Homebrew Popular Mechanics Knockabout Super Tube Portable Radio

My rendition of this radio–taken from the June 1950 Popular Mechanics article.

It was a four tube battery superhet designed to fit into a standard lunchbox of the time.

I found the exact vintage lunchbox and built it up using parts from a couple of Emerson and Silvertone portable radios.

Uses a 467 B battery and a couple of C cells for the A battery.

At first, it squealed and like crazy, so I put it away for a few years.

A couple of days ago, I decided to give it another look. I did a better job aligning it, and to my surprise, the thing works!

Could use some improvement, as it’s still borderline squeggy, but it works and I’m gonna let sleeping dogs lie.

Duration : 0:6:52

[youtube 8G0bW0MFVYg]

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm and is filed under portable radios. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “Homebrew Popular Mechanics Knockabout Super Tube Portable Radio”

AG3304 on April 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm

Nice job!lt really …
Nice job!lt really looks like it was made back then too.
spannerworks1 on April 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm

Bill

Great set and …
Bill

Great set and love the steel case

Warm regards

Richard
spatsbear2 on April 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm

Awesome! Nice work …
Awesome! Nice work
coolbluelights on April 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm

that’s so cool! …
that’s so cool! I’ve always wanted to build the projects in these old magazines but parts are sooo hard to come by
maplewoodsp on April 3rd, 2010 at 6:09 pm

This is very cool. …
This is very cool. Somewhere in my dad’s basement there is a 2-tube radio that was on the cover of a magazine in the 50’s. I recall seeing the magazine many years ago, and dad had bought the kit. I need to scour the basement to find that darn thing. In your search of old magazines, have you ever seen what I am describing?

Radios