2 comments about Radios by Hallicrafters: With Price Guide (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. My first shortwave receiver, as a 12 year old, was a Hallicafters S-38. I thought it was a really impressive looking radio then and have always loved the hallicrafters looks and the performance of their top end receivers. Chuck Dachis has clearly wrote the most complete reference for all the products made by Hallicrafters. As a collector and restorer of tube type radios the book has been an invaluable reference. The only down side is I found more models and accessories that I would like to add to my collection. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves old radios.



2. For the thousands of shortwave listeners and hams who were introduced to the wonder of radio - this is a book that will re-kindle the wonder. For collectors of vintage TV's, BC table radios and military radios, no other reference details these rare products.

   Radios by Hallicrafters is logically divided into product prefixes. Most products have one or more pictures, with brief descriptions, production dates and orginal price. A useful index of market values is provided, as well as a history of the company and other Hallicrafters information.

   Chuck's love for Hallicrafters products is evident, and his book is well dog-eared by serious Hallicrafters collectors.

   - The Hallicrafters Collectors Association.

No comments about How to Repair Old-Time Radios.

2 comments about Valve Radio and Audio Repair Handbook (Newnes) (Newnes).

1. The 3-star rating reflects kind of an average between the useability for a British radiophile (probably 5 stars) and a US radiophile (probably 1 star). Though the book is well written and factual, it is written for the British radio enthusiast. Although all radios operate the same in any country, radio models, tubes (valves), test equipment and nomenclature in general are totally different in the UK than in the US. This makes it difficult to translate back and forth and I found myself trying to figure out what a particular term meant or what the equivalent US numbered tube might be. Not a quick read or reference if you're from west of "the pond."



2. ISBN 0 7506 3995 4

   An ever-increasing number of Electronics Engineers, born since the transistor (1955ish), are asked sooner or later to help with a "wireless" or amplifier which contains "valves", or "tubes". In spite of countless similarities, valve systems have many important differences; and advice about servicing them is hard to come by.

   But at last, here is a densely-packed book of advice, spiced with humour, reminiscences, and informed opinions - but only when and where they really help.

   Whilst a pedant might pick holes in some of the theory and treatment (misplaced dots and outdated units for example), the practical advice is invaluable and will save patience, fortune, and lives. (Besides, if we are working on gadgets where 4.7 m meant 4.7 megohms, better to say so. We are even told the alternative American notation.)

   If you are new to Vintage Electronics you will not be baffled by 50-year-old "slang", because commonplace terms are explained. But if you have been "at it" for 50 years you will not feel patronised. You will soon find out how much you "didn't know you had forgotten."

   Bill Jarvis

3 comments about Transistor Radios: 1954-1968 (Schiffer Book for Collectors).

1. I purchased this book to use as a reference. It is nicely printed and has wonderful glossy photos of transistor radios but it lacks a detailed index which would list radio maker with model number. If I want to find a particular radio I need to page through the entire book! I've thought of building an index myself using Microsoft Excel to relate manufacturer to Model number to page number in the book. Why couldn't the author Norman Smith have done this in the first place?



2. This book is chock full of very very good color pictures of many many transistor radios from the past that many will recall and remember, and some may still have these radios laying around and using them.A pleasing site for the eyes with some general information about these radios accompanying the pictures.



3. Mere mention of a radio in this book improves its selling price, and a big color photo--well, phew! Pretty much the pricing Bible, (along with Bunis books) Beautiful photos, a minimum of text, lots of radios. This would be the perfect collector's guide--the one you would want if stranded on an island, except for two things. First, there is no (bleeping) index. I made my own. And, second, since people really swear by this book, they sometimes get stubborn when buying or selling radios if the set's price does not meet, or exceeds the book value. This is not the fault of the author, so don't take it out on him. Times change. eBay is having its way with prices. Roll with it.

1 comments about Collector's Guide to Novelty Radios.

1. This book is beautiful - hundreds of full colour photographs and descriptions on transistor radios in all shapes and sizes from advertising/product shaped radios to robots. A must-read for those who love to collect novelty radios and need to know what the value is on them.

1 comments about The Complete Price Guide to Antique Radios: Pre-War Consoles.

1. If collecting old tube radios is an interest, this is a nice resource book that will point you to the gems that have value. Carry it with you to the flea markets and when you spot a potential piece of gold ... look it up! If it isn't in here, then you might go on to the next one ....

No comments about Evolution of the Radio, Vol. 1.

No comments about Evolution of the Radio Vol #2.

3 comments about Retro-Electro: Collecting Technology from Atari to Walkman.

1. Pepe Tozzo's Retro Electro sounded so cool that I preordered it sight-unseen. A good book on the topic of technostalgia is long overdue and I was eager to see what this self-described "only book to survey the trend" would contain. I now wish I had seen and browsed it beforehand. It's a neatly designed little book with some very nice pictures, but it is just falls too short of my expectations.
   
   There are only one or two items per page in this 8.8 x 8.6, 160 page book and the layout favors large, attractive photos over descriptive text. So in the end there were not as many items as I would have liked to have seen and the descriptions are sometimes not very substantial. I am more interested in obscure facts about the design, creation, function and uniqueness of these things. There are informative and enlightening entries here, but again, more in-depth information on a greater selection of items would have been nice. Also, in a world where collector prices change faster than ink dries, any attempt to print price guides in a hardbound book form seems pointless. So the price guide feature doesn't thrill me.
   
   There are way too many memorable electronic gadgets from our consumer past that are conspicuously absent. Missing are the giant Sylvania entertainment consoles of the 70s, Egg shaped 8-Track players, the Donut Phones, Soundburger (Mr. Disc) portable record players, quadraphonic headphones (yes, they exist) and various other classics. Heck, one could devote several pages to the dozens of groovy Panasonic portable radios and 8-track players of the 70s, but there are no "Dynamite" 8 track players or "Panapets" here... just the Toot-A-Loop is represented.
   
   I'm not particularly excited that items from the 90s and current decade are represented. We can see these kinds of things in retail stores or Sharper Image catalogs today. So I don't see why they should have such equal billing in this book. Though there is probably a good case to leave out items from the well documented 1950s and earlier, I would rather the book included good old Philco Predictas than Sony Playstations. Sure, there are a few things from the early 90s that are interesting, and yes, a cursory mention about what things today may seem retro later might be appealing, but I didn't buy this book to see full page spreads of a 2002 IPOD or a 2004 watch. Other items that seem out of place are things like Smartphones, PDAs, Star Trek Phasers and 2003 Dalek toys. Retro Electronics? Not in my opinion.
   
   The page layouts are attractive, the pictures are very nice and there was a strong effort made here to run the whole gambit of electronic collectables. Retro Electro may be more interesting to folks with only a light interest in this subject and it may serve as a good introduction. Also, if you like calculators there are plenty of neat ones in this book.
   
   Ultimately, there are many cool items in this book. But for every seemingly out of place item in here there are two old standards or obscure treasures missing, which leaves me feeling I should have gotten more out it.
   
   2 1/2 stars



2. The book's descriptions of devices are far too short, and the prices it lists were out of date the moment the book went to print. Useless to true collectors, this book will see only limited use as a conversation starter. It'd be a nice thing to leave for guests in the bathroom.



3. A wonderful look at the electronic marvels we have around the house, along with past playthings long ago left in the dust by ever advancing technologies. My only complaint is that this book barely scratches the surface of what could have / should have been included. Speaking for myself, I would have gladly paid a lot more money to get a book that gave me more to see. As it is, an hour after opening the book, you are done, wishing for more.

No comments about Old Radio Sets (Shire Albums).