VOLUME 19            FEBRUARY 2002                NUMBER  2

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- FEBRUARY 2002

From Antique Radio Classified for February 2002
(Copyright 1996-2002 by John V. Terrey - For personal use only.)

"Antique Radio Classified" invites its readers to contribute letters and information for inclusion in "Radio Miscellanea" and elsewhere in the magazine. "In The Marketplace" is based on information submitted by the businesses themselves. All topics should be of general interest and sent to A.R.C., P.O. Box 2, Carlisle, MA 01741. All material submitted should be verified for accuracy and may be edited for publication, which is not guaranteed. See the masthead for more details.

VTVM on AC/DC Sets
Dear Editor:

A letter in the August Radio Miscellanea mentions a GFI when working on AC/DC sets. I would still be careful about using a VTVM on these sets. I once fried the ground lead on my VTVM when I clipped it to the chassis and drew a large arc. The best instrument to use on AC/DC sets is a battery-operated meter. I remember drawing an arc on the antenna terminals when installing a grounded antenna terminal on the early RCA 630 TV. This set had chassis-to-line capacitors that had become defective, and the balun coil in the tuner burned out.

--Alton A. DuBois, Jr., Queensbury, NY

The use of a line-isolation transformer is the best protection when working on AC/DC sets or any device that has one side of the AC line connected to the chassis - either directly or via line bypass capacitor. (Editor)

My Dad and A.R.C.
Dear Editor:

My dad Donald S. Maurer passed away on December 18, 2001, at age 74. He read the first issue of A.R.C. you sent him in 1984 and was a subscriber for most of the 17 past years. He got me interested in antique radios when I was still in high school, and I often read his issue when he finished with it; that is, until I broke down and got my own subscription.

Dad was a World War II veteran and graduated from the Radio-Electronics Institute in Philadelphia in 1949. After briefly working in some other TV shops, he opened his own shop, Maurer TV Service, in 1952, which he continued until his death.

--Don Maurer, Lebanon, PA

We're always saddened by the loss of a longtime supporter of radio collecting and history, but we're heartened by the news that Don passed his interest on to his son. (Editor)

Cover Kudos
Dear Editor:

I loved the cover of A.R.C. for November.

Good Work and Bravo!

--John Cunningham, Columbus, GA

Marconi and the 100TH Triode
Dear Editor:

I looked in vain through the articles about Marconi for more information on his use of a 100TH power triode in his early experiments in radio. If true, he was way ahead of de Forest and deserves even more recognition on his 100th anniversary.

--Dick Parks, Oakton, VA

Can anyone out there help to solve this mystery? (Editor)

Newcomer Alert - Meets Start Early
Dear Editor:

Since you guys are the "bible" of the radio collecting hobby, something that would be helpful to newcomers would be to inform them that radio meets usually start early and often don't last all day.

At our last swap meet, I had a call on my cell phone from someone wanting directions, as he drove from Richmond, Va., a 3-hour drive. He was still one-half hour away. I tried to tell him that the meet would be over by the time he got there. At our July meet, a guy walked in as we were packing up at 11:30 A.M.,wanting to know where the radio meet was. I'm sure this puts a bad taste in a newcomer's mouth about radio meets.

--Ron Lawrence, Matthews, NC

Articles in A.R.C. have addressed this issue, and we again encourage clubs to make sure that the hours advertised match the actual hours of the meet. (Editor)

Swap Culture Alive and Well
Dear Editor:

I attended the New England Antique Radio Club (NEARC) swap meet in Nashua, New Hampshire, last fall. I have attended seven times in the past, but this is my first one as a seller. I found it a lot of fun. It was like a home-cooked meal compared to a TV dinner. I got there late (8:30) because I forgot about the 25 percent who arrive at 7:00 and leave at 8:30. And I forgot to allow half an hour for setup. Despite these errors, I considered it a huge success. I sold everything cheap, but that was my purpose, since all of my stuff was "cellar grade."

I reduced the volume of my van load by 90 percent for my return journey, despite my late arrival. And all of it went to good homes, including a museum in E. Hartford that took a lot of my stuff cheap, including a 1930 DeForest Crosley radio/phono that weighed a ton.

A fellow who always has nice cathedrals and tombstones at high prices said he hasn't sold one in two years - that no one wants them. Clearly, he doesn't do eBay, where high-end classic sets have moved. Also he hasn't considered that he's overpriced for the meet environment. Few bring consoles to Nashua, but I plan to continue. I'm sure that I could move nice radios there for 80 percent of eBay prices with more fun and less hassle.

Swap culture is alive and well, though down a little perhaps from its halcyon days. Even selling cheaply, I more than covered my expenses and freed up a lot of space. Meanwhile, I have acquired a 1920s couch with perfect original upholstery for a steal, and my period living room is almost complete. Now I just have to hide the TV inside a stand for my soon-to-be Zenith porthole table set, and I'll be all set!

Thanks to NEARC. It was a pleasure as always.

--John Hagman, Burlington, VT

Hope we see John and others with his enthusiasm at Radio XXXIII in Westford, Mass., this month. (Editor)