Less than a month later Bob Bilbie, surrounded by friends who were interested in Vintage Radio formed the Northwest Vintage Radio Society. To qualify as a charter member you had be to on the membership list before February 1975. Pete Young was not only a charter member, but the first vice president, according to a story in the Journal in February 1975.
Pete was busy at the time working for the company that was building "code-a-phones. [telephone answering machines]" Working next to him was a fellow who designed printed circuit boards, named Don Hunker. As the story goes, Pete persuaded Don to join the newly formed society early in 1975.
By March, 1975, the Newsletter editor credited Don Hunker as being one of the hardest working members in the club. Some of Don's and Pete's work in the ensuing months was to design and screen print a logo for the new society. If you were there it wouldn't seem odd that the first copy was printed on a circuit board. The original design appears on the cover of this month's Call Letter.
The more familiar logo which we have all come to know first appeared in the newsletter in June of 1975 with a " byline" of " Club logo" by Don Hunker and 8 anonymous people who helped move the horn to the far end of the radio. " Pete Young recently explained that the lettering around the horn did not reproduce as well as they wanted and moving the horn allowed the Society name to be printed to the right of the horn. Even though Don let his membership lapse sometime around 1978, we've had a "club logo" on most of our printed material ever since that first newsletter.
Six years later, June 1981, society members suggested that the club logo should be a radio and not just a picture. Experienced radio builder, Tom James, volunteered to take on the project but suggested that members contribute the parts. A list was made up and nearly all parts were donated by members of the society. Tom finished the radio chassis in 1982. The quality craftsmanship featured square bus-bar wiring, original tube sockets, and the very best construction. When the chassis was unveiled Tom was asked to name it. With the humility that Tom always displayed, he felt that the credit should be given to the man who drew the picture. Tom said that it should be called a "Hunker."
The project took a down-turn in 1983. Due to builder's error the cabinet built by Dick Karman did not fit the chassis. Although good intentions flourished the cabinet did not get rebuilt before Tom's unexpected death in 1984. The project fell out of sight for a few years.
In 1992 Gordon Phillips took the initiative to secure the chassis from caretaker Jim Mason; get the ill-fated cabinet from Dick Karman; to restore a horn; and to manufacture a base that matched the logo print. The Logo has come to life. Gordon reports that it plays well.
Vice President Gordon Phillips will unveil the Hunker at the February meeting of the Northwest Vintage Radio Society with the assistance of the original designer Don Hunker who will be our special guest.
Contributors to the Hunker: