Monday, October 16, 2017

The battery and transister

                                           Historical Photo
The 36 men it took to fly the B17e in 1942
TODAY BREAKING NEWS: MAVERICK DAVID DARNELL discovered america around 4 AM Oct 16th. Healthy, handsome dude and mama is well.
(I stole this picture from his Aunt Sherece's FB)

In my early life the main things that required batteries were flash lights. Most of those batteries were size D, the big flashlight. My brothers had a radio that they could run off a car battery in the late 1940’s.  I remember listening to fights featuring Joe Lewis, the Brown Bomber in the woods outside Shelby, NC when these WWII vets were building their first homes.

Oh,  I went big time and had a bike with a horn, two more D cell batteries.

 I had a neighbor in Albemarle who saved enough ‘Blue Horse’ wrappers from notebook paper to send them off and get a bike with a battery powered bike radio. It was hooked to the handle bar of the bike. 4 D cells it took. That was in 1950.

Ah but, thought invented in 1947 it was the mid to late 50’s that the term ‘Transistor Radio’ became part and parcel of our English language. By 1960-1970 billions of transistor radios were produced changing the news and music world. With the transistor radio kids (and adults) could listen to music all the time. That device was pocket size. I didn’t get one until I bought a used one in 1968-69 we enjoyed it until we had been to Virginia Beach and leaving, I left the radio on top of the car. My stomach did flips when I saw it slide off into traffic and go into a million pieces. I don’t think we ever owned another.

In 1954 a transistor radio cost was equal to $900 today. Even back in 1962 the best price was $15, equal to over a hundred today. We thought that was fast for technology back then, now someone will put something new on the market and in a year it can be outdated.

WHAT WAS UNIQUE about the Transistor?  Most people alive do not remember when you turned the radio on, it took over a minute, at times to warm the tubes up enough to play, the transistor gave instant music, no warm up time.

Now millions of devices are powered by batteries. My implant devices are powered by 6 small batteries. The heart pace maker is powered by a battery that must be surgically changed. Fortunately my implants do not require surgery, they contain no batteries, other than the external ones, thank goodness.

I am sure you use batteries.  Thank goodness God made this body to operate without batteries. FOOD fuels our motor.  Sometimes we like too much of the fuel.

Now today’s medical information of our wonderfully made body:
The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.
The egg is actually the only cell in the body that is visible by the naked eye.

I published that for us boys. How does it feel to know the lady has something much bigger? (Even better, MO, God knows we need a big target!)

Nite Shipslog
Chrsyler was the first to install the transistor radio in 1955

10 comments:

Mevely317 said...

Congratulations, Jack and Sherry! Maverick is truly a beautiful newborn.

How I remember the excitement surrounding transistor radios! My dad was so proud to carry his. Mother made him a little Kelly green felt 'jacket' that he kept in his metal lunch box. No doubt, it providing welcome company on those lonely (security) third shifts spent in the high desert.

Paula said...

Precious little baby to your family. Batteries are something we seem to use a lot of especially double AA's.

TARYTERRE said...

maverick is handsome, indeed. my little red transistor radio brought me much happiness.

betty said...

Congrats to all on Maverick's safe arrival!! What a cutie!! Loved my transistor radio. Listened to it for hours!

betty

Jean said...

Congratulation! Maverick is a handsome little guy

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

Congrats to all and welcome to the world Maverick! He is a very precious little one for sure ! I can still remember the 1st transistor radio I had. I got it for a Christmas gift one year. Yes thankfully we don't need batteries, but food instead...I'm one that powers up more than I should. Ha! Hope you all are enjoying some beautiful days there especially on the new screened porch! It's cool but sunny in Ohio today !

Lisa said...

Well, you had me at the baby. What a cutie pie! I have a great-nephew due on Christmas Eve.

Working
Lisa

shirl72 said...

What a beautiful Darnell Baby...The Darnell will keep going in History. Glad to have more
Boys to keep the name going. Don't forget about Beautiful Stella.

Dar said...

Congratulations Great Grandparents, Gramps, Parents, and the entire Darnell clan. What a precious gift God has blessed you all with and so handsome!
As for the transister radio, coming from such a mess of siblings, we had to share, of course, but never did mind. I'd rather'd be riding my horse but liked listening to music in the early evening. Now days, wow on everything needing batteries or cells of one kind or another. I'm glad to see our kids buying board games, mostly the old ones, for their game night each week with their kids. I Love to see it!
love n' hugs....from way up here...

Sheila Y said...

Congratulations on the new great grand! Yes it has been awhile but we are still here. I've been reading and catching up. Sending love from NC, Sheila