INVENTOR OF THE WALKIE TALKIE

[W2PFY]

http://www.retrocom.com/algross2.htm

Ever wonder who invented the walkie talkie?
At the bottom of the page is a link to the audio interview......

more info on the inventor


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_J._Gross

[W3GMS]

Terry,
It looks like he and Don Mitchell, chief engineer for Galvin Manufacturing were very close to the same time frame.   Of coarse Galvin become Motorola a few years later.  Only a few years apart in bringing the "HT" to market. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCR-536

I do have a BC-611 Walkie Talky and its all set up for 75 meters! 

Joe, W3GMS   

[W2PFY]

Joe  , that's interesting. I didn't know they were on HF?  When I was in the Army 1959-1965,
We had the PRC-6 ( Army slang "Prick 6") were just below and included the six meter band. I worked on many of them but most of the time, no one used them.We just used the back pack radios and the jeep radios which were all in the same frequency range. The back pack radios were another PRC type and were heavy with the dry cell battery pack. I packed that radio and was the radio man for the commanding officer otherwise known as the CO. He was twice my age and was about double my strength and it was all I could do, keeping up with him running up hills to get a better look to see where our adversary's were?  As soon as those exercises were over, the first thing we did was toss the battery good or bad to lighten our loads.In addition to the radio, I had the full back pack, an M1 rifle, a bayonet and a 45 caliber hand gun strapped to me. You need to be young to be in the military











0

[W3GMS]

I remember all those sets!   I would of thought that by 1965 you would have been issued the trusty M-16.  I went in the Army in 72 after enlisting since all student deferments were cancelled and I pulled a lottery number of 15.   The tried to make me a sniper then a chopper pilot but since I enlisted they did honor my chosen MOS. 

Glad you enjoyed the links!

73,
Joe, GMS

       

[WU2D]

The military had some early walkies too. I picked one of these BC322's up for a dollar at Nearfester. It has been modified but could be restored. It used a pair of Type 30's I think in a super-regen circuit.

http://olive-drab.com/od_electronics_scr194.php

The MAB and SCR-536 (BC-611) came next.

[K9PNP]

Worked on the PRC-6.  And the PRC-9 and -10 [mostly the -10] and a lot of the GRC and VRC rigs that preceded the VRC-12/PRC-25 Vietnam era radios.  The reserve components of the Army still had the old stuff in some units up to the 1980's.  That's why they talked me into enlisting after my active duty time was up; most of the new guys coming out of the Signal School had no idea how to work on a tube radio.

There is an interesting article in the September 1944 issue of QST about the Signal Corp's development of the WT which ended up being the SCR-194 and -195.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Yep, many of us know that the military had "big boy" walkie talkies during the war but the initial post referenced the first consumer-grade "on the market" walkie talkie. It's also interesting that the frequency group for those first consumer walkie talkies still exists today.

[WU2D]

Pete of course we had those early walkie talkies as kids, the better sets were actually superhets and the cheaper ones were transistorized super-regens. We also had "kids base stations" I had a Sears model with 100 mW out and a tunable receiver which also had an AM receive band and had a code key with modulated CW.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Pete of course we had those early walkie talkies as kids, the better sets were actually superhets and the cheaper ones were transistorized super-regens. We also had "kids base stations" I had a Sears model with 100 mW out and a tunable receiver which also had an AM receive band and had a code key with modulated CW.

Are you referring to 465 MHz (UHF CB) rigs or 27 MHz(the more known CB band) rigs?

[KD6VXI]

More along the lines of 27 or 49 mhz,   Pete.

--Shane
KD6VXI

[WU2D]

They were pretty much all Channel 14  or 27.125 AM. This was the early 70's and no 49 MHz yet.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

They were pretty much all Channel 14  or 27.125 AM. This was the early 70's and no 49 MHz yet.

That was all late stuff. The first CB (27 MHz) walkie talkies hit the market in 1959. Even RME/Electro Voice had a CB Walkie Talkie in 1959/60.



But the Al Gross Walkie Talkie introduced in 1949 worked at 465 MHz.

[WB2EMS]

1963 or so some manufacturer came out with a "Dick Tracy Wrist Radio" that had the speaker/mic up on your wrist, with a cable down to the transceiver on your belt. CH14, super-regen. Half the kids in the neighborhood had those and we had nets on at bedtime each night. Of course the super-regens could hear half the CB band at once, and we got to hear a lot of other conversations as well. 

Lots of antenna experiments trying to get more range, attaching all kinds of wire to the whips as well as things like disconnecting the TV antenna and connecting to the twin lead, etc.

It was the first step on a long journey. 

[W3GMS]

1963 or so some manufacturer came out with a "Dick Tracy Wrist Radio" that had the speaker/mic up on your wrist, with a cable down to the transceiver on your belt. CH14, super-regen. Half the kids in the neighborhood had those and we had nets on at bedtime each night. Of course the super-regens could hear half the CB band at once, and we got to hear a lot of other conversations as well. 

Lots of antenna experiments trying to get more range, attaching all kinds of wire to the whips as well as things like disconnecting the TV antenna and connecting to the twin lead, etc.

It was the first step on a long journey. 

For me it was the Archer Space Patrol Walkies.  I was pretty young probably under 10 years old or so.  I got them for XMAS.  I remember my mom standing in the kitchen and me going outside to see how far away I could get before she lost the signal.  I then swapped my unit with the one she was using and found an imbalance in sensitivity!  So we get on the bus and go back to 69th ST in Phila and exchange them.  That was the only Radio Shack store and it was 35 miles away!  I remember asking the guy how consistent from unit to unit the sensitivity was but he had no clue.  Then came the helical wound antenna on my old fishing pole mounted on my bicycle!   

[WD5JKO]

Not sure if the setup in the image below could be considered a walkie talkie or not.

Looks like a two way radio set in the WW1 time-frame.

Jim
Wd5JKO

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Today's version of the wrist radio. If nothing else, read the product description for fun and giggles:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Only-For-Children-Holiday-Gift-Wrist-Digital-Watch-Walkie-Talkie-Ham-radio-electronic-watch-baby-Child/482899664.html

[W3GMS]

Not sure if the setup in the image below could be considered a walkie talkie or not.

Looks like a two way radio set in the WW1 time-frame.

Jim
Wd5JKO

Looks like a couple of AM'ers at a Hamfest  ! 

Nearfest is coming up so be on the lookout!

Joe, GMS

[WB2EMS]

Here's a set of the ones we had as kids.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Dick-Tracy-2-way-wrist-radio-in-original-box-circa-1961-SET-OF-TWO-/201171738279?pt=2_Way_Radios_FRS&hash=item2ed6c51ea7

[Tom WA3KLR]

Not sure if the setup in the image below could be considered a walkie talkie or not.

Looks like a two way radio set in the WW1 time-frame.

Jim
Wd5JKO

I think it is a receiver-only Jim.  But it must be the original Walk-mann.

[flintstone mop]

Strange that my son read a story for school assignment that was about a boy who was trying to save money to buy a pair of walkie talkies. The boy was unsuccessful to save any money.
I will be asking the school permission for my son to bring a set of walkie talkies I have, typical modern day Cobra brand Family radio types, and explain how they use electromagnetic waves to send and receive. No need for a cell phone network or iPad iPod, internet, whatever. Those systems will break down and not work, but these radios will, as long as there are good batteries inside...........
He can tell them his daddy is an Amateur radio operator and talks to people in other countries, because the kids are now studying Geography, and learning where different countries are located.
Fred

[WD5JKO]

Not sure if the setup in the image below could be considered a walkie talkie or not.

Looks like a two way radio set in the WW1 time-frame.

Jim
Wd5JKO

I think it is a receiver-only Jim.  But it must be the original Walk-mann.

Tom, You might be correct. That said, I'm confused since the OM is wearing a headset. So what is the horn for? Maybe it is a carbon microphone, and the set was designed for a taller man? 
Also I bet there is a battery pack on his back, likely holding a 2V wet acid cell, and 2V vibrator.

OR

Could the setup be used for direction finding?

Jim
Wd5JKO

[ka4koe]

Here's one that my brother and I played with as kids. He found a fairly decent example on the 'bay a few months back. Eric also wrapped a cane fishing pole with wire and put it in the top of a 60' sweetgum tree with a wire coming down to the house from the pole. That little base station managed to get out at least 5 miles....until....

One day a big storm came through and a nice lightning bolt destroyed the cane pole antenna. The sweetgum tree was fried and died shortly thereafter

Philip

[KB2WIG]

"    a nice lightning bolt destroyed  "

 And so the saga began.... ..


klc

[WU2D]

Wow Phillip that is the same GE kids base station that my folks bought me from Sears. I had a lot of fun with that thing.

[flintstone mop]

Welp!! my son took two walkie talkies to school with a little presentation to show the class how radios work without needing a cell phone. He even mentions ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES....invisible friend to us radio guys/gals
Fred