Watson's Radio Club

1953-54 - Heriot’s Radio Club re-founded. A founder member was Norman D H Murphy (SK 2015).

                        First project was a valve audio amplifier with pair of tetrode valves in push-pull.

" For myself, moving back in time just a little, my first interest in wireless and electromagnetic waves and all such things came in 1952 or thereabout when I found a book in the Heriot's school library – probably printed thirty years earlier – describing the wonders of very early wireless techniques.   This book explained the functions of crystal sets, and of such long-forgotten devices as the Self-Restoring Coherer, which was, as far as I could gather, a very early form of radio signal detector, probably invented before I was born and abandoned not long afterwards.   Nonetheless I was fascinated.   The whole concept of radio - or wireless, as we called it in Britain in those days - appealed to me.

I think it was in 1953 or early 1954 that Heriot's school started its very first Radio Club for after-school enthusiasts.    I was a founder member.   I think our first project, and the only one we undertook that year, was to build an amplifier.   Needless to say, it was a valve-based device of which I can remember little, except that the output stage was probably a pair of tetrode valves working in Class B push-pull.   (I ask you to forgive these minor technicalities; they are important to the historical progression of this note.)   I left school before the amplifier was actually finished."

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1954-55 - Sorry to lose Mr Jim Jardine (who moved to George Watson’s College); replaced by Mr Barr.

Exhibition including oscilloscope (I. Reid); cycle radio (J. Telfer); extensive survey of valves, past & present; many items of ex-government radio equipment.  Film on valve manufacture.

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1961-65 - Club met on Thursdays at 3:10pm in the radio workshop of the Physics Department.

                  Talks by club members on R/C models, “amateur broadcasting”, transistor radios & television.

                  Construction projects: oscilloscopes, guitar amplifiers, electronic locks (clocks?), transistor tester.

                  Mr Alistair Johnston (Physics) left (1965) and was replaced by Mr. Borthwick.

                  Secretary – Thomas J. Harrison, 5D.

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1970 – club seems to have stopped for some years around 1970.

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~1975 – club was re-formed by Chris Armistead, Gordon Mathew, Iain Gillespie, David Cockerill supported

               by Mr Bob Neil, Head of Physics