{"id":53485,"date":"2022-07-19T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T13:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=53485"},"modified":"2022-07-19T09:36:32","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T13:36:32","slug":"fun-with-the-radio-boys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/07\/fun-with-the-radio-boys\/","title":{"rendered":"Fun with “The Radio Boys”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM<\/strong><\/p>\n

Back in April of this year (2022), I accidentally discovered The Radio Boys<\/em> series of books, many of which are available for free if you have an Amazon Kindle.<\/p>\n

These books, I believe, are intended for young adults, and, in my mind, they very much resemble The Hardy Boys<\/em> series of books: a group of high school friends have adventures and discover the wonders of radio together. Think \u201cThe Hardy Boys go all-in for radio,\u201d and you have the right idea.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you are looking for sophisticated plots, deep character development, and a lyrical turn of phrase, you will be disappointed. But if you a looking for a light-hearted adventure with deep enthusiasm for radio, I think you will be pleased.<\/p>\n

But what makes these books really cool is that they were written and copyrighted 100 years ago, in the early 1920s. Yes, some of the language and attitudes are somewhat antiquated, but what is fascinating is the window they offer on radio a century ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My knowledge of radio history is very limited, but it is my understanding that radio was just beginning to be popular in American culture in the early 1920s, The Radio Boys books reflect this. The first book, The Radio Boys’ First Wireless Or Winning the Ferberton Prize<\/em>, gives fairly detailed instructions for making your own radio receiver with materials you could get (in the early 1920s) from the local hardware store.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At various points in the books, The Radio Boys extol the virtues of radio: people could hear concerts in the comfort of their own homes or listen to baseball games; if there were radios in cars, travelers could keep track of weather reports; it was a novelty when a minister broadcast the church service; college professors could broadcast their lectures, and so forth. I find the books offer a charming perspective on what we take for granted today.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And, if you have an Amazon Kindle, many of The Radio Boys books are available at no cost.<\/p>\n

Click here to check out some of The Radio Boys<\/em> titles on Amazon.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM Back in April of this year (2022), I accidentally discovered The Radio Boys series of books, many of which are available for free if you have an Amazon Kindle. These books, I believe, are intended for young adults, and, in my mind, they very much resemble The Hardy Boys series of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[251,305,4796],"tags":[4099,4091,681],"class_list":["post-53485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-nostalgia","category-vintage-radio","tag-mediumwave","tag-radio-history","tag-vintage-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-dUF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":47424,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/don-discovers-a-treasure-trove-of-digitized-vintage-radio-books-and-magazines\/","url_meta":{"origin":53485,"position":0},"title":"Don discovers a treasure trove of digitized vintage radio books and magazines","author":"Thomas","date":"January 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Don (W7SSB), who writes: I thought these links might be of interest to your readers: https:\/\/www.qsl.net\/va3iul\/Files\/Old_Radio_Frequency_Books.htm https:\/\/www.qsl.net\/va3iul\/ Brilliant! Thanks for the tip, Don! Of course, another deep treasure trove is the World Radio History website.","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/books.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/books.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/books.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/books.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/books.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63592,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/von-shortwave-revival-and-new-vintage-radio-book\/","url_meta":{"origin":53485,"position":1},"title":"VON Shortwave Revival and New Vintage Radio Book","author":"Thomas","date":"August 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor David Iurescia, who shares the following two tips: VON DG pledges reforms, revival of shortwave broadcasting In a recent announcement, the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria pledged significant reforms, including a revival of shortwave broadcasting. This could mark an important step in restoring\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250805161238_vintage-radio-equipment-book-open-e1754647130851.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250805161238_vintage-radio-equipment-book-open-e1754647130851.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250805161238_vintage-radio-equipment-book-open-e1754647130851.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/20250805161238_vintage-radio-equipment-book-open-e1754647130851.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35589,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/01\/free-radio-e-books-for-download\/","url_meta":{"origin":53485,"position":2},"title":"Free radio e-books for download","author":"Thomas","date":"January 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Southgate ARC) There are a number of vintage radio and amateur radio related eBooks available for free download on the Gutenberg site Among them is the 1922 edition of\u00a0The Radio Amateur's Handbook\u00a0by A. Frederick Collins. Jarno de Haan @PA3DMI tweeted this link that will display the books available: http:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/ebooks\/search\/?query=radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/RCA-Vintage-Dial-1024x732.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/RCA-Vintage-Dial-1024x732.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/RCA-Vintage-Dial-1024x732.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30918,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/02\/mark-spots-a-vintage-radio-in-travelers\/","url_meta":{"origin":53485,"position":3},"title":"Mark spots a vintage radio in “Travelers”","author":"Thomas","date":"February 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post\u00a0contributor,\u00a0Mark Hirst, who adds the following to\u00a0our growing archive of radios in film. Mark writes: I'd spotted this radio in the Netflix time travelling series Travelers early on, but it was never in focus to nail a decent image. In spite of that, it does have a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Trevelers.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Trevelers.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Trevelers.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Trevelers.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":49864,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/08\/bob-colegrove-on-the-joys-and-challenges-of-tuning-analog-radios\/","url_meta":{"origin":53485,"position":4},"title":"Bob Colegrove on “The Joys and Challenges of Tuning Analog Radios”","author":"Thomas","date":"August 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Bob Colegrove, who recently shared this excellent article and has kindly allowed me to share it here in the the Post. Bob prefaced it by saying, \"Being a retired technical writer, I started the attached article some time ago for my own amusement, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Books"","block_context":{"text":"Books","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/books\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Bob-Colegrove-Book-1.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":60649,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2024\/09\/60649\/","url_meta":{"origin":53485,"position":5},"title":"Clear Channel Stations: Dan’s gateway into the world of DXing","author":"Thomas","date":"September 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to Dan Greenall, one of our dedicated\u00a0Shortwave Radio Audio Archive contributors, who shares the following guest post: Clear channel BCB stations \u2013 My Introduction to the world of DXing by Dan Greenall Sometime in the mid 1960\u2019s, I acquired a Japanese made AM only transistor radio similar to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "AM"","block_context":{"text":"AM","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/am\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WJR-Detroit-MI-1970.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WJR-Detroit-MI-1970.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WJR-Detroit-MI-1970.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WJR-Detroit-MI-1970.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/WJR-Detroit-MI-1970.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53485\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}