[Lowfer] Reminiscing.......was Getting on Part 15

[Dexter McIntyre W4DEX]

Well since we are reminiscing I'll pass along my first radio frequency 
transmission story.  In the mid 50's, at about age 10, I came across a 
small novelty catalog published by Johnson Smith Company.  They sold all 
types of gadgets and stuff which was probably directed primarily toward 
kids.  Occasionally I would save up enough lunch money to order a few 
items.  This is why my Mother was amazed at how much I would eat at 
supper.  From this catalog I ordered a small paperback book titled 
"Amateur Electrician" or maybe it was "Star Amateur Electrician". I 
still have the book somewhere as I run across it from time to time while 
looking for something else. 

So now with this book in hand I find a section on building a wireless 
transmitter.  The only part I couldn't readily come up with was a Model 
T spark coil.  I don't remember how or where I finally acquired the coil 
but I do remember very well what it felt like when I first powered it up 
with it setting on my lap!

Now with all the parts collected  I proceeded with the "modern" wireless 
transmitter project.  I had collected probably a mile of old electric 
fence wire and strung it from every tree, pole and any other structure 
available.  Using the power meter base ground and my huge antenna I 
powered up the spark coil transmitter.  Viola! I could hear it on a 5 
tube radio!  What a thrill.  But soon my Father started suspecting the 
interference he was experiencing on the only television station we could 
get, channel 3, was coming from my mass of wires.  Sure enough, I was 
caught and ordered to cease transmission immediately. 

A few days later my Grandfather learned about my project.  I soon found 
out he was much more knowledgeable about radio than anyone else I knew.  
He asked how I came up with such an idea so I showed him the project 
book.  After a good laugh he pointed out to me the book was a nostalgic 
reprint of the original which was published about 50 years earlier.  I 
then learned he had operated a real, modern for the time, wireless spark 
transmitter in his younger days.  He operated as 4RL before any licenses 
was required.  He was never licensed and being a jack of all trades had 
moved on to photography by the time a licenses was required.

Googling Johnson Smith Company shows the company to still exist but I 
see no neat stuff like they had 50 years ago. 

Wow!  Isn't Google great?  It just found a scan of the entire "Star 
Amateur Electrician". 

Here's the transmitter:

http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/kryten007/The%20Star%20Amateur%20Electrician/?action=view&current=34.jpg

And here's the entire book:

http://s31.photobucket.com/albums/c388/kryten007/The%20Star%20Amateur%20Electrician/

Now back to working on my second 24 GHz rig.

Dex