Highway Patrol TV Show: "Radioactive"
Videos for Engineers

QST reader Dave Berman, WA2PAY, wrote in the March 2020 issue's "Letters from Our Members" column about an episode (S1E8) of the old "Highway Patrol" television show entitled, "Radioactive," wherein the ARRL (American Radio Relay League" is mentioned and Ham radio operator Pat Conway plays a lead role in the show. Broderick Crawford stars as head highway patrolman Dan Mathews. I did some screen shots of Mel's shack showing the massive transmitter cabinet and the receiving station desk. On a table across the room is a Precision Apparatus Co. E-200-C Signal Generator (identified by a commenter). Do you recognize any of the other equipment?

According to the IMDB website storyline:

"Sneak thief Herb Williams steals an oil indicating device containing highly radioactive beryllium pellets and jettisons it in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid capture. A scavenger named Adams finds the device and sells it to a junkyard where Mel (a ham radio operator) buys it for parts. Dan Mathews and the device's handler, Mr. Hoyt, remain a frustrating few steps behind the device despite reluctant assistance from Williams and Adams. Dan asks the American Radio Relay League to warn area radio operators about the device on its evening broadcast. The League does so, but Mel's pregnant wife Ann opens the device and is exposed to the pellets. Dan, Mel, and Mr. Hoyt have only seconds to prevent a tragedy. "

Note on the chalkboard that the nuclear scientist has beryllium misspelled as "berilium," unless he happens to be an Indonesian, in which case it's OK. In the opening scene he say that exposure to the pellets for only a few seconds could be fatal, yet at the end he assures everyone that they are virtually harmless. It's time for the professor to retire.

You can view the Highway Patrol episode in the video below, at least as long as it is still available. These videos have a way of disappearing after the copyright owner forces them to be pulled. Not to worry though since someone else eventually posts a copy.

*Highway Patrol TV Show "Radioactive" (Season 4, Episode 99)

Here are a couple other shows I have mentioned: Highway Patrol TV Show: "Radioactive," Hazel TV Show: "Stop Rockin' Our Reception," Ham Radio on TV, in Movies, & Documentaries

Posted February 21, 2020