I mentioned that my parents bought me the Ladybird book of making a transistor radio by G.C.Dobbs. The only problem is where I lived, I couldn’t get the Jackson Dielcon 500pf tuning capacitor. With a bit of ingenuity I rescued a tuning capacitor from an old valve radio my Grandparents were throwing out. It worked!
So my hobby of radio and electronics was born and went on from there.
This is not actually my radio but apart from the tuning capacitor it was nearly identical.
As time passed, I used to go to the local library and borrow all the technical books on radio and electronics. Where I lived then in Blackburn, Lancashire there were 3 shops selling electronic components not including Tandy/Radio Shack where 1 resistor was more than my pocket money. Blackshaws on Darwen Street, Kennedy’s on Sudell Cross and Isherwoods on Accrington Road. Mr Isherwood used to get “Job lots” of strange components which were interesting and great for experimenting.
Blackshaws really didn’t have many new components like Kennedys. My Dad knew the chap at Blackshaws so he always looked out for me. Luckily Blackshaws had OC71 and OC45 transistors in stock because even in 1972 there germanium transistors in glass cases covered with black paint were becoming difficult to source. The new Silicon Planar transistors were all the rage.
