United Electrical Manufacturing Company





Norcross

Little is really known of Horace Martin's activities in Georgia. Martin made Vibroplex keys from 1907 to 1908 in Norcross, Georgia under the name United Electrical Manufacturing Company. From 1908 to 1910 he operated out of Atlanta. The Atlanta operation was called Martin Mfg. Co., Atlanta. Very few Georgia bugs are found in collections these days. Exactly why Vibroplex moved around in New York and in Georgia is not clear. The picture is of a double lever United Electrical Manufacturing bug with a Norcross label.






What did these collector's items of today sell for off the shelf back when they were new? Click the price tags to find out!





The Sun and Radio

Radio propagation depends on the sunspot cycle. Sunspots come and go in about an 11 year cycle. The highs and lows vary greatly. The more sunspots, the higher frequency radio signal the ionosphere is capable of returning to Earth. With fewer sunspots, higher frequencies are lost into space.

Heliographs were used in Arizona and New Mexico during the Indian wars. The Indians would cut the telegraph lines, but couldn't thwart communication using mirrors and the sun. A shutter mechanism or a button to depress the mirror angle was used to send Morse code.


Check out a great Heliography site by James Riddle!



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