Does anyone else remember when Radio Shack used to sell radios and radio parts to repair them or build your own?
@A3Kr0n3 жыл бұрын
I remember that and going there with my dad to test TV tubes.
@pnkflyd663 жыл бұрын
That’s when MTV played videos
@MrBOB393 жыл бұрын
Though RadioShack was Often known as RatShack.. If you were friendly with them. You often could get free or near free equipment.. I used 4 RadioShack's for just that reason
@patricksaxon39833 жыл бұрын
Yes, I had built many kits from that store, and my very favorite is the Realistic 65 in one, where you had spring loaded to connect the wires to the electronic component.
@robertphillips62963 жыл бұрын
@@patricksaxon3983 I had that one also.
@A3Kr0n3 жыл бұрын
I like the sign at 00:55 that says "Danger! 99,000 Ohms"
@williamfulgham20102 ай бұрын
As an old timer and broadcast engineer from the 1960s to today, designing and building18 full powered FM and AM stations, I'm glad to see you guys keeping the museum. I would like to make one request. Has anyone there in the museum contacted the Lynchburg Virginia Museum, to get documented info concerning Dr. ( Dentist ) Mahlon Loomis, who demonstrated the first known wireless in the mid 1800s, from 2 mountaintop locations 14 miles apart, before Marconi was even born? Loomis held several patents including the one covering the wireless. He had a working relationship with the US Navy and they were working out details to advance the designs, but then a big depression hit and everyone forgot about it. Dr.Loomis died broke at his brother's residence, but he made a closing statement that can still be read in that museum, where he predicts the advancement of wireless communication far into the future. He predicted what Marconi and professor Hertz proved to be possible. Bill K5EYS
@glennsage28814 жыл бұрын
After a few minutes watching your fine video, I realized I was grinning ear-2-ear seeing many old electronic and mechanical friends, and thinking about all the fine innovators who built them. It was very pleasing to see the obvious hard work and caring of the museum staff and members. I would be happy to lose track of time there some day!
@K7AGE4 жыл бұрын
It is a great place, enjoy
@wayneparris34393 жыл бұрын
The Stromberg Carlson at 16:30 is a one year only manufacture, 1956. As to the question of "how would you like to own one?" I do and it is a nice radio indeed!
@jimdevilbiss91253 жыл бұрын
I have two Zenith world radios but this one is beautiful.
@everydaypatriot10835 жыл бұрын
I love seeing the old vintage equipment. Thanks for sharing.
@jasonwalding94023 жыл бұрын
If I had money, I would go to this museum. Thank you for making it.
@normjacques68534 жыл бұрын
Simply wonderful!! I can actually remember working on some of the equipment, back in the late '60s - early '70s. The Navy hung onto a lot of that old Collins stuff, and we got to keep it alive and useful! Another spot that i have to visit....and this one is actually near enough to get to!! :-) 73 KC1MGW
@freestonew3 жыл бұрын
there must be over a thousand museums all around the countryside. Many are little known, often maybe a one-room museum in a house. Why my little home town of Interlaken, by, has an old farm tool museum. I lived there in the 90s when They just opened it. Who knows today how to use a scythe?! If the end times ever come, the survivors might find such museums very useful.
@lomgshorts32 жыл бұрын
I was a member of the AWA and worked in the museum when it was in town in the 70's I was a friend of Bruce Kelly W2ICE and several others I do not remember. I am old now, 67 years but this museum got me going to get my Novice license in 1978. I think I was 18 then, just beginning to get out on my own. Radio, not TV was fascinating to me back then. I used to stay up and listen to Larry Glick on WBZ Boston, what a wacky character. I also knew Jack Slattery from 1977 on WHAM in Rochester NY then. "World's Tallest Midget" he styled himself. I used to listen to WHAM on my crystal radio - no batteries. My friends would say "where are you hiding the batteries"? I would pick up the board when they were listening to show them that here were no batteries at all. Great days, those were!
@Kritiker313 Жыл бұрын
I love this stuff, old and new! I think I could live there in the radio museum, never getting tired of the wonder and nostalgia. While I appreciate and marvel at the tiny (SMD) components in today's radio gear, I miss the old through-hole components because they were big enough for me to build with. It's a good thing those spark gap transmitters didn't coincide with the era of modern television. Thanks for the tour. I'm looking forward to a return, in-person visit to the museum in 2023!
@flyingdutchman283 жыл бұрын
Thank you. I just dived into a 20 minute rabbit hole researching spark gap radio transmission technology. I did not know this is how we started transmitting radio waves. Fascinating subject. I plan to visit the museum as soon as it is practical and possible. Hope they stay alive through COVID.
@K7AGE3 жыл бұрын
Learn new things
@n3bruce3 жыл бұрын
If you haven't already, you should visit the National Electronics Museum in Linthicum, MD which is close to BWI airport. A lot of the exhibits focus on the development of Radar as the museum is focused on Military electronics. Many years ago I got a chance to visit it with my Ham Radio Club, but it is currently closed due to Covid.
@K7AGE3 жыл бұрын
I have worked those guys on the air. Got the cards. Probably never get there. I have been to the NSA museum.
@n3bruce3 жыл бұрын
I will have to get down there . 73 de Bruce N3LSY
@johnsanborn73392 жыл бұрын
I am just fascinated with this old equipment, I could spend hours if not days in a place like that just looking in awe of how they were made and used.
@mikesharp40333 жыл бұрын
Thank you this is fascinating. My uncle was one of the early marine radio operators on the White Star Line. The equipment in his basement, recovered after up-grading, stimulated my interest. At 13 I designed and built my first H.F. receiver. Thereafter, travelling Europe and Africa working. It was the finest career.
@albertschreuder76485 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for the video. Great to see these historic equipment being preserved, 73
@bairdswestciv95422 жыл бұрын
At 4:24, your "WWI Field Station" is actually an interwar/early WWII SCR-178 radio. Designed in the early 30's, it was built until 1942 but used almost exclusively for training since by 42, the Army had the better SCR-284.
@K7AGE Жыл бұрын
Thanks
@DonaldDrennan3 жыл бұрын
My dad, W2EBF, donated his old Ham radios to this museum. He had a radio from a WWII bomber that was new and still in the original packaging that we donated. I'd be interested to see that.
@jgaffney62 жыл бұрын
The Hallicraft was my go to radio and watching the tubes glow while listening to Radio Moscow and BBC in the fifties Thank You really enjoyed Jim K4YNA
@mikeklemens89705 жыл бұрын
It is amazing how far radio and communication had come. Now we have a pi-zero that weighs a few ounces and can communicate from local to around the world........................ Mike N6IMY
@af4od024 жыл бұрын
I’m going to visit the museum one day.
@simplywonderful4493 жыл бұрын
Years ago, my uncle built a wire recorder during WWII, and had it into the 60's when I was a young boy. It was fascinating to see and was actually quite a good machine with high-quality audio. Another uncle worked for Teletype in Skokie, IL, back in the day, assembling these machines. Notice that the speaker grills in that console around 15:00 have "Realistic" - Radio Shack's brand - on them!
@robertjonasson25273 жыл бұрын
Hello from Bob Jonasson WB6JRY.I am a retired television engineer.I worked at KSBW-TV in Salinas,California from 12-9-1968 until 5-2-2019.Television technology changed tremendously during my tenure there...from film,slides and video tape to digital server...Harris automation talking to Nexio server!
@craigmonteforte14784 жыл бұрын
very awesome tour and narration its neat that not only does the mueseum have so much restored but its working as well ive been a boater my entire life so i was very interested in the Marine radios and the related displays i also found it interesting that you had personal knowledge and relationships with some of the staff and personel
@K7AGE4 жыл бұрын
It is a great place
@crankyoldcoot72125 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much for this Randy, Great video and a great museum. Well done all those involved.
@Shastasays4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the tour. We used teletypes until the very early 90's at the Chicago Police Dept. Brought back some fond memories. Thank you.
@jeffreyyoung41043 жыл бұрын
I love the radios you have! I have a few in working order, and a few that need work. Once I get them working, you may hear them on the air!
@egbertgroot27373 жыл бұрын
Wow ... what a great collection! Great trip back to the good old times. Thanks for sharing
@andrewmcfarland572 жыл бұрын
I vote the rotary spark transmitters as the coolest item in truly awesome collection. 🙂
@TheGuitologist3 жыл бұрын
Amazing place.
@JR-lx8nn2 жыл бұрын
Sweet - nicely done video tour. Now I gotta plan a trip and see it, myself !! JR
@craign8ca3 жыл бұрын
Video brought back so many memories. My first receiver was a BC-348, then a Drake 2C when I was a novice. I've either owned or used much of the ham gear shown. Thanks, N8CA.
@PKPorthcurno4 жыл бұрын
Loving the sparks.
@PhG19613 жыл бұрын
Waw, so much beautifull things ! I had a collection myself, which I donated to a local radio museum. It's nice to see that people take care of this kind of heritage.
@SlyPearTree3 жыл бұрын
Very interesting, thanks for recording that and putting putting it on KZbin. Is there more information about that Bell Labs transistor radio and what were the bottles at 17:00?
@alphabeets3 жыл бұрын
It’s really great that they have so many of those devices still working. I need to get out there and visit that place.
@lesallison90473 жыл бұрын
Great video, thanks for showing us around.👍🇬🇧
@No7Dumb3 жыл бұрын
You know I almost blew past this but then I realised how important it is the people like you do content like this so I thought I would stop come back and show my support
@vvdvlas83972 жыл бұрын
Чудовий Музей! Wonderful Museum!
@francoisayella60094 ай бұрын
Magnifique merci pour la visite 😊 73 a vous
@user2C473 жыл бұрын
Fun fact: Intentionally misadjusted regenerative receivers were used in early IFF systems.
@XE1GXG3 жыл бұрын
I used to decode CW with a regen and heterodyning with a second RX
@ericpullen5243 жыл бұрын
I have a 1919 S19 Edison Diamond Disc player that has been passed down in my family. Its a prized possession of mine.
@josephconsoli41284 жыл бұрын
Nice vid. There's some seriously valuable sets there. The 1936 RR series RCA mirror-in-the-lid TV and the Zenith Z1000 were my top picks. RARE!
@duanetrivett7502 жыл бұрын
I really enjoyed your video , i hope to see it in person some day . Thanks a lot !
@Nightcloudmama3 жыл бұрын
I used to live in Bloomfield and never knew about this place! Jeeze Louise!
@N6QW2 жыл бұрын
I would love to own that 1KW rotary Spark Gap Transmitter. A perfect fix for a neighbor problem I have. He plays his Boom Box way too loud! A bit of Spark RF should fix the problem. Great video and a trip down memory lane. Fun to see some of the rigs I have owned way back when, 73's Pete N6QW
@nickg3yqg3 жыл бұрын
Fantastic collection congratulations
@jptucsonaz85035 жыл бұрын
Fantastic! Thanks Randy! One thing, I don't envy their electric bill!
@RadioHamGuy5 жыл бұрын
That was great Randy, thanks. Next best thing to being there, I bet you had a great time there!
@Dallas888883 жыл бұрын
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!! Thank you so much for sharing!
@lazyfox19545 жыл бұрын
Thanks Randy. I visited the museum several years ago, just before they moved to the new location. It's a great improvement over the old place. Shlomo 4X4LF
@billvet63 жыл бұрын
Well done Randy!
@clarkturner74845 жыл бұрын
Randy, Thanks for the video. If you have the opportunity visit the Marconi Site and Info Age museum. Also in NJ. My Uncle used to volunteer at the museum. I really enjoyed my visit. You can even stop by and see what is left of the original Marconi towers.
@MrBOB393 жыл бұрын
You know.. Marconi did NOT invent radio.. He intruded upon another's patents.. ( remember whose ? )
@chris_hayes5 жыл бұрын
Hi Randy, Brilliant film, would love to see some more in depth videos from the museum if you revisit. Thank you so much, I now want to own a teletype! Best regards 2e0xch.
@K7AGE5 жыл бұрын
I don't if or when I'll ever get back there.
@Flyboy7375 жыл бұрын
Great Video Randy! I remember seeing Bruce Kelly with his AWA display at the annual Rochester NY Hamfest when it was at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. Vince NY5AR ex WB2FYZ
@ShiftingDrifter3 жыл бұрын
Ohhh all those Collins KWM-2s! Wish I had a dollar for every hour I worked on one! I was in an Air Force mobile FACP and we were still using them in the 80s - which was a major chore because they were designed for fixed installs and not for mobile combat comm bouncing around in the field, so lots of maintenance hours went into them. Still we kept them working.
@ojjenkins71103 жыл бұрын
Thanks Randy. I wish you had more time there.
@JFG953 жыл бұрын
K7AGE; Thanks for the tour, it brought back some good memories seeing the vast depth of equipment they have acquired. 73 de N4UJU.
@reginaldb.campbelljr.24923 жыл бұрын
Thank you for the history of the cell phone tour
@maryrafuse38513 жыл бұрын
The transmitter looks like it is from a Lancaster Bomber. I don't know if the same rig was used with the Halifax Bombers. A very good collection well worth visiting. Reverend Peter Rafuse, Sydney Nova Scotia.
@tsbrownie Жыл бұрын
My brother has a Zenith very similar to the Stratosphere, but the lower cabinet bows out and not in.
@HAMRADIOJOE41785 жыл бұрын
VERY COOL RANDY, THANKS
@hokep613 жыл бұрын
Wow! CQ on a rotary sparkgap. Didn't think I would ever hear that.
@DanielGlover2 жыл бұрын
Nice video Randy. Had the lot on. shows the place without it being to long!. So much stuff given. A popular place to donate things. In 80 years the stuff we bought today will be like this. People say "What some old big looking stuff, anologue things", Not by then :) All I have got is a Yaesu Handheld, new. (4 weeks) and some cheap chinese thing in the car 4 years. SDR dongle in computer to outside Diamond antenna as well
@gladeamatoren71063 жыл бұрын
100 year old tech, and I simply cannot wrap my head around it..
@alexkalish82882 жыл бұрын
I will make the trip this year - what a collection ! 73's w5yb
@mike958265 жыл бұрын
Another museum you may want to check out is the National Electronics Museum near the Baltimore Airport.
@K7AGE5 жыл бұрын
I have worked their ham station. I have been to the NSA museum near there.
@hemi350hp5 жыл бұрын
Outstanding video, so well done. It was a pleasure to host your visit.
@RobertJacobson3 жыл бұрын
Super cool. I would love to come and visit someday.
@temporarilyoffline2 жыл бұрын
This is great Randy, thanks for sharing!
@K7AGE2 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@TheTheo583 жыл бұрын
Great video so much history to see, from the early days and how technology evolved over the years. I remember several of the Heathkit test gear shown.
@RapperBC3 жыл бұрын
Seeing that Titanic radio room reconstruction was really something. The fact that the Titanic Marconi operator could actually *select frequencies*, even crudely, is a bit astounding to me. I had no idea there was anything approaching that sort of technology at the time. I suppose that truly was "bleeding-edge" in 1912. Regarding that disaster, it occurs to me that a completely factual headline of the time could have read: "Over 700 Survivors Saved by Wireless in Titanic Disaster", as the Carpathia did in fact receive the distress call, but was two hours away. Even so, without the wireless, the survivors of the sinking would likely have succumbed quickly to the elements, stranded in the middle of the icy Atlantic.
@RonJohn633 жыл бұрын
21:26 I remember tube testers. They disappeared in the early 1980s.
@RussMcClay3 жыл бұрын
Amazing tour. Thanks K7AGE.
@Bulletguy073 жыл бұрын
3:49 $13 ebay bargain......just goes to show the stuff that ends up on there. One mans junk is another mans gem! As a teenager of the 60's my parents bought me a transistor radio for my 14th birthday. A Fidelity Comet. Made mostly of plastic apart from a thin aluminum speaker grille, it had four bands MW/LW/SW and a BS on Radio Luxembourg. The volume and tuning knobs were also plastic finished in chrome.....very 60's! I loved that radio but after I got married it just disappeared. Years went by and I often thought of that little radio. I spent many years scouring junk shops all to no avail. Then I put in a permanent search for one on ebay. More years went by until one day.....bingo! One appeared. I HAD to have it no matter what. It was advertised as working and in good condition so I put a crazy proxy bid on it but nobody else bid so I got it for the asking price £20 ($27.70). The seller lived less than one mile form me and when I went to collect it I was staggered........it was brand new still in the original manufacturers box with shop price tags!
@bullicamper46455 жыл бұрын
Thats a nice collection!
@hankfacer70983 жыл бұрын
What an amazing tour, thank you. from Australia
@johnwest79932 жыл бұрын
I expected to see some of my station gear there, gear I bought, and kits I've built over the last 60 years. I did, about 5 pieces of gear I still use. I figure if it works it belongs on the air, not in a museum.
@RapperBC3 жыл бұрын
Ahhh, so that's how wireless telegraph tone transmission started: sychronous motors pulsing the arcs to save carbon rod wear. AHA!!
@raymiles6913 жыл бұрын
Thanks for spitting this out🤗
@K-Effect2 жыл бұрын
The somewhat annoying door chime sound in the background reminds me of going to a RadioShack store back in the day when you walk in/out of the store
@jimdevilbiss91253 жыл бұрын
When we are permitted to travel I definitely have to go visit. Most of the old ham equipment I have used or owned.Even down to the Gooney box mine was for 6 m. I didn’t see a national 300 or 303 which I had. WA3FUJ
@HD71003 жыл бұрын
Fascinating! Thanks for sharing. Gary W9TOF.
@firewalker13723 жыл бұрын
When I started in the fire service we used VHF radios. Once Motorola came in and narrow banded everything. It got to the point you couldn’t even talk on the radio way out in the county. The paid Dept. I am on, we went from VHF to a digital 800 system last year. It’s amazing how clear those radios come in. Only downfall. The hand held’s would run you around 4 to 5 grand. Get the shoulder mic with the bigger battery it’s even more plus you have to pay a yearly subscription. I couldn’t go back to a VHF system, love the digital and they don’t use repeaters so that’s another upside to the system.
@_The_Worst_3 жыл бұрын
Very, very fascinating, and soooooo awesome...👍🏼💯✔
@rfmonkey49423 жыл бұрын
very nice indeed, regards from VK3
@PE1JAS3 жыл бұрын
Incredible! What a collection.... Thanks for sharing! The military aircraft radios are nice! 73 PE1JAS
@Steve-GM0HUU3 жыл бұрын
The British set with the multicoloured knobs is a Marconi T1154. This type was used in Avro Lancasters and other larger aircraft during and after WW2.
@reginaldb.campbelljr.24923 жыл бұрын
Yeah I grew up and Hall of New York in the projects called the programs and New York and had a friend whose mother had one of them big screens in front of the TVs then where the good old days
@greggaieck48082 жыл бұрын
K7ag me and my cousin are going to a Swap meet in September 11 Sunday morning at 8 am in Milwaukee 2022
@Steve-GM0HUU3 жыл бұрын
👍Great video. Thank you. I really would like to visit the museum. Brilliant that some of the exhibits are working and the condition of the equipment looks amazing. BTW, some of those "museum" rigs are still in use in my shack - not the spark gaps though. 😀
@heru-deshet3594 жыл бұрын
I have a table top version of the Zenith console radio.
@Old_Foxy_Grandpa2 жыл бұрын
Gosh, how do I feel? All my ham gear is displayed in that museum. Maybe they should stuff and mount me because I'm an antique that belongs in a museum. How about a Benton Harbor lunch box. I'll bet they have one of those.
@Elfnetdesigns3 жыл бұрын
Just think, people used to build their own radios like people build their own computers now.
@wb8yjf3 жыл бұрын
I saw the iRL FSK-1000, but didn't see a FSK-500 terminal unit. I worked for iRL in the 70's and most likely built the FSK-1000 (I was their only employee). Let me know if you want a FSK-500 to add to the collection. I'll be glad to donate it. 73 WB8YJF
@glynnhm0lsg3085 жыл бұрын
Great video thanks for sharing it randy
@badbanano3 жыл бұрын
Have you ever seen a Mercury Arc rectifier tube? Quite the wonder ours oddity. Some still function in the bunkers under London.
@EdEditz3 жыл бұрын
What a cool museum! I would happily live there :)
@lads.77153 жыл бұрын
Those old Victrola gramophones can be ridiculously loud! Hard to believe it's strictly coming from a needle, disk and a funnel - no electronics involved.
@Geoduck.2 жыл бұрын
That was fascinating thanks for sharing K7AGE.
@LoneWolfZ3 жыл бұрын
Why does that place have to be on the wrong side of the US?