Radio age (Jan 1927-Jan 1928)

RADIO AGE for January, 1927 The Magazine of the Hour 33 'THE material appearing under the title "Pickups and Hookups by Our Readers" in RADIO AGE, is *• contributed by our . saders. It is a department wherein our readers exchange views on various circuits and the construction and operation thereof. Many times our readers disagree on technical points, and it should be understood that RADIO AGE is not responsible for the views presented herein by contributors, but publishes the letters and drawings merely as a means of permitting the fans to know what the other fellow is doing and thinking. WHEN Miss Elizabeth Zandonini of Washing-ton, D. C, received a radiogram from a friend in Italy recently she was somewhat surprised to. note that the message had been filed in Italy only an hour before she had received it in this country. A checkup on the routing showed that an Italian amateur had sent it on short waves direct to an American amateur in Philadelphia, who in turn passed it on immediately to an amateur in Washington, the latter completing the fast delivery by telephoning to Miss Zandonini's residence. Permanent Attachment Place For Radio JAMES W. WIGGINTON, watchmaker and jeweler at Larkspur, Calif., has a homespun single tube regenerative set with which he prowls the ether lanes in search of DX. Mr. Wigginton is located at the brow of Mt. Tamalpais, 8 miles northwest of San Francisco. In our dreamy moments we pine for such a location for our pet set. FOR those fans who want the best, in their radio installation, there is nothing better than a row of plugging in places in the baseboard, where connections to everything can be conveniently made and just as easily disconnected. The sketch shows how this can be accomplished in a simple way. At the left is the antenna receptacle, which is only an ordinary electric light receptacle. In connecting this one, only one of the contact screws are used, and in the cap both of the screws are jumped with a piece of wire as shown, so it will make proper connection, whichever way it is inserted. The group of four fit 5IN0LE 5MTCHBOX 4Q o) 4 6 A NO SWITCH BOX MADE UP. oJCE REMOVABLE IVALLS COMMON 53 r-p-n TYPE 'takes ZTYPES OF CAPS POLARITY TYPE © X2 © ■^COMMON 3 SINGLE POLESWITCH tffo RECEPTACLE £ (B (j) (?> RECEPTACLE VJ single poiFVn.^[ Yf y TV ANT WATER PIPE IIOl/.A.C. POLARITY BASEBOARP \ HOLES BO/SEP IN CENTER. OF PARTITION FOR WIRES 2>{ cwnGee tings consists of a push button switch to start and stop the charger when desired, and the others represent three more receptacles, the first is the same type as the antenna uses, and the other two are "polarity" type, which mean that they can only be inserted one way, which insures the right battery polarity. This whole assembly gives connection to antenna, ground, charger switch, "A" battery, "B" battery 22v. and 90v., all brought up through the cellar directly underneath, a location being selected where the partition can be easily entered by boring holes up from the cellar to admit the wires. The usual switch box is used, cut in flush with the baseboard, to encase the receptacles and the switch. For the group of four, the boxes are joined together into one, by removing the side walls as required and the screws provided, will clamp them all together. The single brass finishing plate is easy to purchase anywhere, but the four "gang," may have to be made for you, out of a piece of Vs" brass. In operation, the charger switch is left "off." When it is desired to charge the battery, you simply push the switch "on," making sure all the rheostats on the set are off to avoid possible injury to the tubes, leaving it charging until it is desired to operate the set again, if necessary. This being all located in the baseboard, it makes tramping to the cellar unnecessary, and all unsightly batteries out of sight. — H. P. STROUD.