Antique 1923 McNeary D-X Radio Scalometer DX Distance Measuring Tool Tape For Sale
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Antique 1923 McNeary D-X Radio Scalometer DX Distance Measuring Tool Tape:
$45.00
Found for Keeps: History you can hold in your hands—passed from one caretaker to the next.
This 1923 McNeary D-X Radio Scalometer was created for one of the great fascinations of early radio: finding out just how far away that distant station really was.
Imagine sitting beside a radio in 1923 and suddenly hearing a voice coming from hundreds of miles away.
Today that wouldn't merit a second thought. A century ago, it was part of the magic of radio.
And once you managed to tune in that faraway station, there was an obvious question:
Just how far did that signal travel?
That is exactly what this little McNeary Radio Scalometer D-X was made to answer.
Emblem Manufacturing Corporation of Philadelphia advertised the McNeary Scalometer to the rapidly growing community of radio enthusiasts in 1923. It originally came with an official radio map and broadcasting directory. The pointed end of the Scalometer was positioned at the listener's home location on the map. After tuning in a distant station, the tape was extended to that station's location and the approximate distance could be read from the scale.
Period advertising captured the excitement perfectly: hearing a human voice or music from hundreds of miles away was thrilling—and knowing how far those radio waves had traveled was half the fun.
The complete outfit originally sold for $1.
More than a century later, the little instrument itself survives—a wonderfully simple reminder of the period when radio was new enough that hearing someone several states away still felt a little bit like magic.
Marked “McNeary Radio Scalometer D-X” and “Emblem Mfg. Corp., Patent, Phila., Penna.”
This listing is for the Scalometer shown only. The original radio map and broadcasting directory are not included. The measuring tape extends as shown in the photographs.
Vintage condition with scratches, surface wear and other signs of age and use. Please review all photographs for condition and details.
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