VOLUME 16            JULY 1999                NUMBER   7

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- JULY 1999

From Antique Radio Classified for July 1999
(Copyright 1996-9 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.

1-Tube Radio Explanation
Dear Editor:

I especially enjoyed your April issue and read with interest Richard Parks' 1-tube radio article. What obviously happened is that the filament leads got reversed, causing the cathode to emit positrons rather than electrons. This would explain almost everything. When operating in this mode, however, care must be taken to empty the grid leak pan frequently or else, as was the case with the old battery sets, you run the risk of getting spots on your carpet.

--Art Eberhardt, Florissant, CO

June '99 Issue Best Ever!
Dear Editor:

The June 1999 issue of A.R.C. is the best ever! I am referring to two of the best articles I have ever read in your fine magazine: "RCA's Intended Models for the 1923-1924 Season" and "Adventures in RCA TV Land." Simply fabulous reading!

John Wolkonowicz and the other contributors to the RCA article convey a wonderful view into the operations and style of thinking in 1923. I was captivated by the decisions and thinking processes revealed by the RCA management and engineers as they defined the future of radio. The pictures and line drawings are fascinating, especially with the comments about how these radios would be used by the customer. Absolutely first rate article! I only wish it were longer. The authors are to be commended for their research into this era of the RCA we thought we knew so well. Nice work, gentlemen! Ray Bintliff's "Adventures in RCA TV Land" contains wonderful, insightful detail. It is interesting to see the problems the RCA engineers had with their TV design in 1946. And even more interesting is how they dealt with the problems. Ray certainly captured the essence of that era with its wild energetic spirit that drove the Hartford engineers to get TV on the air from New York. He also captivated this reader. Very nice writing, Ray!

--Gregg Scholfield, Dayton, NV

RCA TV Land -- a Super Article!
Dear Editor:

I really enjoyed the "Adventures in RCA TV Land" article in the June 1999 issue. Ray Bintliff had some great reminiscences of the postwar TV conversions and the capacitor problems, which I remember in the early Model 630. Most people don't remember that the 630 design was the basis for scores of TV manufacturers' models. One of my best friends, a retired broadcast consulting engineer, started with RCA Service Co. in Los Angeles after World War II converting TRKs, just as Ray did.

This article brought back some great early TV memories and reminded some of the younger collectors that TV has not always been light, dependable, and in color. A super article!

--Charlie Harper, Paris, KY

"Radio Head" -- On the Web
Dear Editor:

I have subscribed for years, and I am excited about A.R.C.'s putting my ads on the Web, as I am now deaf and can't use the phone. This has been frustrating my radio sales. I should explain that I am a real "radio head"; that is, I have a cochlear implant to restore my hearing.

My questions are: 1) Will there be additional charges for Web ads? 2) Will there be an easy form to submit ads? 3) Can we include hyperlinks to sites that may hold our photos? (4) Where are our Log-on ID and password located on the mailing label?

--Pete Perrotti, Rochester, NY

1) All classified ads submitted for a particular issue will be placed online for that issue at no extra charge. 2) There is no special form to submit ads; for the time being, submit them in the usual manner (fax, e-mail, mail). 3) You can include a Web address in your ad, but it will not be hyperlinked at this time. 4) Referring to your mailing label, your Log-on ID is the number after the hyphen in your Sub number, and your password is the number between the brackets [ ]. See "A.R.C. Web Site Expansion -- Update" in this issue for more information. (Editor)

April Cover Evokes Memory
Dear Editor:

The April 1999 cover was of particular interest to me. As a radio operator for the U.S. Coast Guard from 1942 to 1946, I used a hand key for transmitting. I served on the Coast Guard cutter Shawnee out of Eureka, Cal., spent 6 months in Atlantic City, N. J., at the Coast Guard training station, operated the district station from the Diamond Head lighthouse in Honolulu, and spent 16 months in the South Pacific. Once, a terrible storm at sea interfered with my transmission to New Guinea, but someone in Australia picked up the signal and relayed it for me.

When I was 12, my brother and I learned Morse code on my first homemade code practice key. Though we were not on the air, this practice turned out to be good preparation for my future in the Coast Guard.

--Guiseppe Bennett, Oakland, CA

We have learned that Guiseppe subsequently spent 44 years with Montgomery Ward, much of it managing a radio department and later teaching color TV service. His career covers a large segment of 20th century communications technology, and in reference to the April cover, the younger generation is intrigued by what is for him a memory of things past.

More Pot Lube Info
Dear Editor:

I recall having very good luck lubricating potentiometers with a product called Walscolube contact lubricant. It was made specifically for that purpose.

--Barry Besmanoff, Buffalo, NY