Bill Orrs' Books

[Jim Bowman]

I have a 1936 edition of the Radio Handbook for amateurs and
Experimenters by Frank C. Jones, published by Pacific Radio Publishing
Co, Inc., San Francisco, CA. (Sorry, not for sale) According to the
introduction, 1935 was the first publication of the "Radio" Handbook, by
the publishers of the monthly magazine "Radio", the international
technical authority for amateur radio. The 1935 work was printed in a
comparatively small edition in order to determine the requirements of
the amateur and attention was given primarily to the practical side of
high-frequency communication.

It goes on to say that the technology is advancing so rapidly that
sometimes theory and real life don't always work out the same, so Jones,
who developed most of the new equipment presented in this second
publication built and tested the equipment in the lab and on the air.

The catalog section of these old books are fun to look at. Some names
are still around, and some are long gone. Here are some familiar ones.
RCA is advertising it's deForest line of tubes. Some "firsts": RCA 800 -
first high-power, high-frequency amateur tube. RCA 801 - a real
transmitting tube to replace the Type 10. RCA 802 - a transmitting
pentode with many amateur applications. RCA 803 - a high - power
transmitting pentode. (Hey, I have a couple of these sitting around - I
didn't know they went back this far!) They are also showing their 954
and 955 Acorn tubes for UHF (Hey, I have some of these, too). They are
proud of their amateur receiver, the RCA ACR-136, an outstanding value
at $69.50. They also will sell you a AR-60 for only $495!! Big bucks
back then! =:(

BUD Radio is there with coil forms, variable caps, RF chokes and
sockets. EIMAC presents their QRO tubes, the 50T thru the 500T. RME
sells the RME-69 Single-Signal-Super. Cardwell condensers (I still like
the word). Cornell-Dubilier oil, paper, mica and electrolytic
condensers. McMurdo Silver Corporation shows their line of receivers,
including the Jones-Silver "Super Gainer" three-tube superhet, selling
for $23.40 wired and tested. Allied Radio is there with "Progressive
X'Mitter Kits" designed around the Jones Harmonic Exciter. (Sounds like
Frank Jones had his hand in the commercial market.) Utah transformers,
the Hammarlund "Super-Pro", UTC transformers, Brush microphones,
Raytheon RK series tubes. Trimm headsets, Ohmite resistors and a
bandswitch, Triplett meters, Thordarson transformers. Hallicrafters
calls the "Super Skyrider" the leading short wave receiver. Fun stuff.

Sorry for the long sentimental journey. Anyway, hopefully this will add
a little to the Radio Handbook history.

Jim W7HPK



Jim & Karen wrote:
>
> Hello Orrin and others.  I don't have the complete story on The Radio
> Handbook but here is the info from my collection.  Still looking for
> something before 1939.  Jim
>
>                          THE RADIO HANDBOOK
>         AUTHOR(s)          PUBLISHER    YR and EDITION
>       Smith, Jones +     Radio, LTD     1939 6th ed
>       Smith, Dawley +    Editors & Eng. 1941 8th ed
>       Smith,Dawley,Jones       "        1942 9th ed
>       Dawley                   "        1947 11th ed
>       Orr                      "        1959 15th ed
>         "                      "        1967 17th ed
>         "                      "        1970 18th ed
>         "                      "        1978 20th ed
>         "                 SAMS          1981 22ND ed
>         "                   "           1987 23RD ed
>
> Radio, LTD was the publishers of Radio Magazine which became Editors and
> Engineers as far as I can tell.

-----------------------------------------------------------
This list is a public service of the City of Tempe, Arizona
-----------------------------------------------------------

Subscription control - http://www.tempe.gov/lists/control.asp?list=BOATANCHORS
To post - BOATANCHORS at LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV
Archives - http://interactive.tempe.gov/archives/BOATANCHORS.html