July 1959 Popular Electronics
Table
of Contents
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles
from
Popular Electronics,
published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.
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John Frye, as it turns out,
was way ahead of his time. Many of the somewhat zany electronics devices his fictitious
teenage experimenters cum hobbyists cum scientists cum Ham radio operators cum amateur
sleuths Carl and Jerry came up with have turned out to be products available and
popular in today's consumer marketplace. This episode from the July 1959 issue of
Popular Electronics magazine can be regarded as an early developmental
version of a wearable calorie burner facilitation device. Jerry's "Blubber Burner"
sports an un-politically-correct name and uses that element now considered to be
the devil in liquid metal form (mercury), but it managed to get the job done.
FitBit bands do not go so
far as to zap you with a jolt of electric charge to get you moving if you are idle
for too long, but the concept of reminding the wearer to exercise is not so far
in principle from the Blubber Burner. Their friend Norm invented another use for
it - the first recorded use of a
taser.
Carl & Jerry: The Blubber Banisher
By John T Frye, W9EGV
"Say, what's the matter with you? You got ants
or something?" Carl demanded of his chum Jerry. "Every few minutes you glance at
your watch and then get up and pace around the lab. This can't be old hate-to-make-an-unnecessary-move
Jerry. Am I keeping you from something?"
"Oh, no!" Jerry said quickly. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm just restless."
He sat down gingerly on the worn leather couch in the boys' basement laboratory,
and there was a moment of deep silence.
"Hey, what's that ticking sound?" Carl suddenly demanded. "Sounds like it's coming
from you."
"Okay, okay! It is coming from me," Jerry shouted in exasperation. "If you must
know, it's my new Blubber Banisher."
Carl's look of complete bafflement was answered
by Jerry's pulling up a pants leg to reveal a small glass tube with a bead of mercury
in it strapped to his pudgy leg above the knee. Two wires from the device vanished
up his thigh.
"I've decided I'm a trifle overweight and should take off a few pounds," he explained.
"There're just two ways to do this: eat less or burn up more energy. Dieting isn't
my dish; but I've noticed that nervous people who tap their fingers, shuffle their
feet, and are constantly hopping up and down seldom become fat. So-o-o-o, I cooked
up this little device to see to it that I move around nervously."
"I don't get it," Carl said flatly.
"This thing is the guts of an automobile clock," he said, taking a gadget out
of his hip pocket. "Such a clock has a short mainspring that is rewound every few
minutes by the closing of a set of contacts that actuate a solenoid. In this case
the solenoid is operated from five penlight cells connected in series. I have the
clock arranged so the contacts are closed by the unwinding spring every ten minutes.
"Now this little glass tube taped to my leg is a mercury switch. As you can see,
when I stand up, like so, the glob of mercury rolls against the contacts in the
end of the tube and shorts them out; but if I sit or lie down, the mercury rolls
to the other end of the tube and leaves the contacts open. The primary winding of
this model airplane ignition coil is connected across the mercury switch contacts.
The coil's 'hot' lead is taped against my skin.
"The batteries, the solenoid, the mercury switch, and the rewinding contact points
of the clock are all connected in series. If I'm standing when the contact points
close, the solenoid simply rewinds the spring. No current flows through the primary
of the ignition coil that's shorted out by the mercury switch. But if I happen to
be caught sitting or lying down when these contact points close, the current to
the solenoid flows through the ignition coil primary and produces a high voltage
in the secondary. I get a sharp shock when the contacts close and another when they
open. After you're stung with that a couple of times, you make very sure you're
on your feet well before the time the contacts should close. As soon as I've checked
the thing out, I'll patent it and get filthy rich taking pounds off women."
"That will be the day!" Carl jeered to conceal his envy of Jerry's Rube Goldberg
ingenuity. "I'd like to see you get a woman to wear that thing."
"I see you don't know much about women," Jerry said loftily. "They will undergo
any torture or suffer any indignity if they're convinced it will make them more
attractive eventually."
"Okay, Mr. Know-All-About-Women!
Let's see you prove it. I noticed Norma taking a sunbath out in her backyard
when I came down here. Let's see you get her to wear your contraption."
Jerry hesitated a moment. "That's hardly
fair. You know as well as I that Norma doesn't have an ounce that isn't right where
it belongs; but I'm game to try. Let's go."
Sure enough, their young neighbor, Norma, looking very trim and lovely, was stretched
out in her swim suit on a blanket in the back yard. She glanced up lazily through
her dark glasses as the boys came through the hedge and waved a languid welcome
to them.
"Don't move!" Jerry said in hushed tones as he stopped short. "Just let me stand
here and drink in your loveliness. I want to remember you always just as you are
at this moment!"
Norma rolled over, sat up, and whipped off her sun glasses as she looked suspiciously
at her two youthful neighbors. "I don't like this," she muttered dubiously. "You
sound like you've been smooching with the Blarney Stone."
"I never kiss anything that can't kiss back," Jerry retorted with what was intended
to be a leer but which came out more like an engaging grin. "Say, Pal, Carl and
I are going up to the lake with the folks Sunday. How'd you like to come along and
have us teach you to water-ski as we promised you we would last winter?"
"You mean it?" Norma said excitedly.
"You've got yourself a date! I'm just dying to learn to ski. On top of that,
I need the exercise. While I'm afraid to get on the scales, I just know I put on
three or four nasty old pounds last winter."
Carl and Jerry exchanged glances. "Well! Isn't that a coincidence," Jerry exclaimed.
"You're a very lucky girl. You shall be the very first one to benefit from our B-B
- our Secret Slenderizer!"
"Oh, oh! Me and my big mouth!" Norma groaned as she sloshed suntan lotion on her
arms. "What have you two Marconi moppets dreamed up now?"
Jerry pulled up his pants leg and gave a simplified explanation of the workings
of the Blubber Banisher.
"You mean you think I'm going to cart around that pint-sized Big Ben?" Norma
asked. "I'll become a big fat slob first!"
"We just want you to wear it tomorrow and give us your reaction," Jerry wheedled.
"You said yourself you wanted to lose weight, and I'm sure this will do it."
"Sounds more like it would give me a nervous breakdown," Norma retorted.
"Okay; it's your life," Jerry said with a shrug; "but Carl and I have always
been so proud of your appearance. When and if we take you skiing, we'll really be
sad to see our former streamlined neighbor looking so pudgy and-"
"Okay, you brute; I know when I'm being blackmailed," Norma said through clenched
teeth. "I'll try out your gadget."
The next night Carl and Jerry were already seated in the moonlight on Norma's
front step when they heard her high heels clicking smartly along the sidewalk; she
greeted them cordially and sat down between them.
"Well," Jerry asked anxiously, "does it work?"
"Does it ever!" Norma said with an irrepressible
giggle. "It's the best wolf-repellent I've found yet."
"Did you say wolf-repellant?" Carl asked. "Check; but let me take it from the
top.
This was a very busy day at the office; so I had no trouble at all keeping your
little monster from shocking me; but if I get the reputation of being a clock-watcher,
it's all your fault. And it's amazing how much of my work I find I can do standing
up. Anyway, I wanted to see a show at the State Theater; so I dropped in there about
seven. No sooner had I got settled, though, when a specimen of lupus cinernacus
sat down in the seat next to me."
"Lupus Cinemacus?" Carl repeated. "That's right. It's a type of wolf that inhabits
dark movie theaters and tries to pick up lone women. A girl with good sense has
no trouble handling them. First, you move. If he moves, too, you call the ushers.
They will take care of him muy pronto.
"This greasy character used the standard approach. First he tried to get me to
talk about the picture. Very casually he allowed his arm to rest on the back of
my seat. I was just getting ready to pack up my popcorn and move when, during a
quiet part of the picture, he said something that gave me an idea: 'For a little
thing, that watch of yours sure has a loud tick,' he said.
"With a start I realized your little time bomb was still ticking and time was
running out. Very abruptly I jumped up and placed my popcorn on my seat. 'Watch
this for me,' I told White Fang.
"As I reached the aisle, I felt the little doojiggy wind the clock spring. That
had been close. I knew I had to disarm the gadget if I were to enjoy the show; so
I repaired to the powder room and pulled the little wire loose from where it was
taped against my skin. Then I carefully worked it through the cloth of my skirt
so that a couple of inches of bare wire was protruding from the right side. Finally
I waited until it was only a couple of minutes until the next clock-winding was
due, and then I went back to my seat.
"White Fang was waiting for me eagerly.
I had scarcely got seated when that arm was across the back of the seat and his
fingers were casually touching my shoulder. That was what I wanted. I carefully
moved my knee so that I was certain the bare end of the wire was pressing against
his leg, and then I braced myself for the shock I knew would be coming.
"All at once he let out a yowl and jumped to his feet. 'Help,' he bellowed, 'I'm
being electrocuted.' I didn't blame him for thinking so. Even though I was expecting
it, that jolt that went through both of us shook me up.
"The usher came running with his flashlight, but Mr. Wolf almost ran over him
in his haste to get away from me. 'There's a short circuit or something in that
row of seats,' he called back over his shoulder as he limped up the aisle rubbing
his leg.
"Is anything wrong here?" the usher asked me and the others in the row of seats.
"'Not now,' I said. The usher gave me a long look and then a knowing grin spread
over his face as he flicked off his light and returned to his station. I guess everyone
likes to see one of those low-lifers get what's coming to him."
For several minutes the three of them talked and laughed about the event.
"Well," Norma finally said, "I'm hungry. After all, I'm sure that all the exercise
I got today, thanks to your Secret Slenderizer, plus the emotional wear and tear
of playing Little Red Ridinghood to that wolf, plus the exercise I'll get water-skiing
tomorrow with you two entitles me to a little indulgence. I know where there are
three wedges of chocolate cake with icing all gooey and fattening and this thick
as well as some Cokes to go along. Would my favorite inventors care to join me?"
"Would we!" Carl and Jerry chorused as each grabbed an arm and hoisted Norma
up. "Lead the way, Little Red!"
Posted February 9, 2024 (updated from original
post on 3/9/2017)
Carl Anderson and Jerry Bishop were two teenage boys whose
love of electronics, Ham radio, and all things technical afforded them ample opportunities
to satisfy their own curiosities, assist law enforcement and neighbors with solving
problems, and impressing – and sometimes toying with - friends based on their proclivity
for serious undertakings as well as fun.
Carl & Jerry, by John T. Frye
Carl and Jerry Frye were fictional characters in a series of short stories that
were published in Popular Electronics magazine from the late 1950s to the early
1970s. The stories were written by John T. Frye, who used the pseudonym "John T.
Carroll," and they followed the adventures of two teenage boys, Carl Anderson and
Jerry Bishop, who were interested in electronics and amateur radio.
In each story, Carl and Jerry would encounter a problem or challenge related
to electronics, and they would use their knowledge and ingenuity to solve it. The
stories were notable for their accurate descriptions of electronic circuits and
devices, and they were popular with both amateur radio enthusiasts and young people
interested in science and technology.
The Carl and Jerry stories were also notable for their emphasis on safety and
responsible behavior when working with electronics. Each story included a cautionary
note reminding readers to follow proper procedures and safety guidelines when handling
electronic equipment.
Although the Carl and Jerry stories were fictional, they were based on the experiences
of the author and his own sons, who were also interested in electronics and amateur
radio. The stories continue to be popular among amateur radio enthusiasts and electronics
hobbyists, and they are considered an important part of the history of electronics
and technology education.
This content was generated by the ChatGPT
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Thank you. Here are the major categories.
Electronics & High Tech
Companies | Electronics &
Tech Publications | Electronics &
Tech Pioneers | Electronics &
Tech Principles |
Tech Standards
Groups & Industry Associations |
Societal Influences on Technology
|
-
Lie Detector Tells All - November 1955
-
The
Educated Nursing - April 1964
- Going Up
- March 1955
-
Electrical
Shock - September 1955
- A Low Blow
- March 1961
- The Black
Beast - May 1960
- Vox
Electronik, September 1958
- Pi in
the Sky and Big Twist, February 1964
-
The
Bell Bull Session, December 1961
- Cow-Cow
Boogie, August 1958
- TV Picture,
June 1955
- Electronic
Eraser, August 1962
- Electronic
Trap, March 1956
- Geniuses
at Work, June 1956
- Eeeeelectricity!,
November 1956
- Anchors
Aweigh, July 1956
- Bosco
Has His Day, August 1956
- The Hand
of Selene, November 1960
- Feedback,
May 1956
- Abetting
or Not?, October 1956
-
Electronic Beach Buggy, September 1956
-
Extra Sensory Perception, December 1956
- Trapped
in a Chimney, January 1956
- Command
Performance, November 1958
- Treachery
of Judas, July 1961
- The Sucker,
May 1963
-
Stereotaped
New Year, January 1963
- The
Snow Machine, December 1960
-
Extracurricular Education, July 1963
-
Slow Motion for Quick Action, April 1963
- Sonar
Sleuthing, August 1963
- TV Antennas,
August 1955
- Succoring
a Soroban, March 1963
- "All's
Fair --", September 1963
-
Operation
Worm Warming, May 1961
|
-
The Electronic Bloodhound - November 1964
-
Great Bank Robbery or "Heroes All" - October 1955
-
Operation Startled Starling - January 1955
- A Light
Subject - November 1954
- Dog
Teaches Boy - February 1959
- Too Lucky
- August 1961
- Joking
and Jeopardy - December 1963
-
Santa's Little Helpers - December 1955
- Two
Tough Customers - June 1960
-
Transistor
Pocket Radio, TV Receivers
and
Yagi Antennas, May 1955
- Tunnel
Stomping, March 1962
- The Blubber
Banisher, July 1959
- The Sparkling
Light, May 1962
-
Pure
Research Rewarded, June 1962
- A Hot Idea, March
1960
- The Hot Dog
Case, December 1954
- A
New Company is Launched, October 1956
- Under
the Mistletoe, December 1958
- Electronic
Eraser, August 1962
- "BBI", May 1959
-
Ultrasonic
Sound Waves, July 1955
- The River
Sniffer, July 1962
- Ham Radio,
April 1955
- El
Torero Electronico, April 1960
- Wired
Wireless, January 1962
-
Electronic Shadow, September 1957
- Elementary
Induction, June 1963
- He Went
That-a-Way, March1959
- Electronic
Detective, February 1958
- Aiding
an Instinct, December 1962
- Two Detectors,
February 1955
-
Tussle
with a Tachometer, July 1960
- Therry
and the Pirates, April 1961
-
The Crazy Clock Caper, October 1960
|
Carl & Jerry: Their Complete Adventures is
now available. "From 1954 through 1964, Popular Electronics published 119 adventures
of Carl Anderson and Jerry Bishop, two teen boys with a passion for electronics
and a knack for getting into and out of trouble with haywire lash-ups built in Jerry's
basement. Better still, the boys explained how it all worked, and in doing so, launched
countless young people into careers in science and technology. Now, for the first
time ever, the full run of Carl and Jerry yarns by John T. Frye are available again,
in five authorized anthologies that include the full text and all illustrations." |
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