The Rise of Seed-Selling Radio Stations 11 - Monitoring Timesmonitoringtimes.com/1212toc.pdf ·...
3
C O N T E N T S Vol. 31 No. 12 December 2012 ® In this issue: • Rise of Seed-Selling Radio Stations • The Antique Wireless Association Museum • MT Reviews: Quatum AM Loop Antenna Scanning - Shortwave - Ham Radio - Equipment Internet Streaming - Computers - Antique Radio Vintage Radio Special www.monitoringtimes.com A Publication of Grove Enterprises 60 Years of Lafayette Radio Volume 31, No. 12 December 2012 U.S. $6.95 Can. $6.95 Printed in the United States R E V I E W S Sixty Years of Lafayette Radio By Richard Post KB8TAD If you’re new to the radio hobby you might not have heard much about Lafayette Radio and Electronics, a company that gave better known Allied Radio and their Knight-Kit products a run for their money throughout the decades of radio’s golden years. From its inception in the early 1920s as Wholesale Radio Service Company, what would later be known as Lafayette Radio led the catalog radio retail business even through the depths of the Great Depression. Lafayette had a knack for anticipating home electronics fads while pioneering the mail-order electronics business, dodging accu- sations from the Federal Trade Com- mission and coping with company in-fighting. Rich Post KB8TAD, a lifelong collector of Lafayette brand radios, among many others, shares the inside story of the remarkable rise and fall of this important company in radio’s long and colorful history. On Our Cover An impressive array of seven Lafay- ette Radio shortwave receivers. Bottom row left to right: HA-350, KT-200, and HA-800B. Middle row: KT-320, HE-30 and Explor-Air Mark V. Top: HE-60. (Photo by Richard Post KB8TAD) The Rise of Seed-Selling Radio Stations ....................... 11 By John F. Schneider W9FGH There’s no better illustration of the magic of emerging technology than the story of a handful of Midwestern, low-power, AM radio stations from the 1920s and 30s. John Schneider W9FGH follows the birth and astonishing growth of competing seed compa- nies that were among the first to understand early radio’s powers of entertainment and persuasion. Just as radio was taking hold in American households, companies were trying to figure out how to make the new medium work for them. Amid regulatory hurdles and the challenges of a new technology, the great seed-barons of Shenandoah, Iowa battled it out on the airways across the entire Midwest from studios that were just blocks apart. Millions tuned in to hear fiddle contests, gospel tunes, preaching and a pitch from the owners of the seed companies themselves. The result was a phenomenon that brought hundreds of thousands of curious radio fans to the small Iowa town just to see what it was all about. Meet the Antique Wireless Association ......................... 14 By Marc Ellis N9EWJ MT s Radio Restorations columnist, Marc Ellis N9EWJ, invites readers to learn about the Antique Wireless Association, the premier vintage radio club in America. The organization, which began in 1952, publishes the quarterly publication AWA Journal, and will open a new, expanded museum next summer. Marc explains all the activities of this energetic group that includes auctions, swap-meets and on-air amateur radio con- tests featuring vintage radio gear. Quantum QX v3.0 AM Loop Antenna ............................. 56 By Loyd Van Horn W4LVH As has been well documented in this magazine AM DX has been harder and harder to chase. Is there anything that might help? Yes, says Loyd Van Horn. Find out why he likes the Quantum QX v3.0 amplified loop that pulls in the stations you want and nulls the ones you don’t.
Transcript of The Rise of Seed-Selling Radio Stations 11 - Monitoring Timesmonitoringtimes.com/1212toc.pdf ·...
C O N T E N T S
Vol. 31 No. 12 December 2012
®
In this issue:• Rise of Seed-Selling Radio Stations• The Antique Wireless Association Museum • MT Reviews: Quatum AM Loop Antenna
Scanning - Shortwave - Ham Radio - Equipment Internet Streaming - Computers - Antique Radio
Vintage
Radio Special
www.monitoringtimes.com
A Publication of Grove Enterprises
60 Years ofLafayette Radio
Volume 31, No. 12December 2012
U.S. $6.95Can. $6.95Printed in theUnited States
R E V I E W S
Sixty Years of Lafayette RadioBy Richard Post KB8TAD If you’re new to the radio hobby you might not have heard much about Lafayette Radio and Electronics, a company that gave better known Allied Radio and their Knight-Kit products a run for their money throughout the decades of radio’s golden years. From its inception in the early 1920s as Wholesale Radio Service Company, what would later be known as Lafayette Radio led the catalog radio retail business even through the depths of the Great Depression. Lafayette had a knack for anticipating home electronics fads while pioneering the mail-order electronics business, dodging accu-sations from the Federal Trade Com-mission and coping with company in-fighting. Rich Post KB8TAD, a lifelong collector of Lafayette brand radios, among many others, shares the inside story of the remarkable rise and fall of this important company in radio’s long and colorful history.
On Our Cover An impressive array of seven Lafay-ette Radio shortwave receivers. Bottom row left to right: HA-350, KT-200, and HA-800B. Middle row: KT-320, HE-30 and Explor-Air Mark V. Top: HE-60. (Photo by Richard Post KB8TAD)
The Rise of Seed-Selling Radio Stations .......................11By John F. Schneider W9FGH There’s no better illustration of the magic of emerging technology than the story of a handful of Midwestern, low-power, AM radio stations from the 1920s and 30s. John Schneider W9FGH follows the birth and astonishing growth of competing seed compa-nies that were among the first to understand early radio’s powers of entertainment and persuasion. Just as radio was taking hold in American households, companies were trying to figure out how to make the new medium work for them. Amid regulatory hurdles and the challenges of a new technology, the great seed-barons of Shenandoah, Iowa battled it out on the airways across the entire Midwest from studios that were just blocks apart. Millions tuned in to hear fiddle contests, gospel tunes, preaching and a pitch from the owners of the seed companies themselves. The result was a phenomenon that brought hundreds of thousands of curious radio fans to the small Iowa town just to see what it was all about.
Meet the Antique Wireless Association .........................14By Marc Ellis N9EWJ MTs Radio Restorations columnist, Marc Ellis N9EWJ, invites readers to learn about the Antique Wireless Association, the premier vintage radio club in America. The organization, which began in 1952, publishes the quarterly publication AWA Journal, and will open a new, expanded museum next summer. Marc explains all the activities of this energetic group that includes auctions, swap-meets and on-air amateur radio con-tests featuring vintage radio gear.
Quantum QX v3.0 AM Loop Antenna .............................56By Loyd Van Horn W4LVH As has been well documented in this magazine AM DX has been harder and harder to chase. Is there anything that might help? Yes, says Loyd Van Horn. Find out why he likes the Quantum QX v3.0 amplified loop that pulls in the stations you want and nulls the ones you don’t.
®AOR U.S.A., Inc.20655 S. Western Ave., Suite 112Torrance, CA 90501, USATel: 310-787-8615 Fax: [email protected] • www.aorusa.com
Authority On RadioCommunications
*Cellular blocked for US consumer version. Unblocked version available to qualified purchasers with documentation. Specifications subject to change without notice or obligation.
■ Receives AM, wide and narrow FM, upper and lower sideband, CW modes, and optional APCO-25
■ Up to 2000 memory channels (50 channels X 40 banks) can be stored in the receiver
■ Alphanumeric channel labels■ Fast Fourier Transform algorithms■ Operated by a Windows XP or higher
computer through a USB interface using a provided software package that controls all receiver functions
■ An I/Q output port that allows the user to capture up to 1 MHz of bandwidth onto a computer hard drive or external storage device
■ An SD memory card port that can be used to store recorded audio
■ Analog composite video output connector■ CTCSS and DCS squelch operation■ Two selectable Type N antenna input ports■ Adjustable analog 45 MHz IF output with
15 MHz bandwidth■ Optional AR-I/Q Windows software
facilitates the easy storage and playback of transmissions captured within up to 1 MHz bandwidth or, signals can be subjected to further analysis.
■ An optional GPS board can be used for an accurate time base and for time stamping digital I/Q data.
■ The triple-conversion receiver exhibits excellent sensitivity across its tuning range.
■ Powered by 12 volts DC (AC Adapter included), it may be operated as a base or mobile unit.
■ Software-driven operating selections include IF bandwidth, frequency, mode, filters, a screen-displayed graphical “S-meter,” memory inputs, volume and squelch settings and more
■ Professional (government) version is equipped with a standard voice-inversion monitoring feature
Available in professional and consumer versions, the AR2300 covers 40 KHz to 3.15 GHz*
With the new AR2300 "black box" receiver from AOR, up to three
channels can be monitored simultaneously. Fast Fourier Transform
algorithms provide a very fast and high level of signal processing,
allowing the receiver to scan through large frequency segments
quickly and accurately. All functions can be controlled through a
PC running Windows XP or higher. The AR2300 features advanced
signal detection capabilities which can detect hidden transmitters.
An optional external IP control unit enables the AR2300 to be fully
controlled from a remote location and send received signals to the
control point via the internet. It can also be used for unattended
long-term monitoring by an internal SD audio recorder or spectrum
recording with optional AR-IQ software for laboratory signal analysis.
The AR2300 appeals to federal, state and local law enforcement
agencies, the military, emergency managers, diplomatic service,
news-gathering operations, and home monitoring enthusiasts.
Introducing a new generation of software controlled "black box" receivers!
AR2300 “Black Box” Professional Grade Communications Receiver
Discover exceptional performance, state of the art specifications and a receiver with a menu of optional extras that can be configured to your own needs and specifications.
The Serious Choice in Advanced Technology Receivers
4 MONITORING TIMES December 2012
Letters ...............................................6Communications ...............................7
First DepartmentsGetting Started
Scanning Report ..............................20By Dan Veeneman Scanner Terminology
Ask Bob ...........................................23By Bob Grove W8JHD Running portable radio on low voltage; Difference between zip cord and speaker wire; Elliptic high-pass filter vs nearby AM transmit-ter; How remote antenna preamps work; Cause of corrosion on car battery terminal; Halogen lamp RF interference; In-line preamps and re-ceiver de-sensitization; Using a Uniden Home-Patrol in a car; Connecting a wire antenna to a portable radio antenna jack.
Utility World ....................................24By Hugh Stegman NV6H Is Shortwave Dead?
Digital Digest ...................................27By Mike Chace Ocean Sensing Radar Update
On the Ham Bands ..........................28By Kirk Kleinschmidt NT0Z Solar Cycle Defiance: Meteor Scatter!
Beginner’s Corner ...........................30By Ken Reitz KS4ZR Why We Need More Beginners and How You Can Help
Programming Spotlight ....................32By Fred Waterer Seasonal Favorites from around the World
Second DepartmentsQSL Report ......................................34By Gayle Van Horn W4GVH Countdown of the Season
Table Of COnTenTs
English Language SW Guide ...........35
Milcom ............................................52By Larry Van Horn N5FPW Aerial Refueling Frequencies in North America
Broadcast Bandscan ........................54By Doug Smith W9WI AM Salvation
Boats, Planes, TRAINS .....................56By Ernest Robl Operators, Interchange and Priority Chan-nels
Globalnet .......................................58By Loyd Van Horn W4LVH How to Get the Most out of Your WiFi Signal
Below 500 kHz ................................60By Kevin Carey WB2QMY Gone but not Forgotten
Technical DepartmentsRadio Restorations ...........................62By Marc Ellis N9EWJ How Many Volts to Light a Tube
Antenna Topics ................................64By Dan Farber AC0LW Antennas of the Past: WWII-era Skyhooks
Sky Surfing: Radio Astronomy .........66By Stan Nelson KB5VL Radio Noise from Hale-Bopp Comet?
First Look ........................................70By Loyd Van Horn W4LVH Quantum QX V 3.0 AM Loop Antenna
What’s New ....................................72By Larry Van Horn N5FPW MFJ Off-Center Fed wire antennas; MFJ QRP balun; PC Electronics ATV Xmtr; Inflat-able antenna tower; New HamCall DVD; DX Engineering UnUn; GAP DSP speaker; N0AXS Pico-Keyer
MONITORING TIMES (ISSN: 0889-5341;Publishers Mail Agree-ment #1253492) is published monthly by Grove Enterprises, Inc., Brasstown, North Caro-lina, USA.
Copyright © 2012 Grove Enterprises, Inc. Periodicals postage paid at Brasstown, NC, and additional mailing offices. Short excerpts may be reprinted with appropri-ate credit. Complete articles may not be reproduced without permission.
Address: 7540 Highway 64 West, Brasstown, NC 28902-0098Telephone: (828) 837-9200Fax: (828) 837-2216 (24 hours)Internet Address: www.grove-ent.com or
www.monitoringtimes.comEditorial e-mail: [email protected]: [email protected]
Subscription Rates: $19.95 MTXpress; $32.95 in US; $42.95 Canada; and $58.95 foreign elsewhere, US funds. Label indicates number of issues left. Renewal notice is cover sheet 3 months before expiration. Subscribe at www.monitoringtimes.com.
WRITE FOR MONITORING TIMES: Learn how at
www.monitoringtimes.com/ html/write_for_mt.html or
write to [email protected]
Postmaster: Send address changes to Monitoring Times, 7540 Highway 64 West, Brasstown, NC 28902-0098.
Disclaimer:While Monitoring Times makes an effort to ensure the information it publishes is accurate, it cannot be held liable for the contents. The reader assumes any risk for performing modification or construction projects published in Monitoring Times. Opinion or conclusions expressed are not necessarily the view of Monitoring Times or Grove Enterprises. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted. SASE if material is to be returned.
Subscription [email protected]
OwnersBob and Judy [email protected]
PublisherBob Grove, W8JHD
Managing EditorKen Reitz, KS4ZR
Assistant and Reviews EditorLarry Van Horn, N5FPW
Editor EmeritusRachel Baughn, KE4OPD
Art DirectorBill Grove
Advertising ServicesJudy Grove
(828) [email protected]
You may contact any MT staff writer by email by combining their first and last name @monitoringtimes.com. By postal mail, you may write them in care of MT Headquarters in Brasstown. Please enclose a self-adressed, stamped envelope if you wish the columnist to reply.
