1925 Radio Experiment Photo

July 10, 2006

Listener Bert just sent me this link to an auction of this photo of a 1925 Army Air Corps Radio Experiment, involving leather helmets, googles, push buttons and a bank of dry cell batteries. I've seen a lot of vintage radio photographs, but this one wins the prize. Even on Seven Second Delay, Andy and I never use dry cell batteries, we drew the line at 9 volters.

Posted by Station Manager Ken on July 10, 2006 at 11:32 AM in Photography, Radio | Permalink

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» Early Aircraft Equipment from Babel News Network
A photograph, being auctioned on Ebay, of what appears to be an early US Army comms system for aircraft crews. The photograph reportedly dates from 1926. I have no clue what the eyecovers worn by the man on the right could be. From Beware Of The Bl... [Read More]

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http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2006/07/1925_radio_expe.html [Read More]

Comments

There was no Army Air Corps in 1925. It was established in 1926.

Posted by: Curt LeMay | July 10, 2006 at 12:54 PM

Um... ken?

A nine volt battery IS a battery of 1.5 volt dry cells, six of them to be exact (probably just like those in the photo only smaller and encased in a modern, attractive, steel case).

Posted by: Harry | July 10, 2006 at 02:08 PM

Re: the lack of an Army Air Corps in 1925, that makes this experiment all the more mysterious. The eBay page does say circa 1925, so perhaps it's an approximation. As far as the batteries go, I stand corrected. It was a small square nine volt battery that Andy and I shocked each other with on Seven Second Delay. It never occured to me that those big old Dry Cel batteries were only 1.5 volts.

-ken

Posted by: Station Manager Ken | July 10, 2006 at 02:56 PM

looks like they're listening to dynamite.

Posted by: Steve PMX | July 10, 2006 at 03:39 PM

Those are No. 6 dry cells, 1.5 volts each. It looks like they are testing an interphone unit, not a radio.

--
Will

Posted by: Will | July 10, 2006 at 09:52 PM

Don't forget kerosene radio!

Posted by: Krys O. | July 11, 2006 at 08:22 AM

I imagine this will end up being an album cover for some generic band.

Posted by: slump | July 11, 2006 at 11:28 AM

reminds me of Black Sabbath "Never Say Die"

Posted by: Dave | July 11, 2006 at 10:18 PM

Back in 1913, the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) was known as the IRE (Institute of Radio Engineers). I know that because the IEEE has digitized the first seven years of what was to become the "Proceedings of the IEEE" but were then known as the "Proceedings of the IRE." These issues ran from 1913 to 1919, and you can explore them at http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=10933&year=1913 .

Posted by: bartelby | July 13, 2006 at 07:02 PM

I HAVE AN ANTIQUE LIGHTNING SWITCH (SHIPBOARD ARC/SPARK TRANSMITTER) BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN USED ON THE SS EASTLAND LATER RENAMED THE USS WILLMETTE. IT WAS MADE FOR THE NAVY DEPT BY THE LOWENSTEIN RADIO CO. BROOKLYN N.Y IT IS A TYPE-SE1499 S/N 540L WITH A DATE 1913.
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW I CAN TRACE IT TO THE SHIP IT WAS MADE FOR? THERE IS A REQ NO. NSA681 CONT. NO. 43945 IF THIS INFO HELPS.

Posted by: ED | February 01, 2009 at 03:25 PM

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July 10, 2006