[Lowfer] Johnson and Smith

[Bill Ashlock]

Thanks for this Dex and others. I think I bought the same book in the late 40s - and I also ordered a number of items from Johnson and Smith like long wire antenna kits, headphones, crystals for crystal sets, etc. Oh, BTW, I owned a fairly thick book back then called something like "The Boy Scientist". I built many fascinating projects like static electricity machines from plans out of this book. Do you or anyone else remember that? I'd sure like to find a copy.
 
Another source ideas for radio and electrical projects (like motors) that also got me enthused with this stuff was from the three levels of Cub Scout manuals (Cub, Bear and Wolf). Can kids nowadays access reading material, either on or off the Web? 
 
Also, relative to Model T spark coils for spark transmitters: It was a happy day, after reading all those spark transmitter articles, and having quite a time trying to build my own coil (which I think was featured in the "Boy Scientist"), that I discover the local auto parts store stocked the Model T coil. I still recall the exact details of that coil - even the smell of the tar :)
 
Bill> Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2008 10:18:26 -0400> From: dmcintyre at att.net> To: lowfer at mailman.qth.net> Subject: [Lowfer] Reminiscing.......was Getting on Part 15> > 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> > >