[GreenKeys] period HF receivers

Thu May 11 11:02:59 EDT 2017

The late 1940s is a time that fascinates me, even though I was not 
around until 1950. I think a lot of amatuer radio equipment styling and 
design  was driven by the need to make the items acceptable to home 
decor, and gain consent from partners/spouses for the expendature.  In 
the case of a Hallicrafters SX-42 or perhaps SX-62,  one partner 
(usually the guy) wanted the rig for hobby or techie use, but the other 
partner may have been concerned about financial priorities and resisted. 
The conflict could have been reduced by the features, styling, fidelity, 
and frequency coverage of the receiver. The fact a homemaker could use 
the same receiver, especially if the good loudspeaker and a turntable 
was with it, to listen to daytime entertainment broadcasts, records, and 
the audio of low band VHF television stations probably swayed many of 
them to accept it. I also have no doubt many women were resentful of 
being forced out of the workforce as they were, and being able to 
operate something they had learned to use or built during the war for 
their pleasure  made it easier for them to accept into the home budget. 
The same experiences have also caused serious repercussions the other 
way too, and I have no doubt it was behind so many surplus radios having 
all their name tags removed and being repainted. I was given three 
bushel baskets full of ARC-5 receivers in the 1960s because a fellow's 
wife wanted "That old war stuff- out of my house!" . With regard to 
Teletypes, I had never seen one operated in a workplace by a guy until I 
was in the Air Force. This brings up a question. Was the finger and hand 
size and reach of women considered in the design of Teletype keyboards, 
especially the 28 and 32/33 ? The cabinet designs were also far sleeker 
than the 15 and 19. I think in those tight gender role times the cabinet 
design might have made the operators feel they were operating some jet 
age or space age device and reduce their feelings of being "just a 
secretary", at least until their boss growled for his coffee.  Along 
those lines, were female operators allowed or expected to change paper 
and tape rolls and ribbons in Teletypes in 1950s/60s offices ?

       Bruce Gentry, KA2IVY

On 5/9/17 3:21 PM, Pete Lancashire wrote:
> Have not done it yet but I'm going to put one of the Teletypes in the 
> living room. A TU and a HF receiver, something like the 
> HallicraftersSX-42 with its industrial design by Henry Dreyfus since 
> it is the living room.
>
> Since there is pretty much zip on HF now days, build a little mW 
> transmitter and FSK it from something off the internet.
>
> -pete
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 9, 2017 at 11:18 AM, Richard Knoppow 
> <1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com <mailto:1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>> wrote:
>
>        I have a kit for my R-388 but have never had time to install
>     it. They have an excellent reputation.  My receiver has the PD and
>     AVC mods that were earlier. The PD works OK but  the AVC is awful.
>        I want to ask the fellow who designed the Treetop circuit about
>     some sort of noise limiter that would be suitable for use with it.
>
>     On 5/8/2017 12:28 PM, Jeffrey D Angus wrote:
>
>         On 5/8/2017 2:14 PM, Richard Knoppow wrote:
>
>             Also do not forget the Collins 51J series, these are very fine
>             receivers. The 51J-4 has mechanical filters in it so is
>             considerably
>             more expensive than the earlier versions but the earlier
>             ones can
>             be used with an external SSB or RTTY adaptor which will supply
>             the selectivity.
>
>         I have a 51J-3. What makes the difference is have the product
>         detector kit installed from Tree Top Circuits.
>         <http://www.ebay.com/itm/222493257886
>         <http://www.ebay.com/itm/222493257886>>
>         They also have the kit for the R-390/390A
>         <http://www.ebay.com/itm/222493260192
>         <http://www.ebay.com/itm/222493260192>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>     -- 
>     Richard Knoppow
>     1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com <mailto:1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com>
>     WB6KBL
>
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