[Hallicrafters] Highest Praise To Dr. Max, The Wizard Of Halli!

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

First, let me make it crystal clear to the dart flingers among our coveted 
ranks, that many individuals have contributed priceless information to help 
construct the Hallicrafters Tower OF Power and I an NO way whatsoever rate 
contributions on a scale of one to ten! For personal reasons, so many have 
told me, they desire to be left alone. Not to be rude to the public, library 
historical people, Hams at large etc. When the public know who you are, your 
privacey becaomes a word, not a concept!

Let me give you one brief example. Many of you know that I am a great lover 
of the WW2 morale receiver made by the Minerva Corporation of America known 
as the Minerva Tropic Master. Some of this affection stems from my late 
godfather, a world war #2 radioman in the Philippines, among other places. 
He never did remember why he brought the MTM home with him, but he loaned it 
to me in 1961 to use for short-wave listening.

For reasons we may never know, all the schematics for this radio put out by 
Sams Photo Facts and Riders were incorrect. I happened to purchase a MTM on 
the Bay Of E. It turned out that the niece of the owner told me her uncle 
had bought the radio in June of 1945 while he was stationed in Hawaii.

If you have never seen a Minerva Tropic Master, then go to the HHI web site, 
click on the link and take a squint. There are two shown; the military model 
and the civilian model. The cosmetics are identical and the electronic 
differences are hardly worh mentioning. All in all, it is a rectangular 
steel box, air vent louvers on each end, a solid metal carrying handle on 
top. It weighs 19 pounds and looks rough, tough and ready.

The front door covers the entire front of the cabinet. It can be released by 
turning two thumb screws. Then it drops down on hinges to form a log taking 
shelf. The edges on the left, right and top are slightly raised from the 
door so a log sheet can slide into it. I found an original schematic for the 
Minerva Tropic Master in this set!

It was obviously sixty years old, and I was afraid to remove it, take it to 
my commercial printer and have copies made. So I took the entire radio!

The owner somehow managed to remove the schematic, make enhanced photocopies 
of it and end up with a beautiful product! The original schematic is now 
sealed in a protective plastic enclosure to retard further ravages of time, 
humidity and who knows what else!

Now much to my surprise, and joy, beneath the original schematic was a 
second sheet in much better condition. As far as I know, it is the only 
surving 'Fact Sheet" that came with the radio. It is initialed by the 
inspectors, gives the retail price in June 1945 of $75 etc. If you need one 
you can read more about it on the HHI web site. I believe the price is two 
dollars plus shipping.

I am going to be deliberately vague about what follows to sidestep any 
possibility of litigation. There are a series of books entitled Radios Of 
The Vacuum Tube Era by Fred Ellis. He states in his book that althouth 
speculation exists that the MTM was a military morale radio for the troops, 
no proof of that statement exists. Not correct!

Right on the fact sheet that I have it says, "Manufactured in cooperation 
with the United States Army and Navy ..." Positive proof it was indeed 
manufactured for the military as a morale receiver.

When I wrote the author and advised him that I had documentation to prove 
that the MTM truly was a morale radio, he wanted me to send him the 
documents. I asked him if he would give me credit for contributing the 
information in the next release of the book. He did not answer me. His 
entire answer, "Send it." I did not send it.

As a published writer and author, I know the game. When in doubt, don't!

All of that to say this. There are many fine authors out there, some 
published, some not, who have contributed a wealth of information about 
radios, some  popular to almost not ever heard of. No matter if they made 
money from their efforts, and most that I know if they made a profit at all 
made a small one, or broke even or even lost some of what it cost to publish 
their book, "ALL" deserve out respect and appreciation for the hard work and 
literary efforts. So whether it is a fifteen page booklet on Zenith 
Trans-Oceanics or a one hundred and fifty page hardbound book on Drake 
radios or any other publication regardless of size, scope and length, all of 
those who put some of their life into these educational electronic books 
deserve our respect, admiration and sincere thanks. So from me to thee, 
THANKS!

I have been working now for a month on the speech given by the late Fritz 
Franke given in Dayton, Oh in 1983. Someone, and I know not whom, hand typed 
on a typewriter the entire speech Mr. Franke gave. Both my remastered 
cassette tape original audio recording which is on the HHRP audio CD's and 
the original typed transcript on another HHRP CD are available.

Because Mr. Franke put a lot of previously classified material into this 
fascinating, and in places jaw dropping speech, I thought it would be 
beneficial to list subscribers who did not purchase any of the HHRP 
material, or at that time may not have known about it, to post it here in 
five installments. Hence I embarked on my proof editing of the original ten 
page typed transcript.

I am just over half way through the proof editing and the length has grown 
from ten to almost fourteen pages! Because Mr. Fritz assumed the listeners 
knew some associated history going along with his historical accounts, off 
the record classified accounts, side stories etc., editing it has turned 
into a real project! I have spent many hours in research just to be sure 
stories told fall into the correct time frames etc.

Now if you are stupid enough, been there - and did it myself, to ask on the 
"Antennas" list the best way to ground my station - use the commercial 
utility company rod or drive four copper plated eight foot rods into the 
soil and connect them with 8 or 10 gauge solid or multiple strand cables. 
WOW! If you want to start a war on the Antenna list, just ask how to ground 
anything!


For example, what was the first radio that Hallicrafters had manufactured 
for them in 1933 by the Silver Marshall company? The model and model number? 
Three schools of thought. Then how long after Bill Halligan purchased the 
near bankrupt Echophone Company did he change the name on the RX to 
Hallicrafters? Actually, that Echophone Company building became 
Hallicrafters first manufacturing facility! Then ask what was the first 
radio that Hallicrafters in their "own" plant?

The amount of data that poured into my den/home office/computer control room 
was staggering! All from very knowable people, many of them popular and 
successful authors, others devotees to historic details etc.

All I was intending to do was proof edit Fritz Franke's speech and share it 
with you! And there is just no end to this research either, as one finally 
finalized item only opens another door!

I would like to express my immense gratitude to Dr. Max De Henseler, HB9RS 
for his infinate patience in educating me on who really did what, when it 
was done, how it was done etc. I would also like to thank several others who 
contributed a lot of dates, facts andchronology but have asked me not to 
publically mention their names. Which having been a 'media darling' myself 
since 1966 I can certainly relate to!

It was truly amazing to read in newspapers and magazines all of the things 
that I had done. Especially when I had never been in that city, maybe not 
even that state! Even more fun are those live radio and TV interviews!

Such as the 1967 Louisville, KY TV station that wanted me to disassemble a 
carburator and put it back together while they eatched. Problem was, the 
teams of professional judges show up not announced! Your vehicle had to be 
"ready" at any time, no excuses. We are talking about tie breakers being 
decided by the white glove test on the transmission, undercarriage, drive 
shaft etc. One thread dangling from the upolstery can determine a winner 
from a second place spot. No way was I going to take that kind of gamble 
after having put in two twenty set up days already! Which I explained to the 
TV crew, who could have cared less. Frankly, they did not believe that a 
totally blind man had built the engine. So if I could tear down one of the 
twin Weber carburators and put it back together for them, then maybe this 
blind guy was for real. When you are blind, or deaf, or in a wheelchair or 
otherwise handicapped, you can expect this doubt as a matter of course.

The Louisville Times And Courier, the biggest newspaper anywhere Louisville 
in that part of the state, gave me a full page spread.

Dr. Max personally knew Bill Halligan, and Max's beautiful wife Renate, and 
Bill's wife the adorable little Katie, all became the closest of friends. So 
Max knows a lot of little historical items others do not. He is a very 
learned gentleman and I can not thank him enough for all that he has helped 
me with. All of which I have tried to share with you in the HHRP materials 
or on the HHI website.

There are many brilliant technical guys out there who answer subscribers 
questions. Do NOT take it for granted, as this irreplaceable resource is 
sadly becoming "vintage" and new replacments do not seem to be showing up to 
replace those that we have lost. So be darn sure to thank The Al Parker's, 
Glen Zook's, Gary Brown's, Lynn Fisk's, Phil Atchley's and many dozens of 
others. Their wisdom and teaching is priceless!

Thanks to all of you who have worked so hard and for so long to make these 
wonders continue to still go glow in the night! Eat your hearts out 
Fireflies as the Sparks from Hams outshine you. Nevertheless, glow on!


Duane Fischer, W8DBF - WPE8CXO
E-Mail: dfischer at usol.com
Hallicrafters web site: www.w9wze.net
HHRP web site: hhrp.w9wze.net