Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics.
See articles from Radio-Craft,
published 1929 - 1953. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.
Installing commercial broadcast radio receivers in cars and trucks was a
big deal in the 1930s - even bigger than having one in your home. Having an
ability to receive the popular shortwave bands was a real sign of success (as
was merely owning a car). An advantage to auto radios was not needing an AC-to-DC
rectification circuit like in-home models that required at least one additional
vacuum tube and a hefty transformer - although many people in non-electrified
rural areas had DC radios in their homes as well (the
Rural Electrification
Act wasn't passed until 1936). In its service instructions, Remler suggested
to owners that if poor reception was experienced, the auto should be parked
somewhere that a 50-foot secondary aerial could be deployed. I couldn't locate
any examples of restored Remler Model 36 radios online, but a few of the Model
26's do appear.
Remler Model No. 36 6-Tube Dual-Wave Auto-Radio
A most unusual feature of this set is
the use of a dynamotor in the power supply, in place of the usual vibrator.
This unit is guaranteed for one year and needs no oiling or attention of any
kind. No rectifier tube is needed. Six tubes are used, all for actual reception.
The "hot'" battery lead into the set is completely filtered, making suppressors
un-necessary on many makes of cars. A single 1/2-in. hole is needed for mounting.
Normally furnished with connections for operation in cars with positive side
of battery grounded. This can be changed to grounded negative by reversing two
battery leads on the terminal strip on the underside of the set. The dial is
calibrated in channels, the addition of one cipher to the markings giving readings
in kilocycles. On the right-hand position the short-wave switch gives coverage
of the broad-cast band as well as the lower frequency police band. On the left
position, the dial covers from 2,200 kc. to 6,800 kc. In some cases the car
antenna will not be sufficient for long-distance high-frequency operation. When
better results are desired with the car parked, a 50 foot wire, with the far
end as high as possible, may be used.
Radio Service Data Sheets
These schematics, tuning instructions, and other data are reproduced from my
collection of vintage radio and electronics magazines. As back in the era, similar
schematic and service info was available for purchase from sources such as
SAMS Photofacts, but these printings
were a no-cost bonus for readers. There are 227 Radio Service Data Sheets as of
December 28, 2020.
RF Cafe began life in 1996 as "RF Tools" in an AOL screen name web space totaling
2 MB. Its primary purpose was to provide me with ready access to commonly needed
formulas and reference material while performing my work as an RF system and circuit
design engineer. The World Wide Web (Internet) was largely an unknown entity at
the time and bandwidth was a scarce commodity. Dial-up modems blazed along at 14.4 kbps
while typing up your telephone line, and a nice lady's voice announced "You've Got
Mail" when a new message arrived...
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and text used on the RF Cafe website are hereby acknowledged.
