VOLUME 13           SEPTEMBER 1996                NUMBER  9

RADIO MISCELLANEA -- September 1996

From Antique Radio Classified for September 1996
(Copyright 1996 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.

Packaging Catalins for Shipping
Dear Editor

Catalin radios are very fragile, so great care should be taken in preparing them for shipping. There is no foolproof method of guaranteeing their safe arrival, but this article describes the best method that I have found. It is also a good idea to check the "UPS Guidelines for Good Packaging" on page 15 of the January 1996 A.R.C.

Here are the steps to follow in shipping your fragile Catalin:

1. Carefully remove the chassis and wrap it in bubble wrap or other cushioning material. Place the wrapped chassis with packing peanuts in a box of sufficient size. Next, double-box the chassis and ship it separately from the cabinet. (Also see steps 3-5 for additonal hints.)

2. Remove the trim from the cabinet, and wrap it separately. Store it with peanuts surrounding it inside the cabinet.

3. Wrap the cabinet in bubble wrap -- the larger the bubbles, the better the protection. And do not let the kids play with the bubble wrap before you use it. Snap, crackle, pop = crack!

4. Put the cabinet in a box with peanuts or other cushioning material. Make sure the cabinet cannot shift or move. Tape up the box with packaging tape.

5. Get a larger box with enough room to pack at least 2 inches of peanuts or other cushioning material around the smaller box on all sides. Put a piece of paper with to/from addresses inside the box (just in case). Tape up the box with packaging tape at least 2 inches wide.

Remember, UPS does not consider a 30-inch drop mishandling, and a 5-foot drop is not uncommon. So, pack well. Happy trading!

--Jim Leckrone, Bear Lake, MI

Lorenz Identified
Dear Editor:

In the August A.R.C., page 13, a Lorenz "unknown" is depicted. It is the Model Koeln from 1949, AC/DC, 110/220v. The tubes are the following: UCH5 (oscillator/mixer), UF6 (audion/IF), UL2 (output power pentode), and UY4 (rectifier). The tube filaments are in series at 100mA; the filament voltages are the following: UCH5 (20v), UF6 (13v), UL2 (35v), UY4 (35v), pilot lamp (7v).

I like your periodical!

--Konrad J. Birkner, Haag, Germany

Soldering Article Good for Newcomers
Dear Editor:

The August issue of A.R.C. has a great 7-page article describing the equipment and the techniques for soldering. This well written and generously illustrated article was contributed by Daniel Schoo, who also happens to be a frequent contributor to the Internet newsgroup rec.antiques.radio+phono. It seems that there are often posts to this newsgroup from those who are interested in getting started in our hobby. This article is a good place to start for those who have little experience in the "art" of soldering.

--Curt Schreiber, Springfield, MO

This welcome E-mail letter was almost discarded because Curt, in usual and accepted E-mail parlance, signed with only his first name and e-mail address. Fortunately, we recognized his e-mail address from his regular advertising. Please, all you Netnicks, include your full names and addresses so we can publish your valuable feedback. (Editor)

Akradyne Info
Dear Editor:

Regarding Bill DeVries' query in the June issue about the Akradyne set -- the only Akradyne I have listed in my personal data was produced by the Sunbeam Radio Sales Corp. of New York City. This company also produced a model named "Pink-A-Tone," ca. early to mid-1920s.

--Gerald Larsen, Elmwood Park, IL

A.R.C. has forwarded an offer of a copy of the Akradyne SR2 instruction book to Bill DeVries from David Stout, Santa Monica, Ca. (Editor)

Grave Grunow News
Dear Editor:

While in the Chicago area recently on family business, we stopped at "our cemetery" and found in the records the location of the mausoleum of the Grunow family -- founders of the Majestic Radio Corp. The location is Lot #1, Sec. 24, Forest Home Cemetery, Des Plaines Ave., Forest Park, Il.

--Louis Brehmer, Phoenix, AZ

Gernsback -- Two Approaches
Dear Editor:

Please pass on to John Johnson (A.R.C. July 1996), the attached excerpt about Hugo Gernsback from page 73 of his brother Sidney Gernsback's Radio Encylopedia 1927. I have an original, autographed, bound copy. [A reprint is available from A.R.C. and others.] The brothers Hugo and Sidney were officers in a publishing company that produced all sorts of radio and electronic magazines and books. They were among the first to romanticize the publishing of radio and electronics articles, with a little zaniness to make it interesting. I read all the Gernsback papers I could get when I was a kid. I wish now I had kept them. They were not only interesting writers but also designers of some interesting circuits.

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

Dear Editor:

Regarding John Johnson's letter about Hugo Gernsback, I can only repeat what Jerry said to Carl -- "Shame on you for asking instead of thinking!"

In the 50th anniversary issue of Radio Electronics Magazine (October 1979), there is a 2-page biography of the founder, plus numerous sidebar tributes from the likes of Crowhurst, Davidson, Hertzberg, and Goldwater. Also, there is an obituary in the November 1967 issue. Both have photos, but the copy is worth reading as well.

I'm sure you'd rather peruse your Electrical Experimenters (or check your next month's proofs!). But, you must have a file of RC/RE. Go to the source!

--Michael Harla, Vineland, NJ

As we state in the "Purpose" section of the the inside front cover of every A.R.C., "Antique Radio Classified is published...to provide a monthly forum for the interchange of ideas and information." Michael Harla has done just that in providing the above information. Our readership is a vastly larger resource of information than our own files. (Editor)

More on the Fada RN
Dear Editor:

I especially enjoyed the August 1996 A.R.C. Seeing the Fada RN radio on page 12 was incredibly coincidental. Three days before I received the magazine, I had purchased this set from a non-collector through one of my bulletin board ads.

Mine is identical to the one pictured, minus an adequate cleanup. It is exactly as described in your periodical, but the inside info gives it a model number -- RN-7918.

Oddly enough, the radio came in a brushed suede carrying case, which the owner said was always with the set. I am not sure about this; however, the case is the exact size of the set.

--Ken Ruggiero, Niagara Falls, NY