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Modern Radio
Laboratories® missing documents and literature |
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MRL Datasheets, handbooks and
some "Radio Builder and Hobbyist" can be found on the
Internet Archive |
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1963 MRL Catalog |
This catalog was shared in April 2022 by Jeff Schmidt
of Washington, DC. |
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When Radio Builder and Hobbyist #42
was published in 1955, Elmer stated there were 17 back
issues. These would include issues 25 to 41. Issues 1
through 24 have not yet been found.
In February of
2021,
the two MRL documents below were found in a binder in an
antique store by Mike Jones, KD9CNV. The binder was
filled with MRL publications and schematic diagrams. Mike scanned them and
donated them to this site. RB&H No. 34 is rare. Elmer lost
all his unsold copies in 1959 while relocating in Redwood
City, CA.
The binder once belonged to James D. Blyth, 940 Belmont Ave,
Chicago, IL. Obviously a fellow fan of MRL! |
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MRL Radio Builder No. 25 |
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RB&H No. 34 |
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In 2019,
the MRL documents below became available after a fellow
fan of MRL named Northe Osbrink donated scans of them to this
website. |
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RB&H No. 35 |
RB&H No. 36 |
RB&H No. 38 |
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Download, read, and enjoy these
priceless MRL publications. |
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Note: These copies may appear "light."
There are several reasons for this. First, either the ink
has faded or some of the text was gray instead of black. Second, the paper he used is thin. A scan
of a page shows what is on the reverse side coming through.
The paper has also turned a beige color. Scanner settings were adjusted to produce the
best copy possible. |
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In April of 2020, more MRL documents
(previously) lost to history surfaced, thanks to crystal set
fan Mark Everhart. Mark offered to scan these publications
and donate them to the site. His only motivation was to
share them with the rest of us. |
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RB&H No. 37 |
RB&H No. 39 |
RB&H No. 40 |
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Detail Print No. 32
No. 5 Double Crystal Set |
Detail print No. 37
Crystal Set Amplifier |
Detail print No. 42
AC Oscillator |
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Detail Print No. 51
No. 23 Combination DX Set |
Detail Print No. 55
No. 24 DX Regenerative Set |
Detail Print No. 60
Two Stage T.R.F. Amplifier |
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In May of 2020,
our friend Sloane Freeman scanned these documents.
They were found in a binder that was labeled "1964." |
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Detail Print No. 34
No. 10 All wave Crystal Set |
Detail Print No. 38
Six Watt Class B Power Amp |
Detail Print No. 45
No. 22 DX Marvel Crystal Set |
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Detail Print No. 46
# 30 DX Crystal Set |
Detail Print No. 50
No. 21 Local Selective Crystal Set |
Detail Print No. 52
No. 13 Variable Selectivity |
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Detail print No. 53
No. 27 Variable Selectivity |
Detail Print No. 54
No. 34 Wired Wireless System |
Detail Print No. 62
No. 6 Capacity-Coupled Crystal |
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Detail Print No. 65
No. 17 Pinole Special |
Detail Print No. 66
No. 20 Variable Selectivity |
Detail print No. 67
No. 25 Selective Crystal Set |
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Detail Print No. 76
Operator's Code Chart |
Old Detail Print Index
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More MRL documents |
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Radio Flyer No. 1
2 Pages. |
Radio Flyer No. 3
10 pages. |
Radio Flyer No. 6
8 Pages |
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Radio Flyer No. 15 (1962)
8 Pages |
Radio Flyer No. 23
11 Pages |
1972 Catalog cover page
Cover pages usually don't survive. |
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Detail Print No. 43
No. 26 All Wave Set (old version) * |
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*
DP-43 describes the No. 26 Single Dial All
Wave Crystal Set. It is marked "Rev June, 1963." This older
Version of DP-43
describes the "All Wave Crystal Set" but it
employs a vacuum tube! Thanks to Sloane Freeman for the
document. |
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THE MAGIC CRYSTAL |
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This advertisement was placed by one of Elmer's Competitors, Alva
F. Allen. Allen had been
selling
"Melomite Crystals" with instructions on how to build
your
own radio since 1932, the year MRL began.
Click on the add to see what you got for 25¢ |
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THE STAR TOY
MAKER
Elmer wrote that he read this book in 1912. From plans in
this book he and his brother Cyril made motors, bird houses,
a talking machine, electric bells, stilts, sleds, etc. Their
father made the kaleidoscope in the book using mirrors and a
lathe. This is described in Radio Datasheets Vol 6.
Click on the book to read it.
Note: it's a small book in
.PDF format. The
text is so small it is easier to read the .PDF version than
the actual book.
If you want to print a copy use
this. |
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Another MRL Mystery! This ad is from the
October 1936 issue of Modern Mechanix. It states you get a
year's subscription to "Setbuilders Data." Was "Setbuilders
Data" a publication? Was it actually "Radio
Builder?" |
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CAN YOU HELP? |
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We are actively searching for high
quality scans of the "missing" MRL documents.
Please
send email to
mike@mikesyard.com <cut>mike@mikesyard.com<paste> |
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A list of the "known" missing literature
follows. Some of it is over 90 years
old. This list keeps getting shorter and shorter!! |
MRL Oscillator
MRL Blue prints
MRL Radio Flyer
2, 4, 5, 7 to 14 and 16 to 22 (if they exist.)
MRL Radio Builder
Issues 1 to 33.
MRL Catalogs prior to 1963
MRL Detail Prints. The following are missing. The
ones with no description may not even exist.
DP-3 MRL No. 38 Crystal Booster
DP-5 No Description Available
DP-7 MRL No. 40 Crystal Set
DP-8 MRL No. 41 Crystal Set
DP-9 MRL No. 42 Crystal Set
DP-10 MRL No. 43 Crystal Set
DP-15 No Description Available
DP-17 No Description Available
DP-20 No Description Available
DP-40 No Description Available
DP-68 No Description Available
DP-70 No Description Available
DP-71 No Description Available
DP-72 No Description Available
A photo of an MRL plug-in coil with the colored band
on the top painted on.
A scan of Page 4 of HB-4 "MRL
1-TUBE D.C. ALL WAVE RECEIVER," with the tube type missing,
or the tube type stamped
on the page.
A photo, a part number, or even a recollection of the 4.3 volt mercury
battery supplied with the MRL No. 10. A search for any 4.3 volt battery by any manufacturer has so far been
fruitless.
Also desired are photographs of MRL kits and items sold
by MRL.
Do you have any of these, and would you like to share
them with the rest of us "old timers" and crystal
set fans? Please email
mike@mikesyard.com
Thank you. |
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STAMPS |
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Feb 1938 ad in Short Wave
Craft |
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1952 Radio Builder and
Hobbyist No. 34 |
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We have no information whatsoever on
Elmer's stamp collecting or as a sideline to MRL. Any
information would be welcome. |
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I would like to extend a sincere "thank you" to Don Knotts of Hillsboro,
Oregon for sending the coils,
documents and unassembled kits that were passed down to him
from his father.
Thanks also to tack, Peter
Bertini, Number 6, mrx, wazz, Bugman, and radiohenry
of the |
Antique Radio Forum, |
especially Number 6 (whose real name is
Ernest Allen), who supplied Mabel's passport application, the date the Osterhoudt's were married,
and arranged for the photo of the Osterhoudt's grave marker
to be taken.
Thanks to Sloane Freeman who supplied valuable
information about EO not found in his publications, as
well as 14 "missing" Detail Prints, and photos of his No. 2,
No. 18 and No. 26 MRL sets.
Thanks to Tom Philo for the picture of Elmer from the 1918
Compton HS yearbook. He obtained it at my request from
the City of Compton Collection, Gerth Archives and Special
Collections, California State University, Dominguez Hills.
The entire yearbook page is
here.
Thanks to Victor Rodriguez for obtaining photos of Elmer,
high school yearbooks, the
name of the church
where Elmer and Mabel were married, newspaper
articles, census records, and many other
details.
Also, thanks to Gary Schneider
(RIP 03/12/20) who somehow, some way, still had MRL coils
available on his |
website. |
Thanks to Northe Osbrink for supplying the 1973 MRL catalog
and Radio Builder and Hobbyist 35, 36 and 38
Thanks to Mark Everhart for supplying RB&H 37, 39
and 40, as well as half a dozen Detail Prints.
Thanks to Michael Jay Jones for supplying Radio
Builder No. 25 and No. 34.
Thanks to Doug Wilson for various pictures,
including the MRL Antenna Eliminator and MRL 1 Tube
and No.2 XTAL sets.
Thanks to Lois E. Ray of the Scotts Mills Historical
Society.
Thanks to Laverne Osterhoudt.
Thanks to Dave Osterhoudt.
Thanks to Don Holdaway for a snapshot of his MRL No.
26
Thanks to Pete Steinmeyer for contributing over a
dozen MRL handbooks and other publications.
Thanks to Donna Olson, daughter of Wilda Osterhoudt.
Thanks to the Bob Rydzewski of the Society of
Wireless Pioneers for supplying Elmer's application
form.
Thanks to Jeff Schmidt for the 1963 MRL catalog and
Radio Flyer No. 15.
Thanks to Quentin Schiltz for his photos of his 1938
MRL No.2 crystal set.
Thanks to Drew Matlovsky at the Oregon State
Archives |
Oh yeah, thanks to Scott of
"Scotts Crystal Radios," who doesn't know I stole
his picture of the MRL No. 2 |
Crystal Set. He's where you get
your headphones for your crystal radios. His website is
here. |
Thank you also to our Australian friend
Graeme Zimmer, who provided the list of MRL publications shown on Page 6
and the photos of the MRL Carborundum crystal. Graeme also
uploaded all of the MRL documents found on
worldradiohistory.com.
Thanks to Jim Kearman, who investigated Elmer Osterhoudt's
copyrights and found that they were owned by Elmer, not by his company, Modern Radio Laboratories®.
Since Elmer left no heirs, the copyrights would have gone to
his next of kin, who are also deceased. In any case,
publications copyrighted between 1923 and 1977 expired after
28 years. Elmer's last copyright expired around 1998.
Thanks to Paul Nelson for keeping MRL
alive into the 21st Century.
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