Saturday, December 28, 2013

Here is my;
{Howard Daniel Rollins III model} A.M. 5 tube Superheterodyne Homemade Radio Set.

It is constructed from vintage electronic components which were used back in the late 1940's and 50's. The first "Intermediate Frequency Amplifier Can", has been on the shelf of an electronics parts store for over 60 years. For now my radio is what I refer to as a display set. When I get around to applying my final finishing touches, I will incorporate it among other radio sets and amplifier into a large wooden elegant cabinet. It will resemble a Radiola which was originally constructed back in the 1930's.  Form followed function in those days. My set will truly be furniture that is a fine work of art. I am looking forward to accomplishing that.  My little set can fill the room with sound when I hook up my external speaker for now. Most of the time I use my headphones to listen to my talk shows. At night the little set comes alive, and picks up  many stations from around the country. It works quite well when I use my outside antenna. The tuner knob is a pair of "Power Aid drink bottle caps", with a "well done steak" captioned plastic pointer stick, and the volume knob is a medicine cap.  The chassis is a wooden bed Slat, and a sheet of particle board. When I finish my e-book I will provide complete plans on how you can build one for you very own.  Everyone who sees it asks for me to build one for them. I can not keep up with the demand for these little marvels myself.  This is why I decided to write my book so they can construct their own sets.  Otherwise I would not have much leisure time to do anything else. I intend to price my book as reasonable as possible. That will allow me to be able to share my sets with as many people as possible. I wish to share the experience of set building with anyone who would like to learn how to do this. The knowledge gained from building sets can serve to inspire the creation of other things even greater than radio. When Radio was new, the only way to get one was to build one yourself. Now they can be purchased commercially from many sources. The pride and fun that comes with making a set yourself is far more rewarding for me than just buying a factory constructed set. Radio construction is becoming a lost art. Few are actually doing much of this sort of thing today. However I believe that there are still those who would enjoy the hobby as much as I do.  My book will be comprised of  various types of radio sets which can be constructed  from scratch. From simple Crystal Sets, Regenerative Receivers, AM. FM., VLF., Short Wave etc... all the way up to the King of all radio's "The Super-het".  My set is fun to listen to, and even more fun to build.  I love very much  the thrill of making my own home-brew one of a kind {Electronic "Working" Work of Art}.