BOB BALLANTINE'S GPR90

THIS FROM W8SU, BOB BALLANTINE:

These babies were made out on Long Island and were considered top of the line in the 50s. They also had a military contract and made a lot of money engineering radio and transmitting equipment for them and the amateur community.

1941:DVRA EXTRACTS

SEVEN MONTHS PRIOR TO THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR...THESE OLD DVRA NEWSLETTERS HOLD A CERTAIN FASCINATION. LIKE MY TRENTON NEWSPAPER COLLECTION, I NEVER TIRE OF PERUSING THE PAGES AND TAKING A TRIP BACK TO THE YEARS WHEN LIKE TODAY, THE TYPICAL AMATEUR WAS AN ELECTRONIC "TRAILBLAZER."

HERE'S RHODE ISLAND RED = TNX W8SU

Following i	s a note from Bob Ballantine, referring to his amateur radio experiences as a younger man in the Trenton area. Bob has been sending some really nice amateur radio memorabilia to me for on this site, (SEE THE ACCOMPANYING QSL CARD BELOW FROM "RHODE ISLAND RED," W2RIR. This website was established with the idea of touching on the fascinating past of central Jersey amateur radio, and the many friends we hams have had over the years.
THIS FROM BOB:
	Tom, my friend Margie K2UTS told me of your great work on area history. I am spending a lot of time here and appreciate what you are doing. I love wireless and area radio history, Mr. Raser and Carl Dannerth & Bob Singer were hero's to me when I attended THS in the 50s. I am searching for a picture of Mr. Dannerth but as yet can't locate anything. I got my chance there in Trenton and joined the CG and eventually Ohio State Highway Patrol. I look back with appreciation to my amateur radio heritage in Trenton, Thanks. Bob - Warren, Ohio W8SU

"THE BRETING 14"

RIGHT ON THE HEELS OF MY POST SHOWING STEVE CSORGO'S SHACK AND MY QUERY AS TO WHAT THAT STRANGE RIG WAS, ALONG COMES BOB BALLANTINE WITH THE ANSWER! WHAT A GREAT OLD RADIO! I WISH I HAD THE AFFLUENCE TO BEGIN A COLLECTION OF THOSE VINTAGE RIGS.

1975: W2QJO, PORTABLE 2, TROUT CREEK

I REMEMBER EVESDROPPING ON STEVE AS I WENDED MY WAY HOME FROM NEW BRUNSWICK BACK IN THE 60'S AND 70'S. WHAT A GREAT LOOKING SHACK! WHAT A GREAT PANORAMIC VIEW OUT HIS WINDOWS! DON'T MISS THE D104 LOLLIPOP!

1938: STEVE CSORGO BEFORE HE BECAME W2QJO

FROM THE CSORGO SIBLINGS STEVE, JR. AND KATHY, MORE ON SILENT KEY WQJO, STEVE CSORGO. HERE IS A FASCINATING SET OF PHOTOS OF HIS SHACK, THE SLOPING CEILING LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT HE HAD HIS EQUIPMENT IN A SECOND FLOOR BEDROOM.

CAN ANY VISITOR TELL ME WHAT THAT STRANGE LOOKING RIG IS THAT STEVE IS TUNING?

1949: (Circa 1949)WPTZ CHANNEL 3 PHILADELPHIA

BACK THEN IT WAS CHANNELS 3, 6 AND 10 AND A BIT LATER CHANNEL 12, WDEL-TV, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE. I WONDER HOW MANY VISITORS EMBIBED IN ONE OF MY FAVORITE PASTIMES KNOWN AS "TVDX." I REMEMBER THE THRILL OF RECEIVING WLAN-TV (?) CHANNEL 8 IN LANCASTER, PA. i'M NOT QUITE SURE IF MY MEMORY IS CORRECT BUT I THINK THE CALL WAS WLAN. AS I RECALL I ALSO RECEIVED WMAR-TV IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND WRVA IN RICHMOND. NOT BAD FOR VERY MODEST SINGLE STACK ARRAY FACTING THE SOUTHWEST!

THANKS TO BOB BALLANTINE FOR THIS
INTRIGUING VESTIGE FROM THE PAST.

2008: FASCINATING ED RASER FROM BOB BALLANTINE

Tom, you can still hear the fist of W2ZI Ed Raser today on vinyl or CD. What a Legacy he left us! In the 1960's Avant/experimental, electronic genius Vladimir Ussachevsky showed up on Mr. Rasers door step to record old style cw and examples of spark transmissions. Ed graciously complied and the recording track "Wireless Fantasy" is history. In the 4 minute plus recording Ed Raser sends various cw calls, Wannamakers Department Store WA, Then Radio Cape Cod DF a few other assorted things and Finally "AR GN" which meant end of transmission and Good Nite!

The recordings are very hard to find today and at least "Wireless fantasy" can be heard on the Internet with the following addressee. Click on Wireless Fantasy and have fun. It was a LP recording thus a few clicks but very intelligible.

w8su (ZUT) CW forever!

http://waxidermy.com/2006/06/19/music-for-electronic-older-instruments/

DF on the recording is the ID call of the
Manhattan Beach Radio Station, one of
the best known of the early broadcasters
with a range from Nova Scotia to the
Caribbean; WA NY is the ID for
Waldorf-Astoria Station which started
broadcasting in 1910; DOC DF DeForest's
own code nickname.
I have a PDF and will send it, you are
welcome to any of the material plus new
pictures OF Ed Raser in this months QST
under John Dilks section of Old Time radio.

W8SU

2008: "OLD FRIENDS ARE THE BEST FRIENDS"

HERE'S A FASCINATING STORY TOLD BY BOB BALLANTINE AND HIS REMINISCENCES OF SIDE DEITZ'S 49 PLYMOUTH AND ALSO SID'S MOBILE AM RADIO.

2008: BOB BALLANTINE REMEMBERS W2POC, GEORGE LECK

HERE'S ANOTHER HIGH PROFILE AMATEUR OF THE PAST FROM THE FILES OF BOB BALLANTINE. BOB WROTE:

George Leck W2POC of Princeton Corners NJ - RCA scientist and researcher, I met George through ham friend Bob Singer K2LEM mid 50s - George lived in a nice country home, older and plenty of space for ham radio. George liked CW and you could tell by his signal that he took pride in a clean sounding station. He maintained daily schedules with friends he met along the way especially in the evening hours. K2UTS in Trenton advised me of a huge Harley Davidson cycle would come into their back yard that Leck owned visiting her father K2LEM.

I found some good personal information about Mr. Leck from the David Sarnoff Library and listed our subject W2POC - In 1934 Irving Wolff and Ernest Linder of RCA's research staff in Camden were conducting restricted radar experiments at the Atlantic Highlands for the U.S. Army. The two scientists were testing an odd looking collection of apparatus - a transmitter a small receiver, an audio amplifier and two four foot dish shaped antennas. the Wolff/Linder research team was reinforced by RCA in 1937 by Rene Braden and George W. Leck (who moved on to historic achievement in the first microwave scanning radar equipment capable of displaying visually the distance and angle of the objects it detected)

Our subject W2POC was mentioned again involved with RCA Labs in Princeton NJ, as W.D.Harshberger accomplished prewar fundamental studies in useful effects of materials used in microwaves. Those pioneering studies were continued by a staff consisting of a team Dr. N.E.Norton, MS Eliz Bush and Mr. George Leck W2POC.

George has written prefaces in the art, Cryoelectric receiver techniques and microwave applications. By the way, his home address was "Grover's Mill Road" Do you remember the Orson Wells infamous 1938 Halloween broadcast of War of the Worlds?

The question as to who invented radar is likely to remain buried forever beneath a mass of conflicting claims, yet the work at Camden during the 1930s period clearly made a basic contribution to the effective development of the system. It was to have such a radical effect upon military and naval tactics in WW2, testifying to this contribution, the Navy awarded Irving Wolff in 1949 the highest honor it can bestow upon a civilian - the Distinguished Public Service Award -- George W2POC expired October of 1982 at Princeton Junction. One of Mr. Leck's sons is Dr. Charles Leck retired professor of ecological sciences who can be found giving young people tours on the ornithologist trails at the Hamilton-Trenton Marsh. Before Geo. expired he picked up a call change to a K2 extra class style which I've forgotten but still appreciate W2POC. Statements and QSL aided by K2UTS. W8SU

1949: SID DEITZ, IS THIS FAMILIAR?

HOW WELL I REMEMBER THAT AUTOMOTIVE FOURSOME BACK IN THE 40'S AND 50'S: PLYMOUTH, DODGE DESOTO AND CHRYSLER! ONE OF THE SADDEST EVENTS OF THE CENTURY WAS AMERICA'S AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING DECLINE. I REMEMBER BACK IN 1949 OR SO, WHEN SIMCA, OPEL, DATSUN, AND OTHER FOREIGN AUTOS BEGAN TO COME IN TO AMERICA. I DIDN'T KNOW IT THEN, BUT IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE END FOR HUDSON, NASH, KAISER-FRAZER, AND PACKARD. THE GAS PRICES CAN'T BE SEEN IN THIS PHOTO, BUT I WOULD GUESTIMATE THAT IF THEY WERE, YOU WOULD SEE THAT IT WAS 19.9 PER GALLON! HOW DO I KNOW? THAT WAS THE ERA WHEN I WAS OF "CRUSING" AGE. YOU DO REMEMBER CRUISING, DON'T YOU?

THIS BEAUTIFUL PHOTO CAME TO ME COURTESY OF BOB BALLANTINE, A NEW FOUND HAM RADIO FRIEND WHO IS SHARING SOME VERY INTERESTING HISTORIC/NOSTALGIC ITEMS FROM "THE GOLDEN YEARS." BOB RECALLED THIS VEHICLE AS SIMILAR TO ONE OWNED BY SID DEITZ FROM HIS YOUNGER YEARS AS A TRENTON AREA RESIDENT WHEN SID WAS A PIONEER MOBILE OP.

UHH.....LET ME SEE....WE WERE YOUNG ONCE WEREN'T WE? IT SEEMS SO VERY LONG AGO. THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES BOB! I HAVE ALSO POSTED THIS ON MY MAIN WEBSITE, WWW.GLOVER320.BLOGSPOT.COM.

2008: BOB BALLANTINE - W8SU - RECALLS ANOTHER LOCAL HAM D

Hey Bob: As long as you have all these wonderful memories of your amateur radio years, I'm sure you won't object if I share your impressive retrospectives with the visitors to this site. Your submission recalling Sid Dietz and his ' 49 Plymouth are equally interesting. I am having problems with the graphic, but I will eventually get it on this site. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT; PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTRIBUTE AS YOU RECALL OTHER MATERIAL FROM THE PAST.
TOM GLOVER
===========================******************==========================

FROM W8SU:

Tom, here is a gifted Trenton Area amateur W2HX A.G. Wentzel Jr 1904-1995 Affectionately known as "BB" - Wentzel expired at age 91 in 1995 - He was born in Philadelphia and resided in Trenton since 1912 - A grad of Trenton School System and the School of Industrial Arts - now Mercer county Community College. BB completed a four year technical course and three years of evening classes in electrical engineering. Mr. Wentzel taught electrical engineering laboratory at the School of Industrial Arts for 36 years.

WW2 came along and he was a field engineer with Aluminum Company of America. He later joined Princeton Univ Palmer Labs for telemetering of unmanned missiles and airplanes. At wars end transferring to Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory as an electrical engineer and designed a power sub-station for the hydrogen fusion project. While at the University he designed and built the transmitter for measuring the pressure of the atomic bomb drop at Bikini Atoll.

After his retirement from the fusion project he was in charge of the communications for Mercer County Radio System, which included the highway department, airport and sheriff's department for 18 years. He was a volunteer with the Office of Emergency Management for 30 years.

Mr. Wentzel was one of the oldest radio operators in the U.S.A. licensed in 1919 continuously with 2HX. In 1920 he built the first radiophone station in the world equipped with two way radios for the Trenton Fire Department. Our subject was the oldest continuous member since 1922 of the Engineers Club of Trenton, the 1989 recipient of the Certificate of Merit Award, life member of IEEE, AMSAT, SOWP, QCWA, DVRA of Trenton and also a fellow in the Radio Club of America. He was awarded a 75 year plaque by National QCWA as a licensed radio amateur. His gift and talent was enormous.

Your author had worked BB many times on 75 Meter Phone in the 50's especially on Saturday mornings on the old AM group. He was cordial and always helpful. Partially scripted from QCWA Chapter 5.

W8SU 2008

1940'S: A WFIL-TV TEST PATTERN!

I'LL NEVER FIGURE THIS ONE OUT! BOB BALLANTINE SENT THIS VERY FAMILIAR TEST PATTERN FROM WFIL-TV AS IT APPEARED DURING THEIR OFF THE AIR HOURS. DUE TO THE EXTREME CLARITY OF THE IMAGE, I WOULD ASSUME THAT IT CAME FROM A RECENT PUBLICATION. THANKS, BOB! I REMEMBER IN THE EARLY YEARS OF COAXIAL CABLE TELEVISION, TURNING ON MY 10" ADMIRAL TV AND DX-IN THE TV CHANNELS. I RECALL RECEIVING THE TEST PATTERN OF WDEL-TV IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, AND WLAN-TV IN LANCASTER PA. WHAT A THRILL!

1938: THANKS AGAIN BOB BALLANTINE!

THANKS TO BOB BALLANTINE FOR THESE TWO ADDITIONAL QSL CARDS FROM THE LATE, GREAT ED RASER. IF ANY OTHER VISITORS TO THIS SITE HAVE MATERIAL OF THIS TYPE, EMAIL IT TO ME AT homglo@verizon.net. LET'S KEEP THE RADIO PAST ALIVE.

2008: FROM A REAL, GENUINE, AMATEUR OP!

THIS INCREDIBLY INTERESTING EMAIL FROM BOB BALLANTINE (W8SU) AND FORMER W2RIE CAME IN THIS MORNING'S EMAIL BOB, THIS IS LIKE GETTING AN EMAIL FROM THE GREAT BEYOND. THANKS SO MUCH FOR WRITING. I WILL CERTAINLY TAKE THE TIME TO VISIT WWW.W8JYZ.COM AND VISIT WITH MY FELLOW MORSE INTERCEPT COLLEAGUE.

Tom, what you are doing is priceless! Keep up the good work. I came thru Trenton as a boy in the 50s -- got my Novice ticket and then 1958 General class (W2RIE) I'm now W8SU and a lot of mileage. Sid Dietz is an old friend, bless him, I used to talk to him on his noon break on 75 Meter phone, he operated in his car out in the lot and I was at home on Hamilton Avenue with a cheap Knight Kit and army surplus receiving gear wondering what I would become in life. Soon I knew.

I have a lot of data on the www.w8jyz.com internet page and one you might like is Sgt Johnny Cash, USAF Intercept Operator. Scroll down on the left side and click on him.

I have made it a habit to write about VIP hams and everyday people who have influenced me over the years and tributes. Because of ham radio, it kept me off the streets and gave me direction and many life long friends. If there is a picture of Carl Dannerth W3LH in any Trenton HS publications, I'd appreciate one, would insert it on his tribute page that I wrote. Carl was a long time, well respected THS teacher who is a silent key.

By the way, I noticed the R390 that you fondly speak of, it was a top secret receiver early on and the USS Pueblo (Elant) ship had several racks of them. They were not destroyed and the ship is on public view in North Korea.

I considered Ed Raser a personal friend. I only wish his extensive collection remained in Trenton but that is ancient history. He was a Society of Wireless Pioneer of which I also belonged and had many fond hours over the years chatting with him. His wife Polly was also a pioneer ham. Ed talked about stringing a wire along the river bridge in the early radio days, the bridge that has the "Trenton makes" sign, he said it got out well on the air!

Radio is my life and recently I put together a Elecraft amateur HF kit, I no longer lament Heath Kit going out of business, Elecraft out of California is the real deal! It is a fabulous kit and as good or better than any imported rig on the market! and I doood it myself! It is the K2 and I've got a special serial number, yes - 6 1 4 6 - the old power tube that we grew to love over 50 years. One word to the wise, the Kw is sweat equity, don't undertake unless you mean business. My old eyes could not do the job, I needed a desk mag lite. It took two weeks of extensive wiring and a final tune up and I was amazed and pleased to say the least.

I have a WTNJ story, TNJ always ran low power and the tower just outside of town was not very high, they would run weekend contests where one would call in and win a hour or two on the air and you played disc jockey. I won two sessions in the 50s, I can't remember the location but the studio was a two story home, residential type, somewhere near the State Prison. the Gent on duty was a friend of Bob Keesham who became Capt Kangaroo! I've often wished I could remember who the guy on duty was then, he was polite and understanding to a kid.

Regards, keep well and hope to hear from you Sir!

Bob Ballantine W8SU -- Warren, Ohio formerly W2RIE and former active USCG radioman and former Ohio State Highway Patrol. E-gads, I'm getting old.

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1910: THEY HAD "BANANAS" IN THE EARLY YEARS OF RADIO, TOO!

SEE, EVEN IN THE EARLIEST YEARS OF "WIRELESS" THEY HAD THOSE DREADED "BANANAS" WE HAMS HAVE ALL COME TO KNOW AND LOVE. THE BIG BLACK RECTANGLE IN THE GRAPHIC REPRESENTS A MISSING LINE OR TWO IN THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE. IT DOESN'T SHOW IN THE SCAN, BUT THE ORIGINAL PAGES ON MY 1910 VOLUME ARE REALLY IN SAD SHAPE. I WAS ABLE TO BRING 98.9% OF THE GRAPHIC BACK BUT THE BLACK RECTANGLE REPRESENTS A TEAR IN THAT AREA WHICH ELIMINATED A COMPLETE LINE.

1938: FROM THE STEVE CSORGO W2QJO COLLECTION

KATHY AND STEVE BROUGHT A NUMBER OF STEVE CSORGO'S AMATEUR RADIO MEMORABILIA TO THE LIBRARY THIS WEEK. THE GRAPHIC ABOVE IS A VIGNETTE OF A FEW OF THE PHOTOS FROM THE LATTER 1930'S. I WILL BE POSTING OTHER CSORGO-RELATED GRAPHICS IN FUTURE POSTS AND AS TIME PERMITS. STEVE JR. ALSO BROUGHT SOME VERY INTERESTING STEINERT AND GRICE MATERIAL WHICH WILL BE POSTED ON WWW.GLOVER320.BLOGSPOT.COM. OVER THE MANY YEARS I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING, MY INTEREST WAS ON KUSER SCHOOL AND HAMILTON HIGH WHERE I WAS A STUDENT. I HAVE PITIFULLY LITTLE ON STEINERT AND GRICE. FOR SOME STRANGE REASON THE POWERS THAT BE AT STEINERT DO NOT WANT TO SHARE THE CONTENTS OF HISTORIC YEARBOOKS FROM YEARS PAST. WHEN SUPREME COURT NOMINEE SAMUEL ALITO WAS APPOINTED, I RECEIVED CALLS FROM CNN, ABC, MSNBC AND FOX NEWS; ALL REQUESTING A PHOTO. UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD NO STEINERT YEARBOOKS IN MY LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION.

Circa 1960 VIKING RANGER

trIt will take a radio guy with far more knowledge on the evolution of amateur radio to determine the age of the Viking Ranger . When I entered the fraternity in the early 1970's, there were still a number of hams who were using the "Viking." I wish I were financially able to start a museum for some of these classic rigs. I can't even begin to recall all the radios I have owned over my lifetime. I do remember my very first ham transmitter. It was an Eico 723 CW. For extra dollars, one could add a modulator to that Eico. I also had a Swan 350 which I procured back in the late 70's or early 80's from a ham buddy, Doug Mertz, K2ITX.