VOLUME 17            OCTOBER 2000                NUMBER  10

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- OCTOBER 2000

From Antique Radio Classified for October 2000
(Copyright 1996-2000 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.

More on the Musette
Dear Editor:

Regarding Wally Worth's Musette story in the September issue of A.R.C., I think it's not surprising that the Cavac (not Carvac) International chassis was similar to the Emerson, as they were essentially one and the same company in 1931-1932. The plant was in Ann Arbor, Michigan, under C.A. Verschoor, while Ben Abrams handled the merchandising in New York. Presumably, Abrams set up his own factory in late 1932 when Emerson introduced the $25 compact in a cabinet designed and made by Ingraham in Connecticut. Verschoor had just introduced his Kadette, not sold through Emerson, a move that put International on the map. The parting between Verschoor and Abrams seems to have been amicable, but I don't know.

--Alan Douglas, Pocasset, MA

Thanks to Alan, we're reminded of the fallibility of both a spell checker and our own proofreaders. The Cavac spelling error was our typo, not Wally Worth's. And the use of the word "hoards" instead of "hordes" as in "hordes of buyers" on page 17 of the same issue, proves that we were already on the Labor Day holiday as we readied the magazine for the printer. (Editor)

From the "Other Side of the World"
Dear Editor:

I am writing from the other side of the world to say that I am addicted to your magazine. I enjoy every page of it, especially the restoration and military sections. I love to restore old radios to their original state, and I have found that your magazine is the perfect tool for doing it.

I have just one question: How is it possible that I have received A.R.C. every month promptly for years? I wonder if you have an editorial office close to my house!

--Aitor de Elejabeitia Garcia, Canary Islands, Spain

Consider yourself very fortunate!

A few years ago, we tested foreign delivery time and were suprised that some foreign locations had faster service by airmail than some locations in the U. S. by First Class Mail. We also discovered that delivery times anywhere could not be predicted.

It is now possible to read the ads "on time," from anywhere in the world, via our web site at www.antiqueradio.com. The posting date is advertised on the site about a week before the ads appear. (Editor)

R.I. Wiring Service at New Address
Dear Editor:

Since the publication of Sherman Wolf's article "Battery Cable Replacement" in the August 2000 A.R.C., the Rhode Island Wiring Service, mentioned as a source of made-to-order cables, has had a change of address. The new address is P.O. Box 434, West Kingston, RI 02892. The telephone number remains the same: 401-789-1955. Thanks for your attention to this change.

--Igor Golioto, West Kingston, RI

Pepsi Bottle Radio Decals Available
Dear Editor:

I appreciated your publishing my article (July 2000) on the causes for the deplorable condition of the decals found on most Pepsi Bottle Radios. I've had several inquiries concerning the possiblity of my reproducing these decals. However, I've suspended my plan of doing so since receiving an announcement that Rock-Sea Enterprises, PMB 241, 323 110 E. Matilija St., Ojai, CA 93023, is reproducing them. I've ordered a set for myself and will report on the results in A.R.C. Thanks to everyone who contacted me.

--Dale Davenport, Fort Smith, AR

Correspondence: The New & Old Ways
Dear Editor:

With the ease of e-mail, I have noticed a new habit forming that I am guilty of also -- the nonanswered inquiry. In the old days, if someone had question about a radio or service, and you answered him, you would probably hear back from him. Now it seems as if people ask questions, or inquire about an item, they just don't answer back. With answering made so easy, it seems as if we could all take a little extra moment to reply, even if it is, "No thanks. I'm not interested."

When I started collecting about ten years ago, radio people had a very good reputation. Now it seems as if all we can center on is what we can sell on eBay and how high the price will be. Well, give me back my garage sale finds and my paperback copy of A.R.C. -- some of the best reading around!

--Mark Minks, Meade, KS

My observation is that courtesy in correspondence began to die long before e-mail existed, but I agree that though e-mail has made responding easier, responses are seldom made. In addition, the prevalent use of an e-mail address only or of incomplete names often precludes knowing just who the addressee is. Here at A.R.C., for example, when a John (Bob, Bill, or Ed) Jones (or Smith, or even less common name) writes, we can't always be sure which of several subscribers he is. The full name and address on a letterhead or envelope often used to save the day. (Editor)

Another Repairman Memory
Dear Editor:

Ray Bintliff's experience with early TV customers (A.R.C. June 2000) must surely be an all-time classic. His accounts must resurrect memories in all repairmen of the era. One of my memorable experiences is with the customer who left a Motorola table model with the cryptic message "dead set." Small wonder. The flyback had exploded! What remained was a fused mass and fine wire blasted throughout the cabinet interior. When I phoned the bad news to the customer, he said, "Oh yes, I forgot. The screwdriver hit something that nearly tore my arm off." He forgot?

--Dale Parsons, Cross Lanes, WV