Radio - Emergency Preparedness - Scouting - Law - Politics
Eighty years ago this month, the August 1946 issue of Radio Craft carried this circuit for a one-tube intercom. One station was required on each end, but since the signal amplified both coming and going, it was capable of great range. It had been submitted to the magazine by one G. Boult of Ottawa, who [ ]
I wasn t able to make it to see the 12 August 2026 eclipse in Spain. Our home in Minnesota is right on the line where the partial eclipse was visible, so we had about 1%. I couldn t get all the way to Spain (or Iceland), but I did drive to Duluth, where it was about [ ]
Here and at our sister site, MyEclipseGlasses.com, we encourage everyone to buy eclipse glasses well before an eclipse. It doesn t matter if you buy them from us, or from another reputable seller of ISO 12312-2 certified glasses. (But it s best to avoid the cheap ones made in China.) The picture above shows exactly what happens [ ]
Sixty years ago, this youngster was pulling in a favorite program without disturbing the rest of the family, thanks to a one-transistor Space-Age Xtal Set shown in the August-September 1966 issue of Radio-TV Experimenter. The accompanying article laments the fact that we were in the space age by then, but to satisfy the radio needs [ ]
Eighty years ago this month, the August 1946 issue of Popular Mechanics carried this reminder that hams were back on the air, after being silenced for the duration of the War. And they were back in force. There had been 60,000 before the War, but by December 1946, there would be 100,000. And more might [ ]
Eighty-five years ago, these persons, quite likely mindful of the implications for national defense, were learning the Morse code, thanks to the oscillator shown here. It had a speaker, but it also included plug-ins, one of which is shown mounted to the table, for each student to conveniently plug in key and headphones. From a [ ]
One of my more memorable experiences from Scouting was earning Wilderness Survival merit badge. Surprisingly, my favorite and most memorable requirement is no longer a requirement. While the current merit badge asks scouts to demonstrate making a shelter and building a fire, it doesn t have a requirement to tie it all together. The final requirement [ ]
One hundred years ago this month, these proto-POTA hams were on a camping trip, and their natural inclination was to bring along a rig and make a few contacts. In 2016, the ARRL s National Parks On The Air (NPOTA) program brought a boost to operating from parks. After that program ended, it gave a boost [ ]
I was unaware that Harley-Davidson ever produced a 50cc motorcycle, but they did, as shown by this ad in the July 1966 issue of Popular Mechanics. Despite the Young America monicker, the bike was actually made in Italy, where only 10,500 rolled off the assembly line. Helmets apparently weren t a thing back then, but a [ ]
Shown here on the cover of Radio-Electronics magazine, July 1951, is a Western Union messenger in a specially equipped telecar. The last mile was a challenge for Western Union delivery of telegrams. In the central business district, a messenger could be dispatched from the office. But in residential areas, the system was not efficient. Therefore, [ ]