was all he had yet he still wanted to
view our educational presentations. support the AWA. I wrote back thanking him and told him
If the USA is to be a leader in technology, we must en- that his generosity touched me so much that I made an
courage our young folks to take an interest in the sciences. additional donation in his name to the Development Fund.
Well, that is enough preaching. I want to update you on Please consider joining us in sparking the Museum for-
the development of our Museum. On April 21, we pre- ward. Donations can be made through the Museum Devel-
sented our plans for the new AWA Museum and Research opment Fund website, www.antiquewirelessMuseum.org
Campus to the Town of East Bloomfield, N.Y. and received or by mailing your donation to AWA Development Fund,
approval to move forward. That is a very important step. P.O. Box 421, Bloomfield, NY 14469. Every donation
Although we do not expect major construction to begin makes a difference. You can be part of the new campus
right away, we have selected a general contractor and are development and I hope you will.
now finalizing plans for the Museum building. Bob Hobday
Our original Museum is still fully operational. But the Deputy Director, Antique Wireless Asssociation

COMING SOON!
THE 50TH AWA WORLD CONVENTION

I
f you are free to visit Rochester, NY on Au- Special event station W2A, sponsored by the
gust 16-20, take advantage of the opportu- Rochester DX Association, will be operating
nity to spend five days totally immersed in from the Flea Market.
radio lore, artifacts and equipment! You’ll enjoy There will also be many opportunities for
the fellowship with AWA members, learn from purely social get-togethers. These include the In-
the forums and presentations, acquire or sell ternational Dinner on Canandaigua Lake honor-
radio treasures. ing our attendees from other countries, the
Among the highlights of the event will be our Pizza Dance Party, Movie Night, Ladies’ Lunch-
round-the-clock flea market, forums and presen- eon and 50th Anniversary Banquet.
tations covering a broad spectrum of the radio The Convention will be held at the Rochester
hobby, and expanded auction including items Institute of Technology Inn and Conference Cen-
from several estates. ter in Rochester, NY. From Exit 46 of the New
You’ll enjoy spending time at the AWA mu- York Thruway (I-90), take I-390 North to NY253
seum and, also, viewing our Old Equipment Con- West to NY15 South. Look for the RIT building
test—where member displays in the various con- about 0.7 miles on the right. For more informa-
test categories compete for top honors. This tion and to register on line visit www.awacon-
year, recognizing our convention’s 50th anniver- ference.com. Contest and partial program list-
sary theme, prize winning entries from previous ings are available at www.antiquewireless.org.
years will also be competing. Click on “AWA Convention Preview.”

THE AWA GATEWAY 3

 By Marc F. Ellis, N9EWJ
© 1995 and 2011 M. Ellis

The Receiving Tube Story

Part 2: The First AC Tubes; Screen Grid Tubes

L
ast time we covered the development of all tubes
commonly used in home battery receivers at the be-
ginning of the broadcast era. Take a few minutes,
now, and think about what those battery radio owners
had to put up with. If the set was large enough to have
good sensitivity and operate a speaker (such receivers
would typically be “3-dialers” using five 0l-A tubes), en-
ergy to light the filaments came from a six-volt lead-acid
storage battery of the type used in automobiles. Plate (and
possibly grid bias) voltage came from two or more large
dry batteries of the non-rechargeable type.

BATTERY RADIO AGGRAVATION

Consider the nuisance and expense of operating these Here are the tubes that made the first true AC sets possible.
radios. First of all, the typical coffin-shaped case of such From left: UX-226, UY-227, UX-171-A and UX-280.
sets was not designed to house the batteries. Unless the
family purchased a piece of special furniture to accommo- 1920s, the first AC-operated sets (“light socket” radios, as
date the receiver and its accessories, battery location was they were called) were introduced. But they were really
a problem. Those energy sources, bristling with intercon- just battery-set designs with built-in “A” and “B” elimina-
necting wires and tied to the radio via a long umbilical, tors. These radios were neater because all of the hardware
looked quite untidy under the radio table. was housed in a single cabinet. But they were just as cum-
The plate and bias batteries (called the “B” and “C” bat- bersome and just as expensive (if not more so) than bat-
teries) had to be disconnected, discarded, and replaced tery sets with separate eliminators.
when exhausted—an annoying and expensive recurring True AC-operated sets, with power supply and radio cir-
chore. But the filament storage battery (or “A” battery) cuitry compactly integrated in one case, would have to
was a special problem. It was definitely miscast in the liv- wait until the power-hungry filament circuit could be op-
ing room because a few stray drops of acid from the bat- erated directly from an AC source. Then the bulky and
tery could play hob with the living-room carpeting. costly AC-to-high-current-DC “A” battery eliminator
Moreover, when exhausted, it had to be disconnected equipment could be abandoned
and recharged. The hapless radio owner could either man-
handle this 40- or 50-pound load down to the nearest AC TUBES ARRIVE
service station and back or purchase a home battery The problem with operating the filaments of most bat-
charger. Of course the latter option placed another unit, tery tubes from an AC source was hum. The 60-cycle hum
with more interconnecting wires, under the radio table.
Folks tolerated those messy, inconvenient and expensive
batteries at first. They were part of the mystique of owning
a radio set at a time when listening to distant signals in
one’s living room was a thrilling and magical activity. But
there was obviously going to be a great market for plug-
in radios as soon as they could be invented.

BATTERY ELIMINATORS
Eventually “B” and “C” eliminators appeared on the
market. These converted the 110-volt AC house current to
the various direct current voltages needed for the set’s “B”
and “C” supply. Less common, more cumbersome and
more costly were the “A” eliminators that replaced the
storage battery, converting house current to six volts DC
for lighting the tube filaments.
By purchasing these “eliminators,” at some expense, the
radio owner could free himself from dependence on bat-
teries—but he still had a bunch of hardware and intercon- Note the cylindrical cathode emerging from the top of the
necting wires under his radio table. Some time in the mid- UY-227’s interior structure.

4 THE AWA GATEWAY

 output tubes) were designed for battery sets. Among
them were the ‘120 (discussed last time), ‘112 and ‘171.
They weren’t widely used, however, because their extra
power drain significantly shortened battery life.
As it turned out, the audio output stage wasn’t as sensi-
tive to hum as the earlier stages of the receiver. Battery
types used for this purpose could be lit from an AC source
with no ill effects. So, at least at first, no special AC audio
output tubes were designed. The most common type used
in the early AC sets was the UX-171-A, an improved ver-
sion of the ‘171. Both the RCA and AK sets just mentioned
used this tube as the power amplifier. Its filament operated
on 5 volts at .25 amperes, just like an 01-A.
With tube filaments (and heaters) operating nicely on
alternating current, one more arrangement had to be
Straight-down view of an AK 42. Power supply with 80 tube made to achieve an efficient “light socket” radio circuit:
above; radio chassis with ‘26s, ‘27 and ‘71-A below. the conversion of the AC line voltage to well-filtered DC
for use as the “B” and “c’ supply. To achieve this required
from the alternating current supply would mix with the a full-wave rectifier circuit. Half-wave rectifier tubes (simple
radio signal and be amplified along with it, causing a loud diodes having a filament and a single plate, but no grid)
and unpleasant raspy noise that made it virtually impossi- had been available since battery set days, but it required
ble to hear the broadcast. two of them for full-wave rectification.
In 1927, RCA released two new tubes that solved the In 1925, the first tube designed specifically for full-wave
problem—each in a different manner. Except for its fila- rectification (containing two plates in addition to the fila-
ment design, the type UX-226 looked very similar to the ment) was released. It was called the UX-213. This tube
type ‘0l-A it was designed to replace. But engineers had became obsolete almost as soon as it was released; radio
found that one way to reduce hum was to balance it out circuits were rapidly becoming more sophisticated and
by operating the filament at a lower voltage and a higher powerful and the ‘213 wasn’t able to deliver enough cur-
current. The ‘26’s filament ran on 1.5 volts at 1.5 amperes rent to operate them. Very few radio sets incorporated a
(compare the ‘0l-A’s heater specs of 5 volts at .25 ‘213. I’ve never come across one myself.
amperes). The UX-213 was replaced, less than two years later, by
The type ‘27, however, was a true breakthrough de- the UX-280—which had about twice the current rating.
sign—the prototype for all AC-operated tubes to follow. The latter provided more than enough power for the sets
Instead of directly supplying the tube’s electron stream, then in use (both our examples above are powered by
the filament served only to heat a surrounding structure ‘80s) and for those that would be manufactured for years
called the cathode (originally a ceramic cylinder coated thereafter. In fact, the ‘80 is probably the most enduring
with a metallic substance) which, in turn, emitted the re- tube type ever introduced, having been manufactured
quired electrons. continuously for at least 50 years.
The cathode had enough “heat inertia” to smooth out
the AC pulsations, so the tube ran without hum. The ‘27’s
filament (properly called a “heater” in this application) ran
at 2.5-volts, which was to become the industry standard
for all AC tubes designed over the next several years.
Because it was necessary to bring out an electrical con-
nection from the cathode, the ‘27 needed a new base hav-
ing an extra pin. Called the “UY” base, it was like the “UX”
design except for having five pins instead of four. The ‘27’s
original full designation was UY-227.

THE FIRST AC SETS

The earliest integrated AC radios (the familiar metal-
cased Atwater-Kent Model 42 is a good example) tended
to use ‘26s as RF and first AF amplifiers and the ‘27 as a de-
tector. In more mature designs, as engineers became more
comfortable with the new “cathode technology,” the ‘26
was phased out—which, incidentally, eliminated the ne-
cessity of supplying an extra filament voltage winding on
the power transformer. A good example is the very com-
mon RCA Radiola 60, which employs ‘27s throughout— Type ‘13 as introduced in an early ad. As a Cunningham
except for the power amplifier and rectifier tubes. tube, it was designated CX-313. RCA’s version was desig-
A few power amplifier tubes (otherwise known as audio nated UX-213.

THE AWA GATEWAY 5

 The availability of the types ‘26, ‘27, ‘71-A and ‘80 tubes heightened interest in shortwave communication begin-
made possible the development of the first generation of ning in the late 1920s intensified the need to solve the
truly integrated AC-operated radios—receivers containing problem.
a compact power supply developed as part of the original
design and built right into the cabinet along with the rest ADDED—A NEW GRID
of the set. Even the table models, complete with internal Like so many important technological breakthroughs,
power supply, were hardly bigger than the 3-dialer “cof- the needed solution was arrived at, almost simultaneously,
fin” sets of the previous generation. by experimenters working in different countries. It was
Gone was the heavy umbilical dropping down to a jum- found that the internal grid-plate capacitance of a triode
ble of batteries or eliminators under the table. Gone were (three-element tube) could be reduced several hundred
the batteries themselves and the need to replace or charge percent through the introduction of an additional grid be-
them. The only power cable coming out of the new sets tween the original grid and the plate.
was a slender AC cord with a plug to be inserted into the A technical explanation of the effect is beyond the scope
wall socket. The cord took care of all energy needs, and of our discussion, but the capacity reduction was achieved
the receiver could be operated for hours on just a few pen- through an “electrostatic shielding” effect obtained by
nies worth of electricity. maintaining the new grid at a voltage that was positive
Not only that, but the new sets were more sensitive and with respect to the tube’s filament or cathode (but gener-
far easier to operate than the old 3-dialers. They also had ally quite a bit less positive than that on the plate).
better volume and tone quality. Is it any wonder that the This added element was known as the “screen grid” to
old battery sets were relegated to attics, basements and distinguish it from the “control grid,” which carried the
(alas) ashcans as fast as their owners could get together signal being amplified. The screen grid actually was a
the money to buy one of the AC models? piece of fine-mesh wire screening wrapped into a cylindri-
cal shape. Tubes containing a screen grid were known as
TAMING SELF-OSCILLATION “tetrodes” (four-element tubes) to distinguish them from
After the introduction of the first AC tubes, the next triodes.
major innovation was aimed at overcoming a serious prob-
lem that limited the amplification available from vacuum THE TYPES 22, 24, AND 24-A
tubes operating at radio frequencies. The problem was The first screen-grid tube generally available in this
caused by the internal capacitance that existed between a country was the type 22 introduced by RCA. The 22,
tube’s grid and plate. The unwanted capacitance resulted which was a battery tube, never saw wide usage because
in feedback that caused instability and self-oscillation. it was released as the era of AC-operated sets was dawn-
To combat the problem, early set designers had to ei- ing. In fact, the first true AC operated tube (type 27) was
ther neutralize the oscillation (as in the well-known “Neu- already on the market when the 22 was introduced.
trodyne” circuit) or find ways to lower the efficiency of In providing a connection for the 22’s extra grid, the
tubes operating as RF amplifiers. Either way, the full ampli- designers chose not to alter the standard 4-pin base. In-
fication potential of the tubes could not be realized. stead, they brought a lead out to a cap at the top of the
The tendency for self-oscillation increased as the fre- tube. This was used for the control grid because, by sepa-
quency of the signal being amplified was raised. So the rating the control grid connection from the leads going to
the other elements, they could
further reduce grid-plate ca-
pacitance. The base pin previ-
ously occupied by the control
grid was now connected to
the screen grid.
The type 22 was quickly su-
perseded by the AC-operated
24, released in May, 1929.
This was a tetrode containing
a cathode and a 2.5-volt
heater like that on the type 27.
It used the same 5-pin base as
the 27, with base pins as-
signed to the heater, cathode,
plate, and screen grid. As with
the 22, the control grid con-
nection was brought out to a
cap at the top of the tube.
Very soon after the 24 was re-
leased, it was replaced by the
24-A, a quicker heating ver-
The “Harkness” battery-operated screen-grid set (1929) used type 22s as first and second sion of its predecessor.
RF amplifiers. Detector tube was the usual Type 01-A. The 24-A saw very wide use,

6 THE AWA GATEWAY

and will be found installed in virtually all of the Most screengrid sets you’ll come across will use
early screen-grid sets you will come across. the type 24A. Original issue was pearshaped;
Even sets originally equipped with type 24s this one has “ST” envelope.
were eventually re-tubed with the
quicker-heating 24-As. If you have any type new sets was a little like trading in the old
22s or type 24s in your collection, I’d suggest 4-cylinder Ford on a supercharged Lincoln
hanging on to them as collectibles. It’s not V-12. And the physical appearance of a
that these tubes are now incredibly valuable. screen-grid receiver certainly fostered that il-
But they are certainly not common, and will lusion. A row of three or four 24-As, each
be getting more rare as the years pass. with its top cap connected to the variable
The introduction of the screen-grid tube capacitor via a heavy rubber-covered wire,
had an impact at least as great as the intro- projected an image of power and
duction of the first AC tubes. One contem- energy-not unlike the ignition system of a
porary radio historian wrote: “…the im- high-performance car.
provement in gain and efficiency by this de-
velopment over the original triode has not VARIABLE MU TUBES
been duplicated by any single advancement The unique electrical characteristics of the
since that time.” screen-grid tube created an effect called
“cross-modulation,” which tended to reduce
SOCIOLOGICAL IMPACT the selectivity of the set’s tuned circuits. This
Certainly, the impact on radio listeners, was a problem because, by the time the
hobbyists and manufacturers was profound screen-grid sets were being marketed, many
and immediate. Listeners marveled at the parts of the country were able to support
distant stations they could pull in with the several powerful radio stations operating in
new circuitry, and the magazines and trade papers were the same metropolitan area.
full of manufacturer’s ads hyping new screen-grid sets. Once again, the theory here is beyond the scope of our
Hobby magazines overflowed with articles explaining discussion-but the problem was corrected by redesigning
screen-grid theory and providing constructional details on the control grid of the tube. The spiral of wire forming the
receivers utilizing the new tubes. grid was changed so that the distance between its turns
The development of the screen grid tube made it possi- was non-uniform. Besides correcting the selectivity prob-
ble for the tuned radio frequency (TRF) radio design, orig- lem, the design change provided some important addi-
inally embodied in the old “3-dialer” battery sets and also tional benefits.
used in most early AC radios, to approach the sensitivity The amplification of a tube equipped with the new-style
of the much more efficient superheterodyne circuit. This grid could be smoothly controlled by varying the d.c. grid
was a boon to the many manufacturers of the era who bias that was applied. This effect would make possible the
were reluctant to invest in an expensive superheterodyne design of efficient automatic volume control (AVC) cir-
license from RCA. cuits. Such circuits reduced the set’s sensitivity when
While the development of AC tubes had provided new strong local stations were being received, thus preventing
convenience for the radio set owner, the development of overloading, while automatically increasing gain to the
screen-grid tubes enhanced his power over the airwaves maximum for the reception of weak, distant signals.
that distinguished him from less affluent neighbors who Tubes with a grid having this design are called vari-
couldn’t swing the new equipment. able-mu, remote-cutoff, or super control amplifiers. The
In an era when almost all types of technology were ad- first variable-mu tetrodes became available in 1931. RCA
vancing rapidly, the introduction of the screen-grid radio designated its version the type 35, while the virtually-iden-
was another part of the picture. Switching to one of the tical tube released by most other manufacturers was
dubbed the type 51. Like the 24 and 24-A, these
tubes had cathodes and 2.5-volt heaters based
on the design pioneered in the type 27.
Though the type 51 was discontinued not
long after it was introduced, most manufacturers
of replacement tubes labeled the type 35 as
“35/51“ indicating that it would replace either
version. This practice went on for many years,
and tubes labeled 35/51 seem to be more com-
mon than those specifically designated with ei-
ther number.
Screen-grid tubes burst on the radio scene like
a skyrocket, but their impact was fairly
short-lived. The tetrode was replaced, in its ap-
plication as a radio-frequency amplifier, by a new
This 1929 National Company ad hyped a screen-grid tuner by two class of tubes known as pentodes-about which,
prominent radio engineers. more later!

THE AWA GATEWAY 7

 Company Chronicles
See copyright statement at end of article.

The company vacated the facility in the early 1990s, mov-

ing most operations to the El Paso, Texas area. The build-
ings stood empty for a few years, but have since been de-
molished to make room for condo construction

O
riginally called the Stewart-Warner Speedometer
Corporation, this organization was put together in
1912 through a merger of two parent companies.
The company manufactured a large line of automotive parts
and accessories but, concerned that the automotive business

I
might decline, began investigating the radio market in 1923. n the mid-1920s, at the height of the “radio craze,”
Stewart-Warner’s original concept was to manufacture the newspapers and radio magazines were full of trick
a complete line of radio items in addition to completed circuits—often bearing the names of the self-styled in-
sets. The early advertisements stressed that Stewart- ventors, and usually backed by manufacturers with a
Warner radios employed “Matched Unit” construction; all vested interest in selling parts. To the casual contemporary
parts, tubes and accessories were “designed and per- reader, the Browning-Drake circuit might well have looked
fected” by the company. The firm’s original radio models like just another over-publicized hookup of doubtful merit.
were manufactured with parts purchased from Erla, how- However, it was actually one of the relatively few de-
ever, and an early attempt to set up a vacuum-tube man- signs that were competently engineered and lived up to
ufacturing operation ended in failure. their advertising hype.
Nevertheless the company reported profits of $1.8 mil- The Browning-Drake circuit had its origins in a mathe-
lion on the sale of 100.000 radios in 1925, and was said to matical study of tuned-radio-frequency amplification car-
be turning out 1000 sets a day by February, 1926. About ried out by Frederick H. Drake in 1923 during his senior
a year later, however, plagued by overproduction and ex- year at Harvard. Later, Drake approached Glenn H. Brown-
cess inventory, the firm dumped 75,000 sets at $15.00 ing, who was a Research Fellow at Harvard, with the idea
each. The follow- of making experimental measurements to confirm the
ing year, about a mathematical analysis.
million dollars In carrying out this work, the two researchers found that
worth of obsolete the usual TRF transformer then in use had far too much
sets were un- capacitance between its primary and secondary windings.
loaded. At that This lowered the amplification available from the circuit.
time, the radio To correct the problem, they designed a transformer pri-
trade papers re- mary formed of small wire wound in a thin slot. The result
ported that the was a significant increase in gain.
company’s radio The Browning-Drake circuit found quick acceptance,
losses were being and the National Company (a Cambridge, MA neighbor
offset by profits of Harvard’s), which had supplied tuning capacitors and
from its automo- The mammoth Stewart-Warner vernier drives for the experimental circuits, collaborated
tive products. Chicago plant falls under the wrecker’s on the mechanical design of a consumer oriented radio kit
Stewart-Warner ball. utilizing the design. Towards the end of 1924, it went on
became a less con- the market as the “National Regenaformer” kit.
spicuous presence in the radio industry after that time, About a year later, Browning formed the Browning-
but continued to manufacture radio sets, and, eventually, Drake Corporation to sell complete receivers while Na-
television sets and phonographs, until 1954—when US tional continued to sell the kits. The company did well for
production of these product lines was discontinued. The awhile, but emerging technologies made the Browning-
company continues to operate and grow today, maintain- Drake circuit obsolete and, by 1930, the company was
ing diverse interests in such areas as military electronics, being operated by a creditor’s committee.
facsimile, furniture hardware, lubricating systems, heating The firm continued in business until 1937, when Brown-
and tools. ing founded Browning Laboratories to manufacture a va-
Stewart-Warner’s mammoth Chicago plant was re- riety of electronic devices. Drake, who had remained at
ported by a 1929 trade paper to contain a million square Harvard to earn his MA and PhD, went on to form the Air-
feet of floor space and employ over 5,000 skilled workers. craft Radio Corporation of Boonton, NJ in 1929.

The information for these company biographies was abridged from Alan Douglas’s three-volume encyclopedia Radio Manu-
facturers of the 1920s, published by Sonoran Publishing, 6505 West Frye Rd., Suite 15, Chandler, Arizona 85226, sonoran-
publishing.com, and copyrighted 1988, 1989 and 1991 by Alan Douglas.

8 THE AWA GATEWAY

 By Ken Owens
1932-2009
© 1994
The Radio Collector
Play It Again
A No-Nonsense Guide to Vintage Radio Restoration

PART 2—BASIC TOOLS AND the current through the resistor as ohms on a special non-
linear scale. Although the VOM will measure current, there
INSTRUMENTS is little use for this feature. Current measurements are

I
n the previous column, we concluded the discussion rarely needed in radio servicing. A 20,000 ohms per volt
on vacuum tubes with some suggestions about tube VOM is excellent for radio work, and can be bought at
testers. Now let’s go on to talk about some other items Radio Shack among other places.
you should plan on having at your workbench. Be careful with your meter; it is easily damaged. Meters
are most often damaged by applying voltage to them
TOOLS while they are set for current or resistance measurement
As far as tools are concerned, you will need the usual as- or by applying a voltage or current higher than the se-
sortment of wire cutters, screwdrivers and needle-nose pli- lected range. Be sure the selector switch is set correctly for
ers. A set of small socket wrenches in sizes from 1⁄4" to 1⁄2" is what you are measuring and the range switch is set for a
almost essential. You will also need a good soldering iron. value higher than you expect to find. Never try to measure
Antique radios were assembled with 100-watt irons. The resistance in an energized circuit with any kind of meter.
wiring is heavy and most ground connections are soldered For voltage readings, the VOM works on current which
directly to the chassis. The solder was high-temperature- must come from the circuit being measured. Most radio
melting, more like plumber’s solder than what we use circuits have high resistances in them so the current
today. Small, pencil-tip irons are useless for antique radios. through the meter will cause a voltage drop. This means
Get an iron of at least 40-45 watts rating with a large pyra- that the voltage you read on the meter is less than the ac-
mid tip. It will handle most of the component connec- tual voltage because the act of measuring the voltage
tions. I use a 100-watt tinsmith’s iron for chassis connec- changes it. The higher the ohms per volt rating of your
tions. meter, the less the change.
The tip of your iron must be “tinned” by melting a coat-
ing of solder onto it. Scrub stubborn spots with steel wool THE VTVM AND DVM
until they accept a solder coating. A poorly tinned tip In the VTVM a tube and a meter movement are con-
doesn’t transmit heat well and makes your job more diffi- nected in a bridge circuit which is balanced with the zero
cult. Periodically wipe the hot tip on a damp sponge to adjustment so that no current flows through the meter
keep it clean and bright. when there is no voltage on the tube grid. A test voltage
applied to the grid unbalances the bridge to give a read-
THE VOLT-OHM-MILLIAMMETER ing. Modern equivalents of the VTVM using semiconduc-
You must have a test meter to work on radios. There are tors are available at Radio Shack. The VTVM has an input
three types: the volt-ohm-milliammeter (VOM), the vac- resistance of 11 megohms on all ranges, so it draws virtu-
uum tube voltmeter (VTVM) and the digital voltmeter ally no current from the circuit under test and grid volt-
(DVM). When your antique radio was made, the VOM was ages can be reliably measured. The VTVM can measure
what servicemen used. The VTVM was a laboratory instru- very high resistance values, but it can’t measure current.
ment and the DVM didn’t exist. The VOM will tell you al- Since you need current measurement so rarely, that lack is
most everything you need to know about your set. unimportant. I use a VTVM for most of my work and rec-
The basic meter movement in a VOM is a milli- or mi- ommend it to you.
croammeter. Let’s assume that the basic movement is 0-1 The DVM has some impressive features, but is probably
milliamperes, full-scale, and we put a resistor in series with the least useful meter for radio servicing. Alignment of a
it such that the resistor plus the internal resistance of the radio requires tuning its circuits for peak output. The sam-
movement equals 1000 ohms. By Ohm’s Law, 1 volt will ple and display cycles of the DVM cause dead intervals in
cause 1 milliampere to flow and register full scale. We now the readings making peaks hard to see. Peaking is simple
have a voltmeter reading 0-1 V. with an analog meter.
If the resistance combination were to equal 10,000 Safety Note! Whatever kind of meter you get, spend
ohms, the meter would read 0-10V; 100,000 ohms will some money on a good, well-insulated set of test prods.
read 0-100V; etc. We say that such a meter has a basic You will be measuring some high voltages. Keep your
sensitivity of 1000 ohms per volt. If the basic meter move- prods in good condition and get new ones when they
ment were 100 microamperes, the sensitivity would be show signs of deterioration.
10,000 ohms per volt; if 50 microamperes, 20,000 ohms
per volt. ABBREVIATIONS FOR ELECTRICAL UNITS
The meter measures ohms by applying a voltage to the In the 1920s and 30s there was little consistency in the
unknown resistor from an internal battery and displaying abbreviations for electrical units. When looking at old lit-

THE AWA GATEWAY 9

erature, there’s a good chance of getting confused. Today Comparison of Old and New Unit Abbreviations
the abbreviation for the unit is capitalized because units Old New
are named for people. Thus the old mv and ma are now
mv, ma (millivolts, milliamperes) mV, mA
mV and mA. Note that in the old days, capital “M” meant
1000, but today we use “k.” For a more complete com- mf, mfd (microfarads) µF
parison of old and new units, see the chart (right). mmf, µµf (micromicrofarads) pF (picofarads)
Next time we will discuss sources of parts for your an- M thousands of ohms k (kilohmns)
tique radios.
meg (millions of ohms) M
cps (cycles per second) Hz (Hertz)
mc, kc (megacycles, kilocycles) MHz, kHz

ABOUT THE ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION

T
he Antique Wireless Association is an organization such equipment in special communications events
of over 2100 international members linked by a sponsored by the AWA.
common interest in the history of electrical and In addition to the commitment to the preservation of
electronic communications. AWA members come from historical artifacts and background materials at the Mu-
all walks of life and our ranks include teenagers, octoge- seum, AWA also publishes The AWA Journal and The AWA
narians, and beyond in both directions. At one of our Review. The Journal is a quarterly publication that gives
meets, you might find yourself shaking hands with a re- our multi-talented members an outlet to share their his-
tired broadcast executive or military electronics special- torical research, equipment restorations, troubleshoot-
ist, an engineer in a high-tech electronics firm, or an ing and servicing tips and other information of common
eager young person looking for advice on restoring his interest. The AWA Review, which also publishes member
or her first radio. contributions, contains more extensive and scholarly
The organization was started in 1952 by Bruce Kelley, papers. It is published once a year.
George Batterson, and Linc Cundall—amateur radio op- The AWA Gateway is the latest addition to the AWA
erators and radio collectors from upstate New York. family of publications. It’s delivered electronically and
Their initial goal was to establish a museum where they free of charge—downloadable from our web site www.
could collect and preserve early wireless and radio antiquewireless.org.
equipment and historical information before it was lost Our content is targeted at those who may not be fa-
to future generations. Decades later, their legacy con- miliar with the AWA and who perhaps are just becoming
tinues to motivate our members. interested in the history, collecting or restoration of vin-
Some of us are most interested in the technical back- tage communications gear. For that reason, our techni-
ground behind the epoch-making discoveries that now cal articles are more basic than those in our other pub-
make it as easy to communicate across the globe as lication and our articles about AWA generally do not as-
around the corner. Others enjoy the romance surround- sume knowledge that that only those familiar with our
ing the men and institutions that put these discoveries to organization might have.
work: the maritime radio operators who averted disasters The AWA also sponsors a four day annual convention
with their alert ears and quick thinking; the short-wave in August featuring technical presentations and forums,
stations that radiated glimpses of exotic cultures and a large auction, an awards banquet, an equipment and
mindsets; the giant radio networks that delivered unpar- artifact competition, a book sale, and an active flea mar-
alleled entertainment and timely news to our homes ket. The convention affords attendees plenty of time to
while hawking toothpaste, cigarettes and soap flakes. renew and make friendships, time to engage in long
Though AWA members share this common interest, conversations on collection, preservation and all other
which many can trace back to early childhood, they ex- aspects of the hobby.
press it in different ways. Some of us collect radio-re- The AWA is chartered as a non-profit organization
lated literature and manuals. Others collect and restore in New York State, an IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
hardware: Morse keys and sounders, battery radios of corporation, and is a member of the American Associa-
the 1920s, telephones, advertising signs, cathedral and tion of Museums. To learn more about AWA or to
console radios—you name it! Collections can become join our organization, visit the AWA website at
very specialized, restricted to such things as radio com- www.antiquewireless.org.
ponents crafted of shiny Bakelite and gleaming brass or
perhaps the fragile and intricate vacuum tubes that
made the communications miracles possible. DONATING ARTIFACTS TO THE AWA
Among our members are meticulous craftsmen who You may have artifacts that you are interested in do-
enjoy replicating vintage receivers and/or transmitters. nating to the AWA. We would be pleased to discuss any
Those who are licensed amateurs frequently operate possible donation. Please call us at (585) 257-5119.

10 THE AWA GATEWAY

 Photos by Richard Neidich
Members’ Corner
News of Particular Interest to the AWA Membership

ANNUAL SPRING MEET being made on the museum campus. He reported that

T
he Antique Wireless Association held its annual Building 1, a former antique mall that is to become the
Spring Meet on Saturday, May 7th, at the Bloom- new expanded museum, has now been emptied of its ten-
field, NY, Elementary school. Traditionally offered on ants and is ready for remodeling and reconstruction.
the same day as the spring board meeting, this is the sixth
year the event has been held at the school. This year the
registration fee was waived in favor of a free will donation
to the development fund for our new museum.
Twenty sellers at tables inside the building and in the
parking lot offered a variety of items for sale. These ranged
from from antique radios with horn speakers to amateur
radio gear and components from all eras.Museum sales pro-
ceeds reflected this year’s increase in attendance and par-
ticipation. Sales of surplus equipment exceeded 2010 totals
by 21 percent and auction sales were up by 55 percent.
This year’s presentation, conducted in the school audi-
torium by Museum Curator Bruce Roloson and Deputy Di-
rector Bob Hobday, focused on the history of the AWA fol-
lowed by the latest details regarding the progress of mu- Bruce Roloson (at table), presenting jointly with Bob Hobday
seum development. The winner of the 50-50 drawing, a at the Spring Meet, discussed the history of AWA and plans
new feature introduced this year, was announced at the for museum development.
beginning of the presentation.
Ronald Roach, W2FUI, Museum Operations Manager

SEMIANNUAL BOARD MEETING

The semiannual board meeting of the Antique Wireless
Association was held on Saturday May 7th at the Max
Bodmer Media Center and Library (Building 2) on the new
museum campus. A summary of the formal meeting min-
utes will be posted in a future issue of the AWA Journal, but
here are a few highlights.
Deputy Director Bob Hobday presented the Finance and
Capital Campaign reports, which showed that the latter
was off to a good start. Various strategies for continuation
of the fund raising effort were discussed, including follow-
ups with recipients of the initial mailer and plans to send
out a second mailer with expanded coverage. Ed Gable’s lively auctioneering quickly found new homes for
Curator Bruce Roloson commented on the progress a wide variety of artifacts and equipment.

Some spring meet sellers preferred to tailgate in the parking The spring board meeting in session at the Max Bodmer
lot rather than display their wares inside. Media Center and Library.

THE AWA GATEWAY 11

Storage space in Building 2 has been developed to house publication was announced, as were AWA Review Editor Bob
the extensive collection of tube manufacturing specifica- Murray’s expected publication dates and costs, page sizes
tions rescued from the RCA Harrison, NJ facility when that and other statistics. Review Editor Bob Murray is to have two
plant was closed. Preparations are also well underway to new Associate Editors, David Bart and Eric Bruesche.
house the archives of the Radio Club of America. Neidich also reported on Ed Gable’s continuing work
Significant progress has been made in the organization with the membership database, including interfacing with
and stowing of the large collection of tubes and parts the new Journal printer to eliminate glitches in the transfer
housed in the Display and Repair Building (Building 3). of mailing label data and harvesting up-to-date e-mail ad-
Elsewhere in the building finishing touches are being put dresses from membership renewals and other correspon-
on the museum’s ham station and work is proceeding on dence. Roy Wildermuth’s planning for the 2011 Conven-
the repair of test equipment and artifacts. tion (covered elsewhere in this issue) was also discussed.
In addition to the progress reported by Bruce Roloson, During the conclusion of his report, Neidich touched
Ronald Roach and Bob Hobday reported that the former on strategies for soliciting new memberships from various
Museum Annex building is now completely empty and other collector groups and groups with interests that over-
has been turned over to the Town of Bloomfield. Permits lap AWA’s as well as long-range plans for a new web site
have now been secured for the renovation of Building 1. with enhanced functions for members.
A new access door has been installed in the southeast cor- Included with the other business brought before the
ner of the building to facilitate the movement of materials board was a report by Bob Hobday on the suggested goals
in and out. Telephone lines are being traced to facilitate for The AWA Press, a proposed new publishing initiative.
the installation of a new security system and an interim The report touched on relationships with authors and
surveillance system has been completed. publishers, strategies for marketing strategies, and selec-
Membership Services Committee chairman Richard Nei- tion of content. Hobday asked that the board approve the
dich reported on Editor Marc Ellis’ transfer of printing of The selection of a small committee to manage the creation of
AWA Journal to a new printer and change in mailing status The AWA Press, reporting back to the board at three-
from First Class to Non Profit, resulting in significant postage month intervals. Approval was granted.
savings. Ellis’ successful startup of The AWA Gateway on-line Marc Ellis, N9EWJ, Journal and Gateway Editor

Clubs That Will Welcome You

• The Antique Radio Club of Illinois (ARCI)—Meets bi- plus an annual conference, “Spring Meet in the Caroli-
monthly. Meets generally held at the American Legion nas,” on the 4th weekend in March. Executive committee
Hall, Carol Stream IL but meets In June in conjunction with meets approximately quarterly. For more info, visit the
the 6-Meter Club of Illinois at the Dupage County Fair- web site at CC-AWA.ORG or contact Ron Lawrence,
grounds and once per year for Radiofest at the Willow- W4RON, Chapter President, P.O. Box 3015, Matthews,
brook Illinois Holiday Inn. Check web site for schedules, NC 28106-3015; phone (704) 289-1166; e-mail
details and maps.) Contacts: President, Olin Schuler os- W4RON@carolina.rr.com.
huler@comcast.net; Club Public Contact, Art Bilski, 630 • Central Ohio Antique Radio Assn.—Meets at 7:30
739 1060, clubinfo@antique-radios.org. Website www. p.m., third Wednesday of each month at Devry Institute
antique-radios.org of Technology, 1350 Alum Creek Rd., Columbus. (1-70
• Antique Radio Collectors of Ohio—meets first Tuesday Exit 103B.) Contact: Barry Gould (614) 777-8534.
of each month at 2929 Hazelwood Ave., Dayton, OH (4 • Delaware Valley Historic Radio Club—Meeting and auc-
blocks east of Shroyer Rd. off Dorothy Lane) at 7 p.m. Also tion begins 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.
annual swap meet and show. Membership: $10.00 per Location: Telford Community Center on Hamlin Ave. in
year. For more info, contact Karl Koogle: mail to above ad- Telford, PA. Annual dues: $15.00, which includes a subscrip-
dress; phone (937) 294-8960; e-mail KARLKRAD@ tion to the club’s monthly newsletter The Oscillator. For more
GEMAIR.COM info contact Delaware Valley Historic Radio Club, P.O. Box
• California Historical Radio Society—For info on current 5053, New Britain, PA 18901. Phone (215) 345-4248.
meetings, call the CHRS hotline: (415) 821-9800. • Houston Vintage Radio Association (HVRA) meets the
• CARS, the Cincinnati Antique Radio Society—Meets fourth Saturday (January thru October) at Bayland Park
on the third Wednesday of each month at Gray’s History 6400 Bissonnet, 9 a.m. in SW Houston. Each meeting in-
of Wireless Museum, which is part of The National Voice cludes an auction and program. Annual two day conven-
of America Museum of Broadcasting, Inc., located in a tion held in February includes three auctions, old equip-
building that is now on the National Historic Register at ment contest, technical talks, swap meet, and awards ban-
8070 Tylersville Road, Westchester, Ohio. 45069. For more quet. One day MEGA auctions held in the spring and fall.
information contact Bob Sands at (513) 858-1755. A newsletter, The Grid Leak, is published bi-monthly. Event
• Carolinas Chapter of the AWA—Hosts four “mini- postings, announcements, photos and other features are
swap-meets” each year (in January, May, July and October) available on HVRA web site: www.hvra.org. Membership

12 THE AWA GATEWAY

is $20/yr. Address: HVRA, PO Box 31276, Houston TX S. Harley Ave. Oregon City, OR. Meeting starts at 10:00
77231-1276 or call Bill Werzner, 713-721-2242; email: a.m. Membership $25.00 per year. Guests welcome at all
minggi53@sbcglobal. net. meetings and functions except board meetings. Spring
• Hudson Valley Antique Radio & Phono Society—Meets show, the second Sat. in May. For more information, con-
third Thursday of month, 7 p.m. Meeting, swap meet, and tact Mike McCrow 503-730-4639; e-mail: tranny53@
membership info: Peter DeAngelo, President, HARPS, 25 comcast.net.
Co. Rt. 51, Campbell Hall, NY 10916. (914) 496-5130. • Oklahoma Vintage Radio Collectors—Meets second
• Indiana Historical Radio Society—Meets quarterly in Saturday of each month, (except for April, October, and
Feb., May, Aug. and Oct. Flea market, old equipment con- December), at Hometown Buffet, 3900 NW 63rd St.,
test and auction at all events. The IHRS Bulletin has been Oklahoma City, OK. Visitors welcome. Dinner/Socializing,
published quarterly since 1971. For meet details and in- 6 p.m., meeting, 7 p.m. Swap meets on second Saturday
formation about the club and our Indiana Historic Radio in April and October at 8 a.m., Midwest City Community
Museum in Ligonier, IN. see our website at www.indi- Center, 100 N. Midwest Blvd., Midwest City, OK. Mem-
anahistoricalradio.org, contact Herman Gross, W9ITT, at bership $15/year including monthly Broadcast News. Info:
1705 Gordon Dr., Kokomo, IN 46902-5977 (765) 459- contact Jim Collings at (405) 755-4139 or jrcradio@
8308, or email w9itt@ sbcglobal.net. cox.net. Website: www.okvrc.org.
• London Vintage Radio Club—This Ontario, Canada • Ottawa Vintage Radio Club—Meets monthly (except
club meets in London on the first Saturday of January, June and July) in the Conference Room, Ottawa Citizen,
March, May, June and November. Annual flea market held 1101 Baxter Rd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Contact: Lea
in Guelph, Ontario in September in conjunction with the Barker at (613) 829-1804 or check www.ovrc.org.
Toronto club. Contact: Lloyd Swackhammer, VE3IIA, RR#2, Membership: $10 Canadian/yr.
Alma, Ontario, Canada N0B1A0. (519) 638-2827. E-mail • The Pittsburgh Antique Radio Society welcomes visi-
contact is Nathan Luo at lvrceditor@ yahoo.com. tors to our Saturday flea markets, contests and clinics held
• Mid-Atlantic Antique Radio Club (MAARC)—Meets at least four times yearly. A fall auction is included in Sep-
monthly, usually on the third Sunday of the month at the tember and our annual luncheon program is on the first
Davidsonville Family Recreation Center in Davidsonville, Saturday in December. An annual Tri-State Radio Fest is
MD. (But meets once or twice a year in Northern Virginia— held in April. Our journal, The Pittsburgh Oscillator, is
check website for schedules, details and maps.) Contacts: mailed quarterly. For more information visit us at
President, Steve Hansman, 855 Arundel Drive, Arnold, MD http://www.pittantiqueradios. org, email President Chris
21012, (410) 974-0561, email: shans01a@ comcast.net; Wells at radioactive55man@comcast.net, or phone Treas-
Membership Chair, Geoff Shearer, (703) 818-2686, email: urer Tom Dixon at 412-343-5326.
gshearer2@verizon.net. Website www.maarc.org • Society for Preservation of Antique Radio Knowledge
• New Jersey Antique Radio Club—Meets second Friday (SPARK)—Meets monthly at Donato’s Pizzeria, 7912
each month, 7:30 p.m. Holds three annual swap meets. Paragon Rd., Centerville, OH. Annual swap meet. Mem-
Visit the website, www.njarc.org or contact Phil Vourtsis, bership, $18/year. Write SPARK Inc., P.O. Box 292111, Ket-
13 Cornell PI., Manalapan, NJ 07726, (732) 446-2427, tering, OH 45429; e-mail sparkinc@juno.com or call John
pvourtsis@ optonline.net. Pansing at (937) 299-9570.
• Northland Antique Radio Club (Minneapolis/St. Paul)— • Texas Antique Radio Club—Meets alternate months
hosts four events with swap meets each year (in February, in Kyle and Shertz, TX. Contact: Doug Wright, 625 Rolling
May, September and November) including an annual con- Hills Dr., Canyon Lake, TX 78133. e-mail dwjw@gvtc.com;
ference, “Radio Daze,” for two days in mid-May. Annual website www.gvtc.com/~edengel/TARC.htm
dues are $12.00, which includes a subscription to the club’s • Vintage Radio and Phonograph Society (VRPS) meets
quarterly newsletter. For more info, visit our web site at monthly on the third Saturday. Located in the Dallas, Fort
www.geocities.com/northland. geo/; contact Ed Ripley at Worth Metroplex, our current activities are annual con-
(651) 457-0085; or write NARC, P.O. Box 18362, Min- vention, auctions, swap meets, repair training sessions and
neapolis, MN 55418. monthly programs. For details visit our website
• Northwest Vintage Radio Society-meets the second www.vrps.org, or by contacting VRPS President Jim Sar-
Saturday of each month at Abernethy Grange Hall, 15745 gent at (817) 573-3546 or bsargent@swbell.net

EQUIPMENT AND HISTORY ON MEMBER SITES

I
n the April issue of The AWA Journal, we mentioned an idea proposed by reader Steven Johannessen. He felt
that Gateway readers might find it interesting and stimulating to look at collections our members might have
posted on line. We agreed and solicited URLs. Two members have responded so far. Allie Lingo
(radiodoc@windstream.net) sent two:
RADIOS: http://www.radioatticarchives.com/contributor.htm?code=499
TEST EQUIPMENT: http://www.oldtestequipmentarchives.com/contributor.htm?code=26
Mike Adams (mike.adams@sjsu.edu) has just redesigned his Lee deForest web site.
Look it over at www.leedeforest.org

THE AWA GATEWAY 13