Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio)

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Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 18, 2021 1:59:23 GMT

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Post by Boomer on Feb 18, 2021 1:59:23 GMT

Remembering Rush Limbaugh: Bombastic Entertainer Who ‘Revolutionized American Radio.’

Rush Limbaugh is being remembered as a talk radio pioneer, the savior of AM radio, a persuasive communicator and bombastic entertainer who shaped politics and made friends with millions of Americans through the power of radio. Former Presidents, media moguls and fellow talk show hosts paused Wednesday afternoon to reflect on Limbaugh’s unparalleled career and indelible impact as his golden microphone went silent.

Widely credited with reviving AM radio, Limbaugh and his partners launched “The Rush Limbaugh Show" Aug. 1, 1988 with 56 radio stations, and in just a few months, an additional 100 affiliates were added, paving the way for the expansion of the talk radio format. “The Rush Limbaugh Show” marked its 32nd year in national syndication in August 2020.

More: www.insideradio.com/free/remembering-rush-limbaugh-bombastic-entertainer-who-revolutionized-american-radio/article_33592988-7145-11eb-871d-0baa97824f64.html

One of the early times I heard Rush was on a car trip across town to my uncle's house, and Rush was on a 5 kilowatt regional station at that time, and was new to town. He did 'condom news' with a theme song Up Up And Away (in my beautiful balloon) by the Fifth Dimension. I hadn't heard that before, combining political talk with radio DJ style humor with music editing and bits. I came to appreciate what a good orator he was, always in control of his voice.

Some sites are saying he invented talk radio, but I should say that I heard plenty of talk shows on the air before Rush started his network, though most were done by hosts with local news and lots of phone calls in a town hall meeting style. Larry King was nationwide too, and had been on-air ten years before Rush, but he focused on interviews.

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Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 19, 2021 19:42:09 GMT

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Post by Boomer on Feb 19, 2021 19:42:09 GMT

Rush Limbaugh Biography

By the time he was 8 years old, Limbaugh had set his sights on a career in radio. His father, however, had a more stable career in mind for his son. "I said, 'Pop, I love this. I know I'm great at it. I'm gonna get even better,'" Limbaugh remembered. But Rush Limbaugh II remained opposed to his son's goal, and because of it, Rush soon was viewed as a rebel to the rest of the Limbaugh clan.

"Perhaps if there was a black sheep in our family, it was me, because I never—I've never been a conformist," Limbaugh later said, adding, "I was hugely rebellious. I hated school because it's what everybody else had to do. I hated being locked up from the second grade on in a room. ... The guy on the radio's having fun ... he's not going to some room having to learn to paste."

Though Limbaugh's family frowned upon his aspirations for a career in radio, they didn't completely ignore his passion for broadcasting. At the age of 9, Limbaugh received a Remco Caravelle, a toy radio that could transmit on AM frequencies up to 500 feet away.

"I would take this up to my bedroom and play records and play DJ ... to the house, and my mother and dad would sit down and listen to me. ... The quality was horrible, but I was on the radio," Limbaugh recalled. As for why he believed his family had a change of heart about his pursuits: "I had quit the Boy Scouts and the Cub Scouts. I was a quitter. ... This was the one thing I didn't quit, so they ... indulged it, because, 'At least he's showing he'll stick-to-it-tiveness.'"
Early Radio Career

Limbaugh landed his first radio job when he was in high school; using the pseudonym "Rusty Sharpe," he worked as a DJ for the local station KGMO (co-owned by his father).

From: www.biography.com/media-figure/rush-limbaugh

I thought to use that quote, because most articles start with his move to WABC and syndication, but just touch lightly on his DJ beginnings.

He worked at his dad's station, then later in Pittsburgh Top-40 radio, at WIXZ 1360 and later at KQV 1410, a 5 kilowatt regional station His first REAL DJ gig was on his Remco Caravelle transmitter receiver! I believe I first found out about the Remco right here on the ALPB.

Here are some pictures found on a Startpage image search for the Remco.

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mark Life Member Posts: 1,011	Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 19, 2021 20:22:20 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by mark on Feb 19, 2021 20:22:20 GMT 500ft just with the telescoping antenna? That was not bad. When were those made, early 60s? Heathkit had something too I think back then.

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Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 19, 2021 21:26:08 GMT

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Post by Boomer on Feb 19, 2021 21:26:08 GMT

500 feet does seem pretty good, maybe transmitters at the time had some oomph, especially that one, it's very fancy for a toy broadcaster, and it had to compete with others like the Knight at that time. That was made for maximum kid appeal.

I would have added an 'On Air' sign for the door, stick-on letters to customize the station with your call sign, and an official junior broadcaster's license to sign, all stuff I would have wanted with a kit like that.

It seems like they neutered the range on later kits a good bit, like the transistorized kits from Radio Shack and the Wild Planet Radio DJ, those go 30 feet at most.

Rush would have been 9 when he had the Remco, around 1960. He mentions bad sound, it might have had a crystal mic.

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Admin Administrator Transmitting to the Universe and Beyond Posts: 1,353	Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 20, 2021 23:12:02 GMT via mobile Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Admin on Feb 20, 2021 23:12:02 GMT I had one in 1962. Now I have two! 500 feet? Well maybe 100 and not stable on frequency but still, what a thrill. Loads of fun and the regen receiver worked ok to.
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Boomer
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Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 21, 2021 3:33:09 GMT

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Post by Boomer on Feb 21, 2021 3:33:09 GMT

Dr. Bob, are you the one who was collecting different Caravelles to make a complete unit? Someone was really into that radio.

That had to cost $15, and it would have been the Cadillac of kid broadcasters at the time. With the styling, it even looks like a car dash, or the dash in a spaceship. I like how the name plate is in the shape of a modulated wave. It's one swell unit.

I could see it drifting, especially with the germanium transistors of the time, the characteristics would drift with self heating and battery voltage changes. I wonder if someone has tried to hot rod a Caravelle with crystal control or PLL, ha ha.

The receiver is regenerative, I didn't know that, but it would make sense to use fewer transistors. It almost sounds like a walkie-talkie circuit, and I can see if you and the kid next door both had Caravelles, you could communicate like having CBs.

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Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 22, 2021 16:04:08 GMT

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Post by Admin on Feb 22, 2021 16:04:08 GMT

Yeah, that was probably me. I've purchased 3 of them to make a complete unit although I still don't have the original 3 piece rod antenna.

I sold the worst one at a garage sell for $10. Someone had tried to "hot rod" it. If they hadn't drilled 3 holes in the top of it I may have kept it.

I even found a spare PC board to work with.

Yep, loads of fun when you're 10 years old.

Not a lot to the circuit. Here's a schematic for it: Caravelle Schematic Amazing what you can do with 3 transistors.

Apparently, Olson Electronics bought out the surplus stock of PC boards and re-branded them.

Stability? Let's just say don't move at all when your transmitting.

Last Edit: Feb 22, 2021 16:18:47 GMT by Admin

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Boomer
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Remembering Rush Limbaugh (Inside Radio) Feb 23, 2021 19:13:56 GMT

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Post by Boomer on Feb 23, 2021 19:13:56 GMT

Thanks for the schematic! That is like a walkie-talkie, just made for the AM band, I've seen 3 transistor walkies like that. Transistors were expensive, and these days the most costly parts would probably be the transformers in that circuit. It looks like the mic is carbon, I'd assumed crystal before.

I can see the transmitter drifting if you move near the antenna because of body capacitance. Most simple transmitters do, and that the innovation of the Wild Planet Radio DJ, it used crystal control, so you could do anything with the antenna and it wouldn't drift. The output is so low though, mine goes about 20 feet.

It's really interesting to learn what Rush used when he started.

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Post by Boomer on Feb 18, 2021 1:59:23 GMT

Post by Boomer on Feb 19, 2021 19:42:09 GMT

Post by mark on Feb 19, 2021 20:22:20 GMT

Post by Boomer on Feb 19, 2021 21:26:08 GMT

Post by Admin on Feb 20, 2021 23:12:02 GMT

Post by Boomer on Feb 21, 2021 3:33:09 GMT

Post by Admin on Feb 22, 2021 16:04:08 GMT

Post by Boomer on Feb 23, 2021 19:13:56 GMT