Electronics-Themed Comics
December 1949 Radio & Television News Article

December 1949 Radio & TV News

[Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio & Television News, published 1919-1959. All copyrights hereby acknowledged.

Comics in modern magazines are a rather rare phenomenon for some reason, but they were fairly regular features up until a couple decades ago. This set of electronics-themed comics is from the December 1949 edition of Radio & Television News. The first one would probably not make sense to someone not familiar with the extents to which some radio operators go to deploy antennas. During field day events and other mobile scenarios, Hams have been using kites and balloons (see More on Balloon-Supported Antennas) to create 1/4-, 1/2-, or even full-wave vertical antennas with wires run along the tether line, a la Benjamin Franklin. When a kite is used, because of the wind carrying the kite away from the ground point, it is impossible to get the antenna vertical unless the line is really long and the antenna wire is located on the most vertical section of the line's catenary shape. The slanted antenna creates a radiation pattern that is directed upward on the windward side and downward on the leeward side. Under low or no wind conditions, a balloon has a better chance of enabling a near-vertical antenna.

Electronics-Themed Comics

"At a time like This - You Fly A Kite!" (Page 119)

"Remember in 1943 - you couldn't get a 35Z5?" (Page 131)

"What do you mean lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place?" (Page 150)

Posted March 6, 2017