NOTICE:  With recent security changes added to JAVA is has been geting increasingly difficult to offer the ER Index using the coding presented on this webpage.  Have no fear, we are working on a new method to bring you this searchable index as we move forward.  Stay tuned we hope to have the new ER Index soon.  In the meantime avoiding the updating of your installed JAVA seems to be the only way to keep the current code running on most user systems.  However, I realize this could also open you up to security breaches!  We will try to have the new index available ASAP.  

Don N9OO

The Java code and Index must load before the Search Window appears at the bottom of this page. Please be patient as loading depends on internet activity, connection speed and your computer.  In most cases it only takes a few seconds to load. Take time to read the search instructions below if this is the first time you are using this index search. Once all is loaded and running, it is fast! 

Java security protection may require you to approve the execution of an "Unsigned Application" from my URL http://www.radiolabworks.com.  Simply click the "Run" button to move forward.

If all you get is an empty box, in place of search index grid after the instructions below or you get a pop-up window blocking access to a file called "findittext" (the Java applet that runs this search)  then read my Hints to Running ER Index Search article.  This is a link to a Acrobat pdf file.

Don N9OO



How to use ER Index Search
1. Searches are performed on a column bases. Thus, to enter a search string move the mouse pointer to one of the yellow blank boxes (search boxes) located directly above the column label boxes and click the left mouse button once. You can now enter text into this search box.  You can enter separate search strings above each column. Multiple search strings will be AND'ed together. For example, if I entered "Collins" into the Article column search box and "97" into the Date column search box, I would see all articles containing the word Collins and with an issue date from the year 1997. Search text is not case sensative, so "COLLINS", "Collins" and "collins" will all produce the same search results. Also, keep test strings short and simple!  Entering "Multi Elmac" in the Article search box will produce zero finds.  However, simplifying it to mearly "Elmac" results in 11 finds.  As you can see the original authors often titled their articles using just the word "Elmac" or they properly hypenated the company name as "Multi-Eimac".  So remember simple search words or even partial words are best!  Please note the aforementioned quotes (") are not entered into the search boxes!

2. To begin a search click once on the box labeled  Search at the bottom left.

3. Click on Clear to clear out the display grid and search boxes.

4. Click on All to view the entire Electric Radio Magazine Index (Default on initial loading). Note, you do not have to display the entire index to perform a search. Searches are always performed on the entire index.

5. Click on Up or Down to move up and down one page at a time thru the index or search results. You can use the scroll bar located on the right side of the index window as a alternative to the up/down buttons. You can also drag the scroll bar by clicking and holding down the left mouse button and moving the pointer up and down along the bar. The aforementioned is a great way to move through the index fast!

6. At times the article title or other column text may exceed the length of a display column. You can place the mouse pointer to that particular grid box and click once. Then using the left or right arrow keys you can move the cursor bar (usually right) to move the unseen text into the displayable area.

7. On the lower left of the index window is a box which contains a number. Initially this number represents the total records in the index. However, after performing a search this represents the number of matches found. Only eight articles (or picture references) are displayed in the window at one time.


Electric Radio (ER) Magazine is produced by Symbolic Publishing, Inc. The publisher and editor is Ray Osterwald, N0DMS. ER was established in May 1989 by Barry Wiseman N6CSW, with the assistance of his wife Shirley, and has been distributed monthly ever since. In Late fall 2002 ownership of ER changed to Ray who continues the fine tradition of providing interesting reading to the vintage communications equipment user and collector. If you are not familiar with ER it is the premier magazine dedicated to the vacuum tube era of amateur radio. Each issue numbers close to 60 article pages relating to equipment, people and companies that influenced the growth of amateur radio in the past and present. Quoting from the magazine, "Electric Radio is dedicated to the generations of Radio Amateurs, experimenters, and engineers, who have preceeded us, without whom many features of life, now taken for granted, would not be possible."

Those interested in subscribing to Electric Radio magazine or obtaining back issues should drop an email to Ray:

E-MAIL: Ray Osterwald, N0DMS

or visit their website at the link below:



For questions regarding the execution of this search engine please email Don Buska, N9OO directly at the following:

E-MAIL: Don Buska, N9OO

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