2002 letter to M. Simpson re E.G. Howard

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Information copy — Dale Barnes
                     W. 1 A. 1las.




                                     Sunday, 22 December 2002
Mike Simpson
21818 Via Regina
Saratoga, Ca. 95070
USA

Dear Mike,

Well we are a long way from the US, and we are called the Bass
Strait triangle (read Bermuda) as in the 1800’s the ships from
England were ending up on the rocky shores of King Island,
however today it is peaceful highly productive Island centred
around beef cattle and milking and of course the island's world
famous for its cheeses, we also few sheep here but as they say
the grass is greener, grows so tall, what they call a drought here
is really a good season in the outback.

I have lived here for four years after a retiring from Victoria, as |
lived there from the age of 14. | was born at Hobart Tasmania
and you shall see from the extract that | have enclosed, my
father died when | was just six years old.

The story of THE Midwest radio began with the trip my father
took to America and early 1934 ordered the set to be shipped to
Tasmania. | don't have the exact date he purchased the Radio
from Midwest radio Corporation as he was into all types of
radio’s, my memory goes back to about 1936 when he used to
set up the phonogram pickup unit in which he invented a unit to
accept the records as they were played, the method employed in
those days was the records were stacked, | think about 10 high
78x10” + 78x12” and they were played from the top and when
finished they were then lifted off and went down a special shoot
at the pickup would then go to the next record until the stack
was played.

| know that he had some trouble with speed of the motor in the
governing section, | think were spring loaded and hence a letter
went back to America for the information to solve the problem,
but unfortunately the next two years his health slowly
deteriorated and a lot are things just got put aside, but | must
note that one radio kit set 6 volt was in my position up to 1972
this was passed on to Earl’'s old friend of many years who still
still alive at the age of 93, up a few years ago he was running six ham radio
sets from his backyard, he is one of the old school that uses valve radio and
was never interested in the transistor style unfortunately at age 93 he has lost
interest and in no longer holds an operator’s licence.

Now the story on the wireless it was a 16 valve, 1934 model set in a tall free
standing cabinet and was quite a nice piece of furniture and way ahead of its
time, it was in our possession in Melbourne when | gave it to my uncle as he
did not have a radio and | was living in a rather small place

Unfortunately through the many shifts that we had, | never reclaim the set and
when my uncle died it was placed out of the garage for pickup, unfortunately
nobody told me at the time and years later | went back to the new owners but
they had disposed of it.

| was advised by my uncle's wife that the radio had failed we don't know why
but having spoken to Laurie some years ago he suggested that the only
problem was dried out condensers which was common of radio in that style.

 Most unfortunate when you look back over the years of things we take for
granted and this comes valuable in the years ahead | know because | owned
a Marmon Straight 8 single seater, it was the American Rolls-Royce because
its inventor Howard Marmon was an engineer 50 years ahead of his time, the
innovations that he created were still were still being invented in the 70’s and
80’s.

List of items enclosed
            Letter from General Industries Co. 26/3/1936
   NOOMON
        =




             Rebalancing instructions 16 V 1934 Model
            Instructions for connecting Phonograph
             Amateur Operators licence 6/12/1928 No 470
            Experimental licence 7 ET 23/9/1930 No 1018
            Wireless Listeners League of Tasmania notes 25/1/1927
            Extract- Pioneers of Tasmania. by Earl G. Howard

    These are all from my father’s files, hope you enjoy, I'm a mechanical
    engineer and have never been very good with electronics.

Regards

            o7 o