[GreenKeys] Kearney, Nebraska?

[Robert Nickels]

On 5/30/2018 10:14 AM, Ralph Irish wrote:
> *
> *
> *Or, maybe this company had just a few products that were advertised 
> in some of*
> *the radio and electronics magazines?*

You're probably thinking of Western Manufacturing Corporation, which 
also went by the names Pakette Radio and Midway Co.   The founder, Paul 
Beshore designed a small crystal set in 1933 that he later produced in 
the family home with help from his brothers and neighborhood boys.  
Named the TinyTone, the radio was advertised in Popular Mechanics and 
Mechanics Illustrated for $2.99.

Hams are most likely to remember the ads for various trap antennas and 
the "Westkit BN-1", which was low-power CW transmitter and regen 
receiver kit that used a single 3A5 dual-triode battery tube.  One half 
of the instant-heating filament was turned on for receiving and the 
other for transmit!    It's rather cute and quite rare to find an intact 
BN-1 today, perhaps because most of those sold were scavenged for parts 
to build something better?

In any event, the company ran those small ads in the back of numerous 
magazines for decades and the company grew to employ as many as 150 
people, mostly working on government contracts during the WWII years, 
including making parts for the Norden bombsight.

73,  Bob W9RAN