June 2025

The Superflex

A Publication of the Alabama Historical Radio Society June 2025

NOTE FROM PRESIDENT WAG

Members,

Mark your calendars!

The date for next AHRS Business meeting will fall on the usual 4th Monday, July 28th, 2025, at 7:00 PM. The Exec CMTE will meet in person by invitation only at 6:00 PM.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86330579924?pwd=ckZLWEJMb0V2ajhBUzh0S2liQnlmZz09

Meeting ID: 863 3057 9924
Passcode: 631140

Boyd’s next class is Saturday, July 12^th, 2025, so as not to interfere with the July 4^th weekend. He is still developing his topics for this upcoming lecture.

The following link remains in effect:

Topic: AHRS Radio Restoration Class

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web..us/j/88180351990?pwd=N2lucjB3WVhtR05nTSs5S0xGcURadz09

Our Society Committees include Library, Museum & Exhibit, Shop, Finance, and Technology. Each committee has a chairman and Board member liaison. Another goal is to create a meaningful PR/Outreach CMTE and, as a start, launch a presence in social media. If any member wishes to volunteer for one of these or help in a PR capacity, please contact one of the officers, Board members, or me about your interest.

Some committee updates:

· Library Robert Cain, Chair; Dave Cisco, Board Liaison; Dee Haynes, Tom Killian. Robert has plans to increase use of our lending library, currently on the basement level in the room outside the ladies’ restroom. We are adding signs to remind and direct people to it and there’s space to sit and read. Robert also wants to highlight some of the books in the lending library with review articles in the newsletter, so be looking for upcoming editions.

The books recently obtained are being incorporated into the reference library, including the bound Radio News magazines, originally owned by Society founder Don Kresge.

§ Museum & Exhibit Steven Westbrook, Chair; John Outland, Board Liaison; Dee Haynes.

This committee needs several additional members since it is responsible both for the formal museum in the Alabama Power atrium and items in the exhibit area at the shop. Please let us know if you have any interest in serving on the committee.

§ Shop Tom Killian serves as both Chair and Board Liaison; Ray Giles; Grady Shook; Willie Henderson; and new members Boyd Bailey and Dave Johnson. The Tubes Subcommittee has John Outland and Gene Samples (who will assume the more active role in coming months when he retires from his day job). Keeping parts stocked and having functional test equipment at each station is a steady job, so thank the CMTE members when you get a chance.

A friendly reminder, or 2: As much as possible, remember to clean (“police”) the places at which you work when finished and try not to leave projects occupying a station for long periods of time, so others may have an opportunity to use the facility.

§ Finance Mike Woodruff, Treasurer & Chair; Tom Killian as Board Liaison; Steven Westbrook, John Herndon, Mike Spanos.

This committee is defined by our Bylaws and will now be standing, rather than formed annually at the end of our fiscal year. Let me thank John Herndon and Mike Spanos for filling open positions on the CMTE as Board and non-leadership member, respectively.

§ Technology Boyd Bailey serves as Chair and Board Liaison; Robert Cain; Rick Curl; Steven Westbrook; Mike Woodruff. This group will meet as needed and serve as a resource for tech-related issues that arise for the Society.

§ Nominating This committee is constituted annually per our Bylaws late each calendar year to nominate candidates for Board and Officer positions voted upon at the annual business (& Holiday) meeting.

Tom Killian and Ray Giles are looking to host another auction,but we have a lot to do in the next couple of months, including our participation at the Huntsville Hamfest in mid-August. We need volunteers, including members to help us select and transport items to the ‘Fest, including keys which we need help identifying and valuing. A panorama of our collection of keys is below.

We have made a good start at identifying items we wish to keep, and those that might be considered for sale or auction. If you have any interest in, or knowledge about, these unique instruments, please help us with the sorting and valuation process.

The fully restored Hallicrafters SX-88 will soon be on display. John Green, a longtime member of the Society and many of our members (see the Shades Valley High yearbook photo below), completed the restoration at his home in North Carolina. We hope to have a Zoom program or two set up soon with John sharing how he came to possess this unique radio and its restoration.

We recently received an additional donation from the estate of Dave Ingram. Dave was a local amateur radio operator, who was a prolific writer and contributor to many magazines, including CQ.

Radio unit donated by the estate of Society member Jerry Lowe

Golden key donated by the estate of Dave Ingram K4TWJ

We also received a major donation from the estate of one of our longtime members, Jerry Lowe. The Shop, Auction & Museum committee members inspected the items and placed many items in their appropriate location for further processing. Many items still remain and are located in the downstairs hallway. All of these items are available free to members. Please come by and take look. If you find something you like, just notify Tom, Ray or one of the officers of your selection and then the item is yours.

We plan to work once again in August with the Scouts to help those interested earn their Radio Merit Badge. The Society hosted several young men last year in this endeavor.

Dave Cisco brought his 1957 Shades Valley High School yearbook to the shop which included an interesting photo. Circled (beginning on the top row) are John Outland, John Green (SX-88 restorer), and its president Dave Cisco.

In closing, I made it through my 50^th med school reunion and found another classmate who was a ham in his younger days. We also survived taking our extended family on another trip, this time a Mediterranean cruise. Otherwise, no antique radio sightings though plenty of antique people. “Spend the kids’ and grandkids’ inheritances while we are all here to enjoy it.”

Everyone have a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July. Next year is our beloved country’s 250^th, so we should remember to cherish what binds us together as a nation and the values we want to pass to future generations.

The shop will be open as usual on Saturday, 5 July 2025.

Respectfully submitted,

President Wag, AHRS

May 1932

Edited from Article in the National Radio News Magazine May 1932

Quotes of the Month

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

- Arthur C. Clarke

I am sure the universe is full of intelligent life. It’s just been too intelligent to come here.

- Arthur C. Clarke

The difference between machines and human beings is that human beings can be reproduced by unskilled labor.

- Arthur C. Clarke

We meet every Saturday (unless a Holiday weekend) at 8:30 A.M. until around 11:30 A.M., at the one-story AHRS Shop at the corner of 8th Avenue North and 18th Street, (1801 8th Avenue North, Birmingham, AL 35203). Please use the rear (Southeast) entrance.

The Shop is open on Tuesdays at 8:30 A.M. until around 11:30 A.M. Note that parking can be a problem on Tuesdays, so you may have to find street parking occasionally.

Regular monthly members meetings are on the fourth Monday night starting at 7:00 PM with the Executive Meeting starting at 6:30 PM

Please come join us!

The electronics classes are generally on “Zoom” and “in-person” at the AHRS Shop, typically the first Saturday of each month (except when something special is taking place, then we agree on an alternative Saturday)

Check your emails for the schedule and how to participate.

We start from the beginning Ohms Law, inductors, resistor and Capacitors color codes, as well as what each component does within the radio circuits. We also teach how to use test equipment used in the repairing of radios. We teach troubleshooting radio troubles, as well as how to read a radio diagram.

Currently the class is studying advance topics relating to troubleshooting and project radio repair. We are retooling our website in hopes of archiving prior classes for those who may have missed a prior class. Email will provide timely details on date, topics & links.

There are coil winding classes, and one-on-one repair help. Come join these classes!

Membership dues are $25.00 a year, payable beginning in January. If you have questions about your dues, you can contact Treasurer Mike Woodruff at 205-823-7204. Dues can be mailed to AHRS at P.O. Box 131418, Birmingham, Alabama 35213 or paid on-line at https://alhrs.org

Be sure and check out our website at https://alhrs.org, which has copies of all newsletters from 2006 to the present (click on News), videos, photo galleries, museum, Old Time Radio columns, Projects, Reading Rooms, Archives, and Contact Information. Within the next few months we hope to update our website and add additional content and new capabilities