MY EARLY DAYS OF RADIO
Wally Green VK6WG.
When I was about 8-10 years old, I was living at Mt.Barker with my
parents, and I heard that there was a Radio demonstration at the
Mt.Barker Cold Store - this was to listen to the station 6WF on the
long wave that was then used, around the early '20s. I think the set
may have been a Batyphone or Mulgaphone. As you can guess, plenty of
static and a bit of music, so I went home satisfied that I had heard
Radio, & it sparked the desire to make a radio myself. A friend of
mine who lived next door to us had in his posession a valve, I had been
been given a small steam engine & boiler which was a toy, but
worked, so a level swap was made & I now had the start to my own
radio. Other parts were needed,so it took some time to complete the
set, which by the way was mounted in a petrol case box. In those days,
petrol came in 2x4 gallon square tins, sometimes referred to as Kero
tins that was packed the same as petrol.(No bowsers in those days!)
Some time around 1924 my parents shifted to Albany. Along with myself
was my valve & my KINK to complete the famous 1 valve Reinartz
Radio. Now a petrol case had to be obtained, so I walked from my home
in Victoria Street (opposite to where I am now living) to York Street
to Mr.Bill Knot who sold petrol in cases. It was dark, so he lit up his
lamp & I followed him into the petrol shed, I remember him walking
quietly & sneaking slowly & saying "Any moment we may be blown
to hell". Looking back on the risk now, I really don't know why it
didn't happen, as leaky tins & fumes were well evident. This was
the start of the 'listening' bug. As knowledge grew, I now had to
make radio waves myself. As I scrounged about, I eventually got a
tuning condenser, grid leaks & other fixed capacitors, bits of wood
for a base,lead pebncil for a grid leak, which was cut at different
places along to fasten a wire to get different values for best results.
(Lead pencils were only used in Home-made receivers) The valve used was
a 201A on 6v & DC mains, 220volt, so I assembled my first TPAG
transmitter. My only test to see if it was working was a torch globe on
a loop of wire, Presto, as soon as I saw RF & being so excited, I
ran flat-out to my friend Bert Russel to tell him I had found RF. So I
came back & then thought I would have to make it talk somehow, so a
Carbon insert was obtained from the original 6DA - Fred Saw - who
worked at the Albany Post Office. Now for the good thing to happen, so
a loop of wire was fastened to the terminals & partly inserted
between the plate circuit coil and the valve, and talk into it. With a
short lead, you had to be very careful not to let your lips touch the
metal case, as you would get RF burns so a mouth organ was used, with
little or no announcements, as this was really pirating the airwaves. I
HAD LISTENERS WHO SAID THIS WAS GOOD. The safest way now was to
go for an Amateur Licence. I then used to visit the original 6KZ at The
Forts & talk radio. I got my first QST in 1932 and my licnce
in 1936.
Now to some of your queries:
The first Club station was located in Dymesbury Livery Stables, located
where now stands the CWS Water Supply offices in Serpentine Rd. Albany
and I always believed the Callsign was VK6AY. I used to go there, but
didn't operate it (the station).
Personalities I remember are :
Keith Kollins
Harold Dowsett
Bert Russel
Then VK6AR, later VK2AUY (in 1992 C/B)
Frank Lambert
now dcd
Ivan Wadell
Jack Hicks
Fred Saw 6DA
Jack Orr
licensed ? Forts
Mick Vernon
dcd Forts
Harry Tarbotton
There may be others I've forgotten
Now I would like you to write to an old friend Bert Russel who was
VK6AR now still licenced as VK2AUY QTR in 1992 CallBook. If & when
you do, please pass on my 73 (Best wishes!) to him - he will no doubt
put you right as to the original Callsign of the Albany Club Station.
(I wrote soon after receiving this - so far,
no reply!
Dave)
N o , I w a s n t t h
e W . G r e e n o f t h
e V i c t o r i a P a r k C l u b .
I d i d h a v e a
Q S L ( c a r d ) o f t h
e o r i g i n a l 6 K Z
- n o t s u r e w h e r
e t o l a y m y h a n d
s o n i t a t t h
e m o m e n t , b u t I
h a v e o t h e r o l d c a r d
s w h i c h m a y h e l
p y o u .
I f I w a s t a l k i n
g t o y o u i t w o u l
d b e m u c h e asier than me
writing, as many other things would come to mind.
Trusting you will get some help from this lot,
73, Wally VK6WG
PS Most mornings I have a sked on 7060 with VK6DD 0730-0800.
installation at an address other than that
shown on the license.
The Controller may grant a Temporary permit for a demonstration of
wireless
telegraphy or telephony in connection with
lectures, entertainments or such
proceedings calculated to assist the
development or public appreciation of the
art.
Fees. - The following fees shall be payable for each year or portion of
a year during
which any licence is in force.-
Experimental station (Transmitting and receiving) One
Pound.
Experimental station (Receiving
only)
10/-
€€
P o r t a b l e s t a t i o n
O n e P o u n d .
A i r c r a f t s t a t i o n
O n e P o u n
d
A l t h o u g h o t h e r s m a
y c l a i m t h a t N u m b e r
s w e r e i n t r o d u c e d t
o E x p e r i m e n t e r s ' C a l l s i g n
s j u s t p r i o r t o
W W 1 , t o t h e b e s
t o f m y ( c u r r ent) knowledge,
this was the first time that a NUMBER was used to prefix the letters of
a Callsign, thus indicating the State in which the Licenced Station was
located.
K.S.Inglis ("This is the ABC") records: "Federal Officers had allocated
intial numbers to the States, f