January 1957 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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p.10 https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/50s/57/Pop-1957-01.pdf

Carl & Jerry: The "Meller Smeller"

By John T. Frye

Our heroes were caught up in the mid-winter doldrums. Holidays had come and gone, leaving only denuded Christmas trees forlornly awaiting the trash trucks in the alleys amid piles of soggy ashes and a litter of crumpled New Year's Eve hats. Carl and Jerry were both suffering from a let-down feeling after the excitement of the year's end; and summer vacation seemed a long, long way off as a cold rain beat against the windows of their basement laboratory.

Jerry was sprawled on his favorite old leather couch, but Carl paced restlessly about the room, wiping dust from the instruments above the bench, leafing listlessly through parts catalogs, and straightening the files of electronics books and magazines on the shelves.

"Doggone it, Jerry, let's do something!" he finally blurted out. "I'm getting the willies."

"Well, look through some of the late issues of the electronics magazines and see if you can find anything in them to build," Jerry said with a yawn, stretching his arms lazily.

"I don't want to copy something another guy has worked out already - not this time," Carl said impatiently. "We've done a lot of that and will do a lot more ... because it's the best way in the world to learn how to follow plans and directions, how to mount electronic parts correctly, and how to connect them together. But once in a while, it seems to me, we ought to try to work out something electronic all by ourselves, just for the heck of it."

"You know, I believe you've got something there," Jerry exclaimed as he sat up on the couch. "It's pretty easy for us to fall into the habit of letting someone else do all our thinking and planning and quit trying to dream up something new ourselves. You got anything in mind for us to start on ?"

"Nope," Carl admitted; "I can't think of anything ... wait a minute!" he interrupted himself as he sniffed the air. A strong odor of boiling cabbage from the kitchen upstairs was being wafted into the basement by the circulating blower of the hot air heating system. "How about our inventing an electronic gadget to kill odors, sort of a portable affair to be worn by people who have to work in smelly places, such as slaughter houses, glue factories, and so on ?"

"We- l -l -l, I dunno," Jerry said dubiously. "You got in mind some sort of helmet with a breathing porthole through which all incoming air has to pass so that we can put our electronic odor strainer in that port-hole?"

"Sure," Carl said quickly, although the helmet idea had not popped into his head until the instant Jerry mentioned it. "In our experimental models we can use cardboard boxes for the helmets, with heavy cloth over the bottom and a hole ringed with elastic to make the cloth fit closely about the wearer's neck and shut off all intake of air by that route."

"Better go easy on the elastic or it will shut off all air - period!" Jerry suggested; "but I think I'm getting an idea."

"Let's have it, then," demanded Carl.

Jerry took a deep breath. "Do you remember the experiments we carried out in physics class with the electroscope when we were studying electrostatic electricity ?"

"I think so," Carl cautiously admitted.

"Well, concentrate on the one where we were studying an induced charge. Remember the instructor held a negatively charged rod near the ball on top of the electroscope. This shoved the negative electrons on the ball away from the charging rod, making the side of the ball opposite the rod negative and the side nearest the rod positive."

"I'm with you; drive on," Carl said as Jerry paused.

"Okay; then you'll remember that the teacher touched the negatively charged side of the ball with his finger, letting some of the electrons escape to ground. Next he removed his finger, and finally he removed the charging rod. This, as we found by experiment, left the ball with an over-all, positive charge resulting from its loss of negative electrons."

"Check," Carl said, "but what's that got to do with our invention?"

"I'm coming to that. Suppose we cut out the fronts of our cardboard helmets and replace them, in each case, with three layers of screen wire, placed one in front of the other and carefully insulated from each other. Now all air, bearing the tiny particles of the material causing the offensive odors, must pass through all three layers of screen to reach the nostrils of the wearer."

"You're still getting through to me."

"Good. Now suppose we place a strong positive charge on the screen nearest the front of the helmet, ground the middle screen, and place a strong negative charge on the screen nearest the wearer's face. Keep these potentials in mind as I use this baseball to represent a tiny particle of the smelly substance on its way through the three screens.

"As the particle passes through the first screen and continues on beyond it, the positive charge of the screen forces the mobile negative electrons on the particle to the rear of it, next to the grounded screen. When the particle touches this grounded screen - and we'll make it a finer mesh to be sure most of the particles do touch it - the pushed-around electrons will escape to ground, leaving the particle with a net positive charge as it continues on through the grounded screen."

"I get it!" cried Carl: "The negatively I charged rear screen will exert a come-hither on those positively charged particles, and they will plaster themselves right to it. Not a bit of the odor will be able to get through."

"Well, now, I wouldn't go that far," Jerry said cautiously. "Some of the particles will probably still be able to penetrate our electronic trap; but at least it ought to whittle down and mellow an offensive smell until it will be endurable."

"Mellow a smell," Carl quoted. "There's a name for our gadget. Let's call it our Meller Smeller."

"Okay," Jerry agreed with a laugh, "but maybe we ought to wait until it's built before we worry about the name. How are we going to produce the charging potentials we'll need on the front and rear screens ?"

"How about using a heavy-duty transistor as a blocking oscillator ? If we set the frequency to about 16,000 cycles, we should be able to use a TV horizontal output transformer, designed for operation at 15,750 cycles, to raise the output of the oscillator to quite a respectable voltage. Then a miniature TV high-voltage rectifier will change this stepped-up alternating current to direct current for application to the screens."

"You're in the groove, man!" Jerry applauded. "We can use a very-high-resistance tapped bleeder across the output. The tap will go to the grounded screen, leaving one end of the bleeder positive for attachment to the front screen and the other end negative for connection to the rear screen."

"You get out a couple of those horizontal output transformers we salvaged from the junk TV sets the man gave us, and I'll hop over home and get a couple of cardboard boxes and some pieces of screen wire," said Carl, throwing his slicker over his head as he prepared to dash through the rain; "and you'd better review some of those Popular Electronics articles on transistor oscillators while I'm gone. Then we can get to work."

The doldrums had evaporated. Like everyone else, all the boys needed to be happy was something to be enthusiastic about; and their new project had provided this. For the next several hours, they were extremely busy constructing the helmets and building and adjusting the power supplies. They were able to get a total of about 1500 volts from the supplies, and they adjusted the taps so that the front screen was 500 volts positive with respect to the grounded center screen while the rear screen was 1000 volts negative. These voltages were fed through one-megohm resistors to limit the current and avoid dangerous shock if the screens were accidentally touched.

"Well, how's your meller smeller working?" Jerry asked.

"I can't be sure," Carl answered in a muffled voice. "All I can smell is the soap that used to be packed in this box, but maybe its smell is so strong that it overrides that of the onions."

"You're lucky," Jerry growled. "This box had fresh halibut in it. I think I ought to be sniffing on the other side of the screen! I'm afraid we'll have to submit our inventions to a stronger test. We'll have to find a real hair-raising smell - one with which we can be SURE, as the TV commercial goes. Where can we find it

"The soap factory!" both boys chorused together after a moment's thought.

"That's it," Jerry said, as he slipped off his helmet. "That place puts out a 20-db-over-9 smell all the time. Right after supper let's ride out there on our bikes. It will be dark then, and no one will see us wearing these things; with our growing reputation for being a little on the balmy side, that will be just as well."

Fortunately after the rain had stopped right supper, and the night was clear and boys unseasonably warm for January. They pedaled side by side along the little used river road going out to the soap factory. Their bicycle lamps sliced through the dark tunnel produced by the overhanging trees.

"Hold it!" Carl said suddenly as he hit the brake and his rear wheel skidded sideways. Squarely in the circle of light cast black by his headlamp was a small sleek creature with a white stripe extending down his back and along his bushy arched tail.

"Well, what do you know, a skunk!" Jerry exclaimed. "The thaw must have brought him out early tonight."

The little animal showed absolutely no fear or inclination to leave the center of the road.

"Hey, Jer," Carl said slowly, "do you know what I'm thinking ?"

"I'm afraid to ask," Jerry admitted.

"If we REALLY want to try out the smellers, we'll never have a better chance," Carl said hoarsely, as though the suggestion were being squeezed out of him.

"Okay," Jerry replied, starting to pull on his helmet, "but let's not overdo things. Let's just circle around him to the downwind side and see if he comes in like Chanel Number Five. Try not to make him angry."

... Simultaneous cries of anguish issued from two boyish throats, and they tore off the helmets as they coughed, spluttered, and gasped for air ...

Leaving their bicycles on the kick-stands with the headlamps centered on the little animal, the boys began a careful circuit about him. The skunk turned also, so that he faced them, and began an irritated little patting of the ground with his front paws. Had the boys known more about skunks, they would have recognized this danger signal for what it was and have beat an immediate retreat; but instead they proceeded cautiously to circle the little beast. Suddenly he turned his back on them, as though in contempt, and almost immediately there issued from two boyish throats simultaneous cries of anguish.

They tore off the helmets as they coughed, spluttered, and gasped for air, for the skunk had really let them have it at close range. "Whew!" Carl said, when he finally could talk. "That meller smeller of mine must be working in reverse. It seemed to concentrate the odor. I actually couldn't get my breath until I got it off. Now I can breathe, but I'm not sure I want to- at least not in!"

"I know what you mean," Jerry said soulfully. "Well, let's sneak home, get some other clothes, bury these, and see how much of this odor will come off in a shower. And let's hurry. I can't stand myself; and you're not exactly attar of roses either, old buddy."

They carried out this suggestion without further delay. A bath and fresh clothing left only the pungent memory of their experience. But then they had to pick up the discarded clothing they had hurled out of a basement window and carry it to the back of Jerry's lot for interment.

"Jer," Carl grunted as he plied the shovel, "what do you suppose went wrong with the meller smellers? Do you think Mr. Skunk was just too much for them and that nothing could have stopped his odor?"

"I don't know," Jerry admitted, as he cut the wires loose from the reeking meller smeller helmets and dropped the latter gingerly into the hole Carl had dug. "Several things could have been wrong: maybe the spacing between the screens wasn't right; maybe we didn't have the proper potentials on the screens; or maybe the whole idea was a dud to start with. All I know is that at this moment the entire subject is extremely distasteful to me."

"Yeah," Carl agreed, patting down the earth with the back of the shovel; "you might say it stinks."

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.
Wrecked by a Wagon Train - February 1962 Gold Is Where You Find It - April 1956 Little "Bug" with Big Ears - January 1959 Lie Detector Tells All - November 1955 The Educated Nursing Bottle - 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 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 Improvising - February 1960	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 1954 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."

Posted September 9, 2021
(updated from original post on 8/5/2014)