[NJARC] Sky Courier (was Echophone EC-1)

Fri Mar 6 13:30:09 EST 2009

Al- I think you may mean a "morale builder'- that is something to keep their spirits up, as opposed to a "moral builder", something meant to keep their wilder spirits down...

;)

Scott

--- On Fri, 3/6/09, Al Klase <al at ar88.net> wrote:

> From: Al Klase <al at ar88.net>
> Subject: [NJARC] Sky Courier (was Echophone EC-1)
> To: "JOE CRO" <n3ibx at verizon.net>
> Cc: "Delaware Valley Historic Radio Club" <dvhrc at mailman.qth.net>, "New Jersey Antique Radio Club" <njarc at mailman.qth.net>
> Date: Friday, March 6, 2009, 12:50 PM
> Just remember 
> Reply = Poster
> Reply All = Everyone
> 
> _________________________________________________________
> Hi Joe,
> 
> Max De Henseler has a blurb on the Sky Courier in "The
> Hallicrafters 
> Story" p.107.  "The Sky Courier was built at the
> request of the Army's 
> Special Services Division, as a "moral builder"
> aimed at keeping GI's in 
> touch with the peacetime world left behind."  The
> Hallicrafters 
> designation was RE-1 and there was also an Echophone EC-6
> designation.
> 
> The RE-1 appears to be based on the Echophone Commercial,
> EC-1, front 
> end and tuning dial, but has a lot in common with other
> moral sets like 
> the R-100.  It's an AC-DC-Battery set using mostly
> battery tubes.  There 
> are two RC-coupled 1N5 pentodes between the IF transformers
> for some 
> extra gain, and there is both a 3Q5 and a 50L6 for audio
> output 
> depending on which power source is used.
> 
> Al
> 
> JOE CRO wrote:
> > Hello Al,
> >              I have a unrestored fairly decent
> condition Echophone 
> > EC-1 "Commercial" (the type with the
> horizontal bandspread under the 
> > main tuning dial) that you are welcome to use in the
> exhibit if need 
> > be. From what I understand, Hallicrafters didn't
> want to put their 
> > name on the EC-1, due to the questionable quality of
> the "Echophone" 
> > marque, so they retained the Echophone name on it. I
> think they were 
> > primarily designed as morale receivers to be sent from
> the families 
> > and loved ones back home to our men overseas, hence
> the AC/DC hookup, 
> > and lack of a power transformer. After WWII, actually,
> sometime in 
> > late 1945, Hallicrafters produced the radio again with
> the S-41 
> > designator, and offered it in a variety of colors. I
> guess it gave a 
> > good enough account of itself during wartime to earn
> the right to wear 
> > the "Hallicrafters" name!
> >
> > I have a unrelated question for all of our resident
> Hallicrafters 
> > historians. I recently acquired a Hallicrafters
> "Sky Courier" that 
> > does not have a designated model # (S-27,S-37, etc)
> anywhere on it. 
> > It's essentially a Echophone EC-1 repackaed in a
> larger square metal 
> > case painted green, primarily designed as a
> "morale" receiver for our 
> > serviceman. The main tuning dial and bandspread, etc
> are identical to 
> > the Echophone EC-1; but it does NOT have a BFO on it,
> and the on-off 
> > volume knob are combined in one unit on the front
> panel, with the 
> > on-off function being accomplished by a pull switch!
> You pull the 
> > volume control knob out to turn the set on, and push
> it back in to 
> > turn it off.
> >
> > Not only am I not familiar with this particular model
> and 
> > Echophone/Hallicrafters EC-1, S-41 variant, but
> I've never seen a 
> > Hallicrafters with a push-pull on-off switch on the
> volume control. 
> > From what I can tell, it's not a modification
> someone did to it.
> >
> > Can someone tell me more about it? Just curious. I
> brought it up since 
> > Al was on the subject of the more common Echophone
> "Commercial" set.
> >
> > Best Regards,
> >                     Joe Cro N3IBX
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Al
> Klase" <al at ar88.net>
> > To: "New Jersey Antique Radio Club"
> <njarc at mailman.qth.net>; "Delaware 
> > Valley Historic Radio Club"
> <dvhrc at mailman.qth.net>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 3:14 PM
> > Subject: [NJARC] Echophone EC-1
> >
> >
> >> Just remember
> >> Reply = Poster
> >> Reply All = Everyone
> >>
> >>
> _________________________________________________________
> >> Gang,
> >>
> >> I'm looking for solid background info on
> subject radio for the Radio
> >> Technology Museum Short-wave Display. 
> Hallicrafters introduced this
> >> radion in 1940, and it was advertised throughout
> WWII.  Go here to get
> >> the general picture: 
> http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/bapix/Echo.html
> >>
> >> Now, it's my impression that civilian radio
> production was pretty much
> >> curtailed during this period.  I'm trying to
> figure out what really went
> >> on here.  Were these sold on the open market, in
> the PX, or what?
> >>
> >> Also, can someone get me a high-res scan of the
> the particular Hogarth
> >> ad shown on the referenced website.  I have some
> of the Echophone ads in
> >> vintage Radio News, but I like this one best.
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Al
> >>
> >> -- 
> >> Al Klase - N3FRQ
> >> Jersey City, NJ
> >> http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/
> >>
> >>
> ______________________________________________________________
> >> NJARC mailing list
> >> Home:
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/njarc
> >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> >> Post: mailto:NJARC at mailman.qth.net
> >>
> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> >> Please help support this email list:
> http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> >>
> >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> > Internal Virus Database is out of date.
> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
> > Version: 8.0.237 / Virus Database: 270.11.3/1974 -
> Release Date: 02/26/09 14:51:00
> >
> >   
> 
> -- 
> Al Klase - N3FRQ
> Jersey City, NJ
> http://www.skywaves.ar88.net/
> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> NJARC mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/njarc
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:NJARC at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list:
> http://www.qsl.net/donate.html