VOLUME 14            MARCH 1997                NUMBER  3

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- March 1997

From Antique Radio Classified for March 1997
(Copyright 1996-7 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.

From The Internet
Muchow Museum. Attention all collectors of old radios! Check out the February issue of Smithsonian Magazine. It has a 6-page article (pp. 108-113) on Ralph Muchow's Historical Radio Museum. Located in Elgin, Illinois, the museum has more than 3,400 vintage radios on display. The article includes several pages of excellent photos.

Posted by: Steve Ramm, stevenramm@aol .com; Bob Godfried, godfried@dti.net; Stephen Phipps, sphipps@clandjop.com

Seeks Ken-Rad Tube Info. The February 1995 A.R.C. tells about how MPD made the last Ken-Rad tube in June 1993. I happen to have one of these tubes, which I purchased from Richardson Electronics, who got the last batch of tubes from MPD.

The box is misleading in that it says "GE Electronic tube." An interesting marking is the recycle logo and the words "Recyclable Package" -- something you wouldn't have seen in the 1950s.

The tube is a 6550A beam pentode and has the words "Electronic Tube" and "MFG to GE Spec by MPD in Owensboro KY" on the glass. Most interesting is the number code on the glass -- "93-03." Does this mean that it was made in March 1993?

Posted by: Bryan Cowan, moo@midtown.net

Useful IF Transformer Article
Dear Editor:

My belated thanks for the article on repairing IF transformers in the September 1992 issue of A.R.C. Author Daniel Schoo did an excellent job explaining the intricacies of removal and repair of these units. I was able to put the information to practical use -- my Zenith H724Z1 AM-FM table radio played fine on AM, but the FM band was dead. The symptoms were exactly as described in Dan's article. I found that the FM discriminator would not "null" during alignment, and a tarnished silver mica capacitor disc inside the transformer was the cause of the problem. Following the instructions in the article, I replaced the capacitor disc with four silver mica capacitors, and then realigned the set. FM performance is now satisfactory.

Thanks again for providing "hands-on" information like this to radio collectors.

-- Doug Fox, St. Charles, IL

We are pleased to learn that old issues of A.R.C. don't just gather dust! (Editor)

Still More on WTIC
Dear Editor:

Regarding the meaning of the call letters WTIC (see A.R.C. for December 1966 and February 1997,) they're all correct. WTIC first appears in the spring 1925 Citizens Callbook, as owned by the "Travelers Insurance Co.", and that's evidently why those call letters were chosen. But, the September 1926 Callbook lists the Travelers' slogan as "The Insurance City."

-- Alan Douglas, Pocasset, MA

February Photo Review Identification
Dear Editor:

In the Photo Review (Feb. 1997, p. 12), the first radio shown is an unknown. The RPC on the back stands for Radio Products Corp. The only 4-tube model for this company listed in the Mallory Radio Service Encyclopedia is Model 5C. The tube lineup is 6C6, 6D6, 25Z5, and 25L6G. Rider's 9-4 also shows a Model 5CPH on the same page that included a phonograph.

I don't have the set, so I can't verify if it is the right one. I have seen several sets with the RPC logo. They are listed in Rider's Vols. 7-10, and this would be roughly 1936-1939, with 5C being 1938. I thought RPC also stood for Radio Products Chicago, but may be mistaken.

-- Lawrence T. Anderson, Grand Rapids, MI

A.R.C. Helps New Collector
Dear Editor:

I eagerly look forward to your magazine every month, and I read it until the covers come off. I am new to collecting, and it has really helped me to get off the ground. It has also helped me with a couple of sales.

-- Mark Minks, Liberal, KS

In The Marketplace
The Collins Amateur Radio Equipment Video Spotter's Guide. HI-RES Communications has just introduced this new addition to the Collins Video Library. This is the video primer to much of the Collins Amateur Radio equipment.

Now, anyone can learn to spot the different models of transmitters, receivers, power supplies, speakers, wattmeters and more. Whenever possible, the equipment shown is all original. Closeups of important details, inside and out, are provided.

Covering the post-World War II era to the 1980s, this video is 1 hour and 40 minutes long and includes a printed table of contents. About 90 individual pieces of Collins equipment are shown. This video sells for $24.95 ($4.50 shipping in the U. S. and $9.50 elsewhere). The company also has available six other videos. They vary in length from one to four hours and also in price. For more information contact: Floyd Soo, WBRO, HI-RES Communications, Inc., 8232 Woodview Dr., Clarkston, MI 48348-4058. (810) 391-6660 (phone and fax); e-mail: hires@rust.net; http://www.rust.net/~hires