Richardson "5" Update

Thanks to members of the excellent Antique Radio Forums and to a Mr Richardson (No relation, I think) I have found out more about the history of this receiver. It turns out that the set had been restored in the past from fairly sad shape after being purchased at an AWA swap meet in New York.

Underneath the top desk of the radio is the text "Oct.17.1996 Billy Richardson" which confirmed that the radio had originally passed though his hands while being brought back to life.

However I'll let Mr Billy Richardson tell the story in his own words:

I'm guilty of owning the Richardson "5", guys. It was in poor condition when I bought it in an AWA swap meet in New York way back there years ago. I restored it to the best of my ability to its original condition a few years later. It was not a restoration that had anything special going for it, so it was never shown in any of the contests around the country. It was working OK when I finished it, but I can understand why it doesn't work now.

To the best of my recollection, Richardson radios were first advertised as a superheterodyne kit. Their main feature was "self evident wiring", or something like that. Naturally. they didn't get away with selling a superheterodyne kit and the next and only ad I saw after that was a small one for the Richardson "5". It used the same type of wiring.

Here again I speak from a poor memory, but the wiring for this set is one long piece of rubber coated flexible wire. Along its entire length it has lugs that simply pierce the rubber cover to make an electrical contact. Not a good thing, because only one or two strands of wire may be making contact and a wee bit of oxidation is all it would take to break the connection. This was the case with the original wire, which was also hard and brittle. I replaced it with NOS flexible wire that looked exactly the same. The finished job is an ugly sight, just like the original. All the lugs are spaced an equal distant along the wire, regardless of how far it has to go to the next connection and most of the wire is too long for those connections. In other words, it's a jumbled up mess of wire and not something to be proud of.

I recognized the photo of this set immediately as being mine because of the label under the lid. There was enough of the original left to make a good copy and I thought the reproduction turned out real well.

Billy Richardson

Alan Douglas of the Antique Radio Forums found a clipping from Radio Retailer & Jobber Oct.1925 which told of Mr Richardson's exit from the Richardson Radio Corporation. Given the very short period where any advertisements were made it seems like this corporation didn't last very long at all, perhaps only a year or two at most. In the Radio News of 1925 the January issue has quite a large advertisement while the December issue has only the smallest note possible ... perhaps a sign that things were not going particularly well.

The only additional information I could find regarding either the Richardson Radio Corporation or Mr Richardson himself come from the clipping of the Princeton Alumni Weekly, August 1936.

Unfortunately it concerns what must have been his early death and does not specify the cause which would have been appropriate at the time.

DAVID WELLES RICHARDSON '22
The Class records with deep sorrow the death of our classmate, David W. Richardson, who died at his home in Mt. Kisko on July 16.
Dave spent the first two years out of college in the radio business. He helped organize WOR and was the president of the Richardson Radio, Inc.
He then entered the employ of Joseph P. Day and for five years was head of the private sales department. About a year ago he entered the brokerage business with Harris, Upham & Co. and on July 1 entered the employ of Eastman, Dillon & Co.
Dave was married in 1932 and has a son, David Welles Richardson, Jr. To his widow, his son, and his father we extend our deepest sympathy with the assurance that we will not soon forget him.
    For the Class of 1922
    William E. Stevenson, President
    G. M. L. LaBranche
    Hunt T. Dickinson
    Robert Buechner, Secretary. 

The Johnson 275W Matchbox Antenna Tuner

I had purchased a Johnson Matchbox from an estate a while back & decided that while I was home with the flu I would open it up and check on its condition.

The Johnson Matchbox is found most commonly in two versions, the smaller "275W" unit and the larger Kilowatt Matchbox. Why did I use quotation marks around 275W? Well, these units were manufactured back in the good old days when men were men and transmitting voice meant using AM, not single side band. The conservative rating of 275W of AM translates into roughly 800W of peak SSB  (Not really but close enough so you get the idea)

Unlike many who own a Matchbox I was hoping to keep it 100% original and that it would contain all its original components, including the antenna change-over relay and wiring for the high-impedance receiver antenna connections. I plan to use this Johnson Matchbox with a Heathkit AT-1 transmitter and Hallicrafters SX-25 receiver so the inclusion of an antenna change over relay and 300 Ohm receiver connections will make life MUCH easier. Something I didn't realize until I had the unit apart (There are a LOT of screws holding this thing together) is that there is also a receiver control contact on the relay to break HT and mute the receiver during transmit which will work with my SX-25.

An initial inspection showed that the only modification was a small piece of plastic wedged into the relay contacts that held the relay in the transmit position. It was easily removed and the relay coil and contacts tested for continuity. The contacts seem a bit dirty which, from the little I have read online, seems to be a common problem.

Once the relay contacts and band-switch are cleaned I will button the unit back up and connect it to the loop antenna I have recently run around the eaves of the house. The loop has been a huge improvement to the long-wire and magnetic antennas I have run in the past, at least as far as reception goes ... but that is a topic for another post.

Something old, something new.

Something old ...

As a young boy in Australia my two favorite hangouts were my grandfather's shed or practically anywhere that electronics were sold. The two largest electronic component retailers in my home town were Tandy (Radio Shack) and Dick Smith Electronics. They both sold kits, tools, '100 in 1 Labs' and other assorted gear but Dick Smith eventually became known as the experimenters store due to their greater range.

Original Radio Shack calculator

Tandy is now almost vanished after their aquisition by Woolworths (Despite also owning its competitor Dick Smith) and has converted or closed most of the locations. 

One of the things I have to remember Tandy by is a handy resistor color code calculator. It saw a lot of use in past years while I built kits and experimented but not so much nowdays.

This device also calculated inductor values when flipped over which was handy for some of the older equipment I came across.

If you would like to make one of these yourself then Adafruit Industries has created a PDF document you can print and cut out for create your own resistor value calculator.

The PDF file is available from Adafruit Industries or a copy is also here. Once you print it out, a little cutting and folding should produce something like the example of the right. The Adafruit design uses brass paper fasteners (remember those?) but any fastener could be used that would allow the wheel inside to rotate freely. It would be best to print on heavy card stock if you have the ability as it will give the calculator some strength.

Something new ... 

If you happen to have one of those new fangled iDevices you can download Circuit Playground. It has a few more features than the old Radio Shack calculator and looks great on the iPad.

More features are being added but the list at the moment includes:

• Decipher resistor & capacitor codes with ease

• Calculate power, resistance, current, and voltage with the Ohm's Law & Power Calc modules

• Quickly convert between decimal, hexadecimal, binary or even ASCII characters

• Calculate values for multiple resistors or capacitors in series & parallel configurations

• Store, search, and view PDF datasheets

• Access exclusive sneak peaks, deals & discounts at Adafruit Industries

You can download it from the iTunes Store or, if you have an Android, you can check out ElectroDroid for similar functionality.

As time goes on there are more and more useful utilities available for electronic experimenters on iOS and Android devices. Since more and more equipment today is becoming computerized do iOS and Android devices  represent the future of test equipment?

iMSO-104 iPad Oscilloscope

The Power of Making

A brilliant video detailing the power of making through a triptych of views into the workshops of makers.

A three screen film installation for the Power Of Making exhibition. A collaboration between the V&A and the Crafts Council, this exhibition presents 100 crafted objects in a cabinet of curiosities that explores traditional and time-honoured ways of making, as well as innovations taking place around the world.

Visit the Victoria and Albert Museum at http://www.vam.ac.uk/

More cheap power supplies ...

Looks as though more folks have been putting "bargain" power supplies to the test and finding them wanting. This time it is a 5 volt USB power supply purchased in the UK that fails to deliver its advertised load.

At 560mA load the voltage has already fallen below 3 Volts, a far cry from its rated 1 Amp!

As most power supplied are simply featureless black boxes it would be nice to be able to rely on the specifications stated on the outside ... sadly you can't as the video below shows.

Winter Field Day and generators

With Winter Field Day coming up some radio operators may be running your stations using gas/petrol generators. While you can just drop the generator down outside and start it up you really should, for safety, have a ground rod set into the earth.
Although the system below does have a ground rod placed in the earth I'll leave it to you to discovery why it is not going to be very effective ...

Not the right way to ground a generator system, "A" for effort though.

Cheap accessories can damage your expensive electronics

The power supply below looks just like a normal Canon power supply, right down to the correct model number and style. If you dig deeper, or just try and use this power supply, you start to notice things aren't exactly what they appear to be.

It seems as though there are some great deals to be had on Ebay for electronic accessories but like the saying goes, "You get what you pay for!".
Giorgos discovered the difference when his Canon camera started behaving strangely and was fortunate enough to have the experience and the test equipment to show just how poorly his bargain power supply performed.
So, before you buy a cheap power supply or battery charger for your cell phone, camera or iDevice, check out the video below and decide for yourself if its really worth saving a few dollars.

Coil Winding using the Gingery Coil Winder

Anyone who has seen the video below from KC9KEP will probably be wondering where he got the coil winder used to make those high Q coils with universal windings.

The design itself is based on the Morris Register Company (MoReCo) Coilmaster and modified for home brewing by Dave Gingery. His excellent book is available from lindsaybks.com and provides plans that use parts and tools commonly available in the home workshop.

Gingery coil winder by KC9KEP

Another resource for coil winders is a page from K5BCQ that shows the original Coilmaster, a different home brew plan and a large volume of useful information.
A vintage text is also available which covers inductor (coil) design in significant detail and should be downloaded by anyone who REALLY wants to know what they are doing. It is available here.

Preserving the past - Australian built broadcast transmitters

Arguably some of the best looking radio equipment was produced in the 50's and 60's when art-deco motifs, streamlining and other elements of design made their way onto consumer and even industrial electronics.
Unlike modern times, when cost is the only consideration, designers and engineers took the time to ensure that their creations looked good as well as being functional and long lasting. It was worth taking time over the placement of meters, switches & panels, even if it did mean that the final product cost a few dollars more to manufacture.
Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) or AWA produced an extensive range of home and commercial equipment in the 60s and many vintage radio collectors have examples of AWA radio receivers in their collections. The larger equipment like broadcast transmitters takes an extra special effort to preserve as their large size, demanding power requirements and the specialized knowledge required to maintain them presents a barrier for all but the most dedicated enthusiasts.
We are fortunate then that Don Bainbridge has taken up the challenge and preserved a remarkable collection of Australian built broadcasting equipment and maintains much of this equipment in operational order. The YouTube video below and his website linked here offer a rare glimpse into the world of vintage high powered broadcast equipment before plastic took over and economical design stripped away the chrome and pinstripes.

iPads and e-Readers as book replacements?

I've recently started to acquire reference books as PDF files since getting an iPad. I was initially skeptical of this idea after being disappointed trying to read PDF files on a Sony e-ink device. After some software updates and a little experimenting I have found the iPad to be a completely different experience.

The large screen size and, more importantly, the quick navigation have made the iPad a logical choice for reading though a book, magazine or reference manual. Now that Apple has made some tweaks to the book reading application you are now able to sort PDF files into collections and this improves on the slightly clunky, although intuitive, bookshelf metaphor.

The cost is certainly an issue as iPads are not cheap and are rarely discounted. I will suggest that there are other factors which should be balanced against the initial cost:

1. Convenience: The iPad is always the same size and weight. No matter if it carrying one book or one-thousand it remains a convenient size that can be slipped in a backpack or carried in a case.
2. Speed: There are several features in software that allow you to quickly turn to the exact page you require or look-up a reference or keyword in the text. Even older books that have been scanned benefit from being able to see many pages at once or bookmark multiple pages for reference later.
3. Intuitive interface: The bookshelf metaphor used by the iPad's reading application is expanded by the idea of collections of books that the user can manage. Pages are turned by taps or swipes and a single tap in the center of the page brings up additional navigation options. Other iPad gestures like 'pinch to zoom' also allow you to zoom on details or expand a diagram to fill the whole screen.
4. Long term cost of ownership: Reference books, in particular educational text books, are often priced over $100 USD for a single volume. The same books are often available for much less in electronic format due to the elimination of printing, shipping and storage costs. For people such as myself the books I would like to own are often out of print or, if copies are still available, they are being sold at exorbitant prices. The iPad makes it possible for me to own and enjoy these books with the additional benefit of them not taking up shelf space.

An Apple iPad running the Books application.

There are other tablet devices available and I have used a few for brief periods of time while evaluating different applications. It is my impressions that the iPad does a better job of integration between applications and maintains a consistent user interface across all its applications. There are certainly more options for customization and experimentation on other platforms but for straightforward functionality Apple have the lead at the moment.

As a book collector I hope that we continue to see books printed and I will certainly keep collecting antique books but I do foresee a time when digital books will become the dominant media. I think we have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to digital books, there is much more to come.

To read more about the impact of the Apple iPad in Schools read : Goodbye Textbooks, Hello iPad from PCWorld

Sick radio on the bench

Should have been an easy fix but I suspect, after running a few searches through Google, that it is suffering from the dreaded silver mica disease. This would require taking the IF coil cans apart and replacing the integral silver mica capacitors with external units, not a project for the feint of heart!

Another day perhaps ... there are other projects to complete first.

Zenith 6J05 chassis and IF cans, looks simple enough doesn't it?

Front view of the Zenith chassis, the dial light also requires replacement.

Tubes! ... Some will be used in a homebrew transmitter.
The EICO signal tracer (behind the box of tubes) is working fine now but the EICO RF signal generator requires work.

An old tube AF power amp, low pass filter, coils, chokes and my meter collection ... there is even an RF ammeter in there somewhere.

Hallicrafters S-85

I recently purchased a Hallicrafters S-85 radio receiver. I was lucky enough to find one in excellent condition that hadn't been modified by its previous owner. In fact, it even had its full compliment of paper labels and was only missing the owners manual which I was able to download from the net and make available here : Hallicrafters_S-85_Manual

Hallicrafters S-85 Receiver - Sold 1954 through 1959

While I'm slowly assembling the pieces of a vintage amateur radio station I have been researching what it would have been like for a ham around the period of the equipment I have accumulated. One thing I just started thinking about now was the cost of this equipment when new ...

The Hallicrafters S-85 was sold between 1954 & 1959 for USD $119.95. This relates to about USD $1014 in 2011 dollars! That is a lot of money for a young ham to come up with and perhaps explains why more modest receivers were used in novice stations. A more advanced ham would probably purchase something with crystal filters, which the S-85 lacked, like the Hallicrafters SX-99

From the little time I have had with this receiver I have been impressed by its performance. For a receiver that is over 50 years old it has withstood the march of time and performs very well. Although it is possible to listen to single side band transmissions it is really suited to AM and CW reception.

Listening to AM broadcasts is where it really shines, the generous bandwidth and tube audio make the most of shortwave broadcasts and listening becomes a pleasure rather than something you have to work at.

Hopefully one day it will be paired with a yet-to-be-acquired transmitter and I'll participate in a few AM QSOs

73

KF5CZO