Classic radio dials

[dxer720]

I've recently started collecting radios. I now have radios from the 30s all the way to today.

Some of the radios have 2 odd marks on their AM dials. None on any of the other bands.

on my Zenith tube portable, the marks look like small circles with smaller triangles in each. This is the same for the dial on a Zenith TV/phono/radio HiFi.

These marks are simply triangles on the small front AM dial of my 2 dial GE AM/FM portable.

They're just red dots on a Stewart AM/FM transistor.

They appear at about the same frequencies (about 650 & 1250) on each of the dials.

Does anyone know what purpose they might serve. I don't think they are decorations.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tom Wells]

Conelrad. In the late 40's- early 50's, the "russians" built Intercontinental Ballistic missiles with "AM radios" tuned to
all our favorite big city stations , they'd just home in on our signals.

In the conelrad system, all stations had to be able to switch to 640 or 1240.
When the alert was activated, all stations remaining on-air were to switch to 640 or 1240, then
these were to be operated on a rotating cycle, on and off, thus confusing the missiles' homing devices.
It was hoped this would cause less lives lost than direct strikes to population centers.

This system was superceded by the EBS, the emergency broadcast system in 63 or 64, thereabouts.
It was determined that Soviets had built more sophisticated homing devices and the Conelrad scheme
had been circumvented.
Some radios continued to carry the markings into the mid 1960's.

I do recall reading that many transmitters did not behave well on their conelrad frequency.

 

[amfmsw]

You'll see those symbols on old photos and movies from the Cold War era on schools, subways, libraries and public buildings with basements. It was the symbol for Civil Defense, and you'll see some of those Conelrad dial markers with the "CD" in the center of the triangle.

Ok Tom, old timer...stop, duck and cover!

God Bless Ronald Reagan.

 

[LKellerIII]

You'll see those symbols on old photos and movies from the Cold War era on schools, subways, libraries and public buildings with basements. It was the symbol for Civil Defense, and you'll see some of those Conelrad dial markers with the "CD" in the center of the triangle.

Ok Tom, old timer...stop, duck and cover!

God Bless Ronald Reagan.

Those CD symbols on libraries and subways way pre-date the Reagan administration. They go back at least as far as the 1961 Cuban Missle Crisis (JFK was President), and probably to the early 50s, when the Soviets first developed atomic weapons.

I was in 1st grade in 61...they would blast the air-raid siren every day, and have us do those silly "duck and cover" drills. Many thought that the Soviet Union would not back down, and nuclear war was imminent. Even then, I knew that getting under a table and covering your head wouldn't protect you from an atom bomb, or radiation poisoning

 

[amfmsw]

Of course they pre-date Reagan. The CD system was put together by Eisenhower. But it was Reagan who ended the cold war so we could remove them. That was my point. I distincly remember Oct '61, and Kennedy's speech, live on radio & TV. My mom went to Mass everyday that week. First out of fright, then out of thanks.

In '61, our school had a shelter, and we explored it one day when left unlocked. Barrels of fresh water, sealed tins of Nabisco Saltines, and barrels labeled "carbohydrates". They were filled with lemon and cherry sugar coated candy drops. We filled our pockets like Napolian Dynamite with Tator Tots. The nun saw us handing them out to everyone in the schoolyard. Being in first grade myself at the time, we had had no clue of their importance.

It was the LAST time the room was ever left unlocked.

 

[w9wi]

You'll see those symbols on old photos and movies from the Cold War era on schools, subways, libraries and public buildings with basements. It was the symbol for Civil Defense, and you'll see some of those Conelrad dial markers with the "CD" in the center of the triangle.

Ok Tom, old timer...stop, duck and cover!

God Bless Ronald Reagan.

Those CD symbols on libraries and subways way pre-date the Reagan administration. They go back at least as far as the 1961 Cuban Missle Crisis (JFK was President), and probably to the early 50s, when the Soviets first developed atomic weapons.

I might guess he's referring to Reagan's previous career, before he got into politics...

 

[LKellerIII]

You'll see those symbols on old photos and movies from the Cold War era on schools, subways, libraries and public buildings with basements. It was the symbol for Civil Defense, and you'll see some of those Conelrad dial markers with the "CD" in the center of the triangle.

Ok Tom, old timer...stop, duck and cover!

God Bless Ronald Reagan.

Those CD symbols on libraries and subways way pre-date the Reagan administration. They go back at least as far as the 1961 Cuban Missle Crisis (JFK was President), and probably to the early 50s, when the Soviets first developed atomic weapons.

I might guess he's referring to Reagan's previous career, before he got into politics...

No, I get amfmsw's point. His point was a little cryptic, so I missed it; and I was glibly willing to think that he was younger, and didn't know the history. But if amfmsw was in elementary school in 61, he's about my age.

I was not a Reagan fan in the 80s, and I'm still not, for the most part. But in retrospect, I have to admit the Reagan administration played the Soviets perfectly - first building up the military to the point where the Soviets could not compete, then holding out an olive branch to Mikhail Gorbachev. I don't think the change could have happened in the era of Kruschev, Brezhnev, or even Adropov. Gorbachev was a very different kind of Soviet leader. But in retrospect, the Reagan administration deserves a lot of credit.

 

[KeithE4]

Conelrad was established in 1951, during the Truman administration.

 

[LKellerIII]

Conelrad was established in 1951, during the Truman administration.

Thanks...interesting. I believe the Soviets tested their first really viable A-bomb in 1954, but apparently they had been working on it since before WW2 - and had done some early atmospheric testing in 1949. So perhaps the US had good intelligence and established Conelrad in part to be prepared for the coming threat.

 

[crainbebo]

Yep, CONELRAD stations would go to 640 or 1240. But what would 640 or 1240 broadcast if a CONELRAD emergency went off?

 

[amfmsw]

Yes, Keith's right, Dec '51. There's a wealth of info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONELRAD

and hours of frightening fun and games here: www.conelrad.com

 

[ercjncpr]

Yep, CONELRAD stations would go to 640 or 1240. But what would 640 or 1240 broadcast if a CONELRAD emergency went off?

You mean if a CONELRAD emergency was declared? Well if their schedule was similar to the later EBS. it would have been in Priority Order:

1.-The President of The United States
2.-Local Emergency News
3.-State Emergency News
4.-National Emergency News