Vintage Television and Radio Stuff

Hi -- I'm Mark. The history of television technology is my hobby, probably because I'm an electrical engineer and a child of the Television Age. The technology of television always interested me more than the programs, and the history more than the art. My pages here will reflect some of those interests, and whatever other passing fancies I might have. So there's no TV programming stuff here, just hardware.

Charles Francis Jenkins and his 1929 Televisor I have another site about the History of Television Technology originally on AOL, which is quite old now (it needs more maintenance than I've given it, alas), but has some interesting links to the history of early television (1900-1955). Yes, television did exist before we Baby-boomers were born!

Astatic BT-1 Booster This site will contain a lot more images of early (late 1940s to early '50s) TV-related stuff. The biggest part of that is a separate site about my collection of TV Signal Boosters and UHF Converters, what I call "TV boxes." These are the earliest accessories for television sets, and they sat on top of the TVs and provided enhanced features -- the predecessors to today's set-top Cable boxes. I have a litle info on early Remote Controls too.

1951 GE TV set To go with the TV boxes, one must have a TV of the appropriate vintage. I've acquired 3 such sets now. First is a 1951 GE, model 12C107, with a 12 inch screen. And a friend gave me a Motorola 12T1, a 12 inch table model from 1950. I also have one of the ubiquitous Motorola 7-inch portable sets -- a model VT73 made in about 1948, bought for $35 at a junk shop. Pictures when I get it dug out from my storage room!

1939 Silvertone model 3351 And I've set up a page for my personal collection of old radios, both tube and transistor. Being involved in the old TV hobby, it was almost inevitable that I'd get involved in old radio, I guess. They're rather appealing, and a lot more available than old TV stuff, and take up less room per unit. I have far too many of them, though!

I have plenty of other enthusiasms. Little cars, Ham Radio, cartoons, etc. are all gathered on, for lack of a better term, my Miscellaneous page.

From time to time some items in my collection are available for sale or trade. See my Items For Sale page and make me an offer. Start your own collection!


You can email me at k8zhd@yahoo.com
Please come back and visit again soon.

Established June 1999

Updated July 23, 2015