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The Knight Kit Wireless Broadcaster
How many hams - - phone operators especially -- got their start with a Knight Kit Wireless Broadcaster? Who could resist the siren song of those ads in the Knight Kit section of the Allied Radio catalog with the promise of "transmitting your voice through any AM radio"? Maybe not too far away or with the greatest fidelity, but it was a real radio transmitter! Some may not know th... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 12/23/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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It all starts with the Microphone
One of the most asked questions is, “What kind of microphone should I use? ”It all seems very confusing: Dynamic, Condenser, Ribbon, Electret, Large Diaphragm,Cardioid, Omni—so many technical words! Think of a microphone as a “backward”speaker: a microphone hears sound and transfers it into electricity. A speaker seeselectricity and transfers it into sound. The tec... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 12/19/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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Bicycle Mobile - the hard way!
Paul (WA6CJC) and Ed Heyman (WA6EOA) were ham buddies who met at Alexander Hamilton High School on the west side of Los Angeles in the 1950s. They got the idea to do something interesting and unique involving radio and lamented the fact that they weren't old enough to drive and didn't have a car to go mobile in. Then inspiration struck - the had bicycles and they had a ... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 11/17/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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The Patented Waters Phone Patch
Phone patches were a common activity on the ham bands for many years. Although it was not difficult to homebrew a patch, many hams bought commercial units, often in kit form from Heathkit but assembled phone patches were also sold by Gonset, WRL, EF Johnson/NYE Viking, and were incorporated into nearly every multifunction station console from Collins, Drake, Heathkit, Galaxy an... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 09/30/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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Who invented controlled carrier modulation?
As is often the case, this article by I. A. Mitchell caught my eye as I was looking at a 1935 copy of RADIO magazine for a different reason. What's this - controlled carrier modulation in the 30s? Mr. Mitchell is credited with having developed the first "workable solution" that "involves no important compromises" - of a way to cut down the carrier input during peri... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 04/09/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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73 Magazine Tests the Twoer
How good could a complete portable VHF station for $45 be? With Novices and Technicians enjoying 2 meter privileges in 1961 it was a good question for 73 magazine Associate Editor W3UZN to answer. Two meter FM may have run its course but AM operation on 2 meters using vintage equipment can be a lot of fun - who's been talking around town on a Benton Harbor Lunchbox?Download... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 03/28/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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AM Nets
Here is a list of AM Nets from various internet sources. Times and frequencies do change and nets themselves come and go, so consider this a guide. Corrections would be appreciated to keep this list up to date.AM NetsDX-60 Net• Sun 8:00 AM Eastern 3.880 MHzMighty Elmac Net • Wed 8:00 PM EST 3.880 MHz • Wed 5:00 PM EDT 3.880 MHzAM Noon... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 03/19/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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Fessenden: World’s First Broadcaster?
You may have read that 2006 marked the 100th anniversary of the first broadcast of speech and music. If we believe the Internet and history books, it happened something like the events described in the previous article on this site.But is the story true? Sharing his research into the question in Radio World magazine, James O'Neal (K4XAR) leaves it to the reader to decide - and he acknowledges t... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 03/03/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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Elmac Mods
The various Multi Elmac Rigs have been the subject of various modifications. Whether to include them or not is obviously up to the owner, we just include some here as a reference.One common problem is the failure of the modulator interstage coupling transformer. Fortunately a brand-new replacement is available at low-cost, search for sellers of Hammond P-T156, “Equivalent to Stancor ... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 03/01/2022 |
Fone Forum |
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Reginald Fessenden: Father of AM Radio
Reginald Fessenden was born on Oct. 6, 1866, in what is now Québec. The son of an Anglican minister, he studied at Trinity College School and later at Bishop’s College in Lennoxville, Quebec. Starting as a teacher, he rose to the position of principal of the Whitney Institute, a newly formed school in Bermuda. It was there that he met his wife, Helen Trott, and became interested in ... READ MORE |
![]() W9RAN 02/14/2022 |
Fone Forum |