Over the years the CVRS Alberta Chapter has benefited from the expertise of members with literally centuries of combined experience in Radio, Communications, Power, Refinishing, Scientific research, Engineering, Electronics - you name it.  There’s probably been someone who knows about a particular field and was willing to share their knowledge and experiences.

The Alberta Chapter has an extensive video library of presentations from its monthly meetings and selected videos from this library are now freely available!  These are excellent presentations covering all aspects of our hobby, from historical talks on the history of radio, to the construction of plastic boxes for construction projects.  The first videos are available for viewing on our YouTube Channel now, and more will continue to be added.

You can access the CVRS YouTube Channel at

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKtFR79hlEtH00hcnIA6ttw

While you’re there, become a Subscriber and look for new videos – we’ll keep you informed as they’re posted!

The Fessenden Connection with Bob Fessenden

We are proud of the monumental achievements of world class radio pioneer, Reginald Fessenden, who at the turn of the twentieth century, many believe was the first in the world to invent AM radio and provide the first voice and music broadcast to a startled group of radio listeners who never thought that such a feat was possible.

This video is a celebration of that outstanding contribution and a wonderful opportunity to hear more about the Fessenden family and their thoughts about Reginald’s place in history as Bob Fessenden http://www.scienceadvice.ca/en/assessments/completed/science-tech/expert-panel/fessenden.aspx

provides us with some of the interesting background to the story that made radio history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yia90x1ie18&feature=youtu.be

 A Newbie’s Experience with Portable Tube Radios

A techie retires and finds time to return to the radio hobby he left 40 years earlier.  He relates his experience restoring a pile of portable tube radios that had followed him home from local radio club events.  Details apply mostly to Zenith Trans Oceanic’s, their batteries and their clones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxy5TPNbS3E

 The All-American Five

Don Killips takes us through a 3-part series on All American Five Radios: how they work, how they evolved, and some unusual quirks he has uncovered from his experience servicing them over his long career.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxy5TPNbS3E

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AebFRI6bfHs

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zsjkZjSJsg

 Vacuum Tube TVs – How They Work

Before flatscreens, before digital, even before transistors, the early TVs used vacuum tubes in circuits reminiscent of AM radios of the day. Our own Don Killips was a pioneer in servicing these vacuum tube sets and leads us through a detailed description of how they work, what test equipment is needed to service them, and his experiences operating a sales and service business.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm4v3FuDk-0&t=2s

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvMXz1019zE

 1MW Steam-Powered Radio Station

Built in the early 1920’s the Rugby Radio station in England was the largest radio transmitting station in the world. Designed as a very low frequency (VLF) transmitter, the station was designated GBR and used originally to transmit messages across the Commonwealth and later to submerged submarines during the cold war.  Our own Don Cheeseman worked there during his career and gives us an insider look at it’s history and it’s operation.

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lEwvrBqLDs

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdzMcj5ZBjI

 Who Invented Radio?

Who invented radio?  Was it David Edward Hugues in 1879? Amos Dolbear? (who?)  Nathan Stubblefield? J. C. Bose? Alexander Popov?  Our own Murray Dickerson, as well prepared with in-depth research as ever, leads us through a controversial look at the names, the exploits, and the achievements of the electrical pioneers during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  His conclusion?  It’s all in the videos - check them out!

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk6HDW0qYz8&t=8s

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xMxQG7F6FU

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWwcjBuiPhI&t=12s

Capacitor Testing and the ESR Meter

When is a capacitor not a capacitor? What is Equivalent Series Resistance anyway, and when is it important?  How do we measure it?  Gerry Shand of the Canadian Vintage Radio Society leads us through a look at capacitors, the myths and realities of their operation, and gives us practical examples of testing and using capacitors from his real-world experience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx3AwvWdIUs

Making Plastic Boxes

How often have you thought how much better your project would look in a custom plastic cabinet, or wanted a custom plastic box for parts? Gerry Shand of the Canadian Vintage Radio Society shows us it’s easy using common woodworking tools and leads us through an example of how he made a plastic enclosure for one of his battery projects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogl8z7MG9YM&feature=youtu.be

We have the full list of titles available as follows.  Please email our Alberta Representative to order.

We have the following titles available:

Presentation Date Sequence Title Presenter
2005-03-13 2005-1 History of Radio Don Killips
2005-04-10 2005-2 Electronics Murray Dickerson
2005-05-15 2005-3 Wood Cabinets Charlie Calarco
2006-09-18 2005-4 Who invented radio Murray Dickerson
2005-10-23 2005-5 All American 5 Don Killips
2006-01-22 2005-6 Plastic Radio Repair Dennis Vriend
2005-12-11 2005-7 Golden Age of Radio Mike Robichaud and Murray Dickerson
2006-01-22 2006-1 Transformers Don Killips
2006-01-22 2006-1 Battery Radio Power Supply Jim Wightmore
2006-04-16 2006-3 Vacuum Tubes Murray Dickerson
2006-05-28 2006-4 Primitive Radio Morley Edwards
2006-09-17 2006-5 The Theremin: History and Restoration John Williamson & Don Killips
2006-10-22 2006-6 A Complete 1937 Rogers Majestic Restoration Bill Elmer and Jim Wightmore
2006-11-19 2006-7 Quack Machines 1 Murray Dickerson
2006-12-17 2006-8 The Fine Art of Radio Alignment Don Killips
2007-01-21 2007-1 Northern Communications Frank Kiss
2007-02-25 2007-2 Quack Machines 2 Murray Dickerson
2007-03-18 2007-3 Practical Electronics Formulas for Radio/Audio Work David Thompson
2007-04-22 2007-4 Radio Fields and Energies that affect the Human Body Don Cheeseman
2007-05-27 2007-5 Vacuum Tube TV - How it Works Don Killips
2007-06-24 2007-6 Vacuum Tube TV - How to Restore it Don Killips
2007-10-21 2007-7 Radio Safety David Thompson
2007-11-25 2007-8 Northern Comm2 + Safety Frank Kiss
2007-12-16 2007-9 Steam Powered Radio Don Cheeseman
2008-01-20 2008-1 The Life and Inventions of Nikola Tesla Murray Dickerson
2008-02-24 2008-1b The Life and Inventions of Nikola Tesla - Pt. 2 Murray Dickerson
2008-03-16 2008-2 Early Radio Navigation and How It Worked Tom Savage
2008-04-20 2008-3 Rebuilding Television Picture Tubes Don Killips
2008-10-19 2008-4 A Radio Parable" LaLa Land Don Cheeseman
2008-12-21 2008-5 Before Superhets - 1 Murray Dickerson
2009-02-22 2009-1 Before Superhets - 2 Murray Dickerson
2009-04-11 2009-2 Modulation Don Cheeseman
2009-06-20 2009-3 High Voltage and Its Effects, Wirtanen Electric Don Cheeseman
2009-10-18 2009-4 Atwater Kent Murray, Bill, Jim
2009-11-22 2009-5 Radio Astronomy Bruce McCrudy
2010-02-21 2010-1 Stories from the North Gordon Wilson
2010-03-21 2010-2 The March of Tubes Murray Dickerson
2010-04-18 2010-3 Muchow Museum Tour Bill Elmer
2010-06-20 2010-4 How to Repair Transistor Radios Murray Dickerson
2011-02-13 2011-1 Gordon's Collection -Part A Gordon Wilson
2011-04-30 2011-2 Tropo Scatter Peter Hancock
2011-06-25 2011-3 Automobile Radios Bill Muller
2011-10-23 2011-4 Effective use of Tube Tester Murray Dickerson
2011-11-20 2011-5 Stark 9-66 Maintenance and Calibration Murray Dickerson
2012-03-18 2012-1 How digital TV Broadcasts work Evan Cameron
2012-06-17 2012-3 Reading A Tube Manual Like A Book Murray Dickerson
2011-11-18 2012-4 Design and Development of a High End Vacuum Tube Amplifier Murray Dickerson
2011-12-16 2012-5 Batteries For Your Antique Radio Alan Johnston
2013-01-20 2013-1 How To Protect Your Antique Electronics Murray Dickerson
2013-02-17 2013-2 Sound - The Journey From Mouth to Ear Don Cheeseman
2013-06-23 2013-3 Alberta's Electrical Regs and Radio Work Gerry Shand
2013-10-20 2013-4 Newbie Chronicles Gary Albach
2014-06-22 2014-1 Portable Logic Controllers Gerry Shand
2014-10-19 2014-2 The Newbie Chronicles - The Trouble With Portables (Transoceanic, Stratoworld and Hallicrafters restoration) Gary Albach
2015-03-22 2015-1 Just Remembering (Radio Men's stories from the far north) Gordon Wilson & Milt Watts
2015-06-28 2015-2 How to build plastic boxes for your projects Gerry Shand
2015-11-22 2015-3 The Fessenden Connection - 3 videos Bob Fessenden
2015-12-20 2014-4 Smart Battery Eliminator for Vacuum Tube Radios Gerry Shand
2016-01-17 2016-1 Using oscilloscope for radio work (2 part series) Murray Dickerson
2016-04-17 2016-3 Restoration ofa Philco 37-602 plus bonus session 2016-2, Capacitor ESR tester Greg Bilodeau and Gerry Shand
2017-10-15 2017-1 Restoration of Harman Kardon AX20 & HK250 Greg Bilodeau
2017-11-19 2017-2 European Tubes Murray Dickerson
201-01-18 2018-1 Restoration of a Philco TV37 Greg Bilodeau