DEC 2015

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A Virtual Tour of WEAF in 1927

By John F. Schneider W9FGH

The iconic radio station WEAF in New York City began in 1922 as a grand experiment by the Western Electric Company, a subsidiary of AT&T. Western Electric was interested in exploiting its collection of radio patents, which it believed would allow it to corner the market in the exploding field of radio broadcasting. The station went on the air August 16 of that year from an antenna atop the eleven-story Western Electric Building at 463 West Street. WEAF was initially conceived by AT&T as a “toll broadcaster,” a radio-station-for-hire, with blocks of program time that would be leased to anyone that wanted to broadcast. Later, WEAF began broadcasting from a new transmitter site located in more rural surroundings on Maple Avenue in Bellmore, Long Island, 28 miles East of New York. John gives us a tour of this historic radio station.

Variacs 101: Answering those Questions

By Rich Post KB8TAD

One of the most useful tools for vintage radio repair and restoration is the Variac. All it does is vary the line voltage from zero to full and, depending on its connections, beyond full line voltage. It can be found in the chemistry lab, in older hotels and theaters for varying the lighting levels, as noise-free dimmers in recording studios, and as a way to gently warm up guitar amps from a cold start. It has been used to control the heating of soldering irons, to carefully adjust coffee roasters, and to increase the life of older incandescent Christmas lighting. And, of course, for radio restoration, it allows an older radio to be powered-up gently and at reduced voltage.

Retro Radio: Antique Radio Classics and the People Who Love Them

By Richard Fisher KI6SN

The dulcet tones of Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, The Andrews Sisters and Etta James no longer float through the air from the more than 2,500 radios consuming Barry Dagestino’s three-car garage and a nearby 1,000 square foot storage unit. The singers may be gone, but many of the radios that brought their voices to bygone generations are very much alive today—dusted off, rewired, restored and glowing from side tables and mantel pieces around the world. This first of the two-part TSM “Retro” series on Antique and Vintage Radio opens a window on broadcast band and shortwave receiver collectors, calling on the advice of experts to tell us how to get started in this fascinating niche of hobbyist communications.

Cutting the Cord: Part 1

By Mike Kohl

Much has been written in the mainstream press during the past several years about the subject of cord-cutting, which is the act of dropping cable-TV and other subscription services for less costly and sometimes totally free alternatives. This article is a primer on the options now available to most consumers, with future articles going into how-to details that will attempt to compare those options so that one can form an opinion about how to save money on home entertainment delivery.

Digitally Speaking

By Cory GB Sickles WA3UVV

P-25 Networking: Staying Digital

Scanning America

By Dan Veenaman

Scanning the Mall of America and DFW Airport

Federal Wavelengths

By Chris Parris

Year End Wrap Up; Reader’s Submissions

Utility Planet

By Hugh Stegman NV6H

Big Month for Russian Military Monitoring

Radio Intrigue

By Don Schimmel

Old FAPSI Intercepts

Digital HF: Intercept and Analyze

By Mike Chace-Ortiz AB1TZ/G6DHU