Radio Boulevard
Western Historic Radio Museum

Featuring Full Length Articles on:

Rebuilding Vintage Radio Communication Equipment
Radio Manufacturing History, Nevada Radio History
Photo Galleries of Vintage Radios
 

Featuring Equipment from:

Wireless Era, Roaring Twenties, Classic Thirties
WWII Communications Equipment
Pre-WWII Ham Gear, Post-WWII Ham Gear
Vintage Long Wave Receivers, Vintage Test Equipment
Telegraph Keys, RTTY Equipment, Vintage Microphones

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Mar 23 - US Navy-National Co. - RAD-2 (SW-5) Receiver - photos and write-up - Pre-WWII Ham Gear Part 1
Mar 22 - General Radio Co. - Type 561-D Vacuum Tube Bridge - photo and write-up - Vintage Test Gear Part 4
Mar 22 - RCA Model 151-2 "Oscillograph" - photo and write-up - Vintage Test Gear Part 4
Mar 19 - Clapp-Eastham Company - Boston Key with Marble Base - photo and write-up - Telegraph Keys Part 1
Mar 17 - Vibroplex Company - WWII Deluxe Original - photo and write-up - Telegraph Keys Part 1
Mar 17 - Hi-Mound/Calrad - BK-100 Japanese Bug - photo and write-up - Telegraph Keys Part 2
Mar 17 - Vibroplex Company - No.4 (1917) Blue Racer - photo and write-up - Telegraph Keys Part 1
Mar 15 - Hammarlund Mfg Co. - HQ-180AE - photo and write-up - Post-War Ham Gear

Website Navigation Index

Click on Title - goes to single-part articles or goes to Part 1 of multipart articles.  Or,... Click on a Specific Part Number of multipart articles
 

Full Length Articles on Wireless Era Equipment

M.H. Dodd's 1912 Wireless "Spark" Station

Details the discovery of Dodd's Spark Station inside a steamer trunk in Reno, Nevada in November 1999. Details on Dodd's equipment, the station's location, how it worked and where it is now. Lots of photographs including original vintage B&W photos of Dodd using his station in 1912, photos of Dodd's 1909 Award-winning Station, other vintage Dodd photographs plus contemporary photos of the Dodd station as it was set up on display in the Western Historic Radio Museum. Appendix includes write-up of Dodd's 1923 homebrew 3-tube Cockaday Receiver.
 

Colin B. Kennedy - "Radio Apparatus of Quality"

Comprehensive history of the design and manufacturing of Kennedy's 1922 line of high-quality receivers. Details on the Type 110 Universal, the Type 220 Intermediate Wave and the Type 281 Short Wave. Also covers the Type 525 and Type 521 Audio Amplifiers. Restoration information and write-up of a Type 220 restoration. Performance testing the Type 110 and performance testing the Type 220. Also includes a write-up of our experiment duplicating Dr. Royal Rife's use of the Kennedy receivers in his laboratory. Lots of photos.
 

A. H. GREBE & CO., INC. - "A Guide to the Grebe Synchrophase MU-1"

Part One - Detailed history of the design and manufacturing of the Grebe MU-1, MU-2 and other variants, Dr. Mu QSL cards, Color Advertising Brochure

Part Two - Engineering Upgrades, Serial letter dilemma, Restoration hints, How to neutralize the MU-1, Performance testing Early model CTPB and Late Model RJNA. Lots of photos.
 

SE-1420, IP-501 & IP-501-A - "The Classis Shipboard Wireless Receivers"

Comprehensive history of the design and manufacturing of these classic shipboard receivers. Detailed restoration write-ups. Performance testing the SE-1420B and the IP-501-A. How to set "Critical Coupling" and attain real DX performance. NDB Station Log for the IP-501-A. Lots of photos.
 

Vintage Long Wave Receivers

Vintage Long Wave Receivers - Testing and Performance Evaluations

Detailed history write-ups and performance evaluations on several different models of pre-WWII, WWII and post-WWII LW receivers with examples from the US Navy, US Army Signal Corps, Radiomarine Corp., Mackay Radio, Hammarlund, Collins and National Company. Includes info on using vintage LW gear on 630 meters. Lots of information and lots of photos.

Part One -  Radiomarine IP-501-A, National RIO, Mackay Radio Type 105A, USN RAA-3, USN RAZ-1, USN RAK-7 & RAL-7, USN RBL-5, Signal Corps BC-344-D, Radiomarine Corp. AR-8510

Part Two -  USN RBA-1 (with rebuild info and reception log,) RBA-6, Mackay Radio Type 3001A,

Part Three - Collins R-389/URR (with rebuild info,) Hammarlund SP-600VLF-31 (with performance details,) Selective Level Meters, Regenerative versus Superheterodyne on LW.

Part Four - What to listen to below 500kc, VLF Stations, 630M amateur operation. 2007 Photo-tour of Loran-C "Master" Station in Fallon, Nevada. NDB stations in Nevada. Complete NDB reception log.
 

Full Length Articles on Radio Communication & Amateur Radio Equipment

National Company, Inc. - HRO Receiver - "The Cream of the Crop"

Comprehensive history of the design and manufacturing of the HRO. Serial number log for determining build date of your HRO. Several restoration write-ups. Lots of photos and information.

Part One  - History of the development of the HRO receiver, detailed descriptions on pre-WWII HRO Models, WWII HRO Models, post-WWII HRO Models

Part Two  - Serial Number Analysis and Log, Current Owners of D & E run HROs, Chronologically listed Engineering Upgrades, HRO Accessories - Power Supplies, Speakers, Coil Boxes

Part Three  - Guild to Restoring HRO Receivers, Gear Box, PW-D Dial, Coil Set Details, Restoration Articles on 1935 HRO H-103, 1940 HRO Senior 463-K

Part Four  - Restoration articles on 1935 HRO SN E-50, 1935 HRO SN F-16, Collector's Gallery of HRO Photos, Performance Improvement Suggestions, Conclusion
 

National Company, Inc. - NC-100 Series - "Moving Coil" Receivers

Comprehensive history of the design and manufacturing. Details on most of the sixty+ different types of Moving Coil receivers. Includes details on the Airport Receivers, the WWII versions and the post-WWII versions. Serial Number Analysis and Log. Several detailed restoration write-ups. Serial number analysis and log. Lots of photos and lots of information.

Part One - Design History, profiles on NC-100 (1936) to NC-2-40D (1947) Receivers, Airport Receivers (1937 through 1948), WWII Receivers USN RAO Series, RBH Series, Signal Corps NC-100ASD, USCG R-116

Part Two - Serial Number Analysis & Log, Chronologically Listed Engineering Changes, Catacomb Coils Details, PW Gearbox, PW-Dial info, S-Meter, Speakers

Part Three - Restoration Write-ups: NC-200 Silver Anniversary, NC-100XA, NC-80X, NC-101X, US Army NC-100ASD

Part Four - Restoration Write-ups: Airport Receiver RCE, USN RAO-3, USN RAO-7
 

Hallicrafters SX-28 - "A Pre-war Masterpiece"

Comprehensive history of design and manufacturing. Includes the SX-28A, AN/GRR-2, R-45/ARR-7 and other receivers. Serial number analysis and log allows dating your SX-28. Restoration information. Performance comparisons. Lots of photos.

Part One -  History of the design, the SX-28, SX-28A, AN/GRR-2, R-45/ARR-7, R-12 Speaker, PM-23 Speaker, Estimated Production Quantities, Serial Number Log

Part Two -  Engineering Changes Chronologically Listed, Variations of the SX-28 receiver, Restoration suggestions, White Dial Myth, Performance comparisons, Using the SX-28 today
 

Hallicrafters DD-1 "Skyrider Diversity"

Detailed history of design and manufacturing. Profile of XE1G ham station the first amateur diversity receiver. DD-1 prototype information. Serial number analysis. List of current owners of known DD-1 receivers. Restoration information. Performance details. Lots of photos.

Part One - Detailed history of the DD-1 development, XE1G diversity receiver (inspiration for the DD-1,) Prototype DD-1, Production DD-1

Part Two - Restoration of the DD-1, Serial Number Log, Collector's Gallery of DD-1 photos
 

Navy Department-RCA  -  RAA-3 - Shipboard Long Wave Superheterodyne Receiver from 1935

Comprehensive history of the U.S. Navy's first superheterodyne long wave receiver. Continuing Restoration of RAA-3 SN: 64 - a journal-type write-up of the "ground-up" restoration of this behemoth of a Navy receiver. Weighing 465 pounds and comprising three individual sections, this ultra-rare receiver was stored outside, wrapped in a tarp. A real restoration challenge. Lots of photos.
 

RCA's Amazing AR-88 Receivers

Comprehensive history of the AR-88 family of receivers with circuit details and variations in construction. Includes details on AR-88D, AR-88LF, AR-88F, CR-91, CR-91A, CR88, CR88A, CR-88B, including triple diversity receivers RDM, DR-89, OA-58. Sweep Alignments, Restoration Hints, Serial Number Analysis. Collector Photo Gallery. Lots of photos and lots of information.

Part One -  Comprehensive History of design and manufacturing, Russian hams using the AR-88, General information on the various models

Part Two -  Triple Diversity Models, Serial Number Analysis, Restoration Suggestions 

Part Three -  Sweep Alignment of the IF (includes photos of the actual 'scope patterns using modern equipment,) RF Tracking alignment, Restoration of a typical AR-88D

Part Four -  Collector Gallery of AR-88 photos, Diversity Operation, Performance Comparisons, Remote Standby non-invasive mod 
 

RCA's Legendary AR-60 Receivers

Comprehensive history of the AR-60 receivers, includes all RCA versions and the U.S. Coast Guard CGR-32 versions. Circuit details, alignment, adjustments, critical analysis of the infamous 1936 "R-9" magazine review of the AR-60, Serial Number Analysis. Collector Photo Gallery. Lots of photos.
 

Hammarlund Mfg. Co., Inc - "The Incredible Pre-war Super-Pro"

Comprehensive history of the Super Pro receivers, includes SP-10, SP-100, SP-200, BC-779, BC-794, BC-1004, SPA, R-270 Wickes Eng. version and other military versions. Includes special appendix on the Hammarlund Comet Pro receiver, the predecessor to the Super Pro. Restoration details on SP-10 and SP-100 receivers. Collector Photo Gallery. Lots of photos and lots of information.

Part One -  History of the Pre-WWII Super Pro, details on SP-10, SP-100 Series, SP-150, SP-200 Series, Military Versions, Power Supplies, Interconnecting Power Cable details

Part Two -  Serial Number Analysis and Serial Number Log, Chronological Listing of Engineering Changes, Restoration hints, History of the Louis Geisler Modifications (1947 to 1950s)

Part Three -  Restoration of SP-10 from WMI, Restoration of SP-100X, Collector Gallery Photos, Appendix on the Comet Pro, includes restoration of 1934 Comet Pro receiver