This is our 50th year as a club and we really want to share our appreciation of all things radio! We are adding a few workshops and demonstrations to our Swap Meet & Vintage Market. There will be a Hands On Technology Section where kids of all ages can tune an old radio, detect radiation with a Geiger counter, and other technologies. You will also find a ‘Museum Store’ where technology is set up to show advances through the years. You will be able to find which decade really speaks to you, from the 1920s to the 1980s.

A Walk Through History
This event is free to the public. Take a step back in history starting at a time when there was no internet, only a few televisions and the most innovative way to communicate around the world was radio. Experience innovations in technology decade by decade from the first crystal radios to personal computers. View radio as the art form that brought a nation together in times of economic strife and war. The story of radio is seldom told in school but has shaped our world, helped to define America as a nation and usher in STEM of modern technology before the term STEM was known.

This historical event is perfect for the whole family. Adults of all ages can explain to their families the impact and fun of radio, how to use vintage technology and how and why it works. Everyone including kids can see and operate hands-on a nearly century old radio, tune in a modern station and learn by having fun! Other vintage electronic items will be available for hands on learning including a Geiger counter, crystal radios, and more.

What can you expect to see?
Items from the last century including radios, test gear, televisions, record players, music, records, amps, tubes and parts. Be sure to ask questions about anything interesting or something that you can’t quite figure out what it is.

Radio Evaluation Booth
Do you have Grandpa or Grandma’s old radio but don’t know anything about it? Get a free evaluation from a PSARA radio expert and an opinion on what it would take to get it going again. Many radios are family heirlooms and worth saving. Come talk to us about your memories of these treasures. We really like to talk radios!

Radios For Sale
Everyone has the opportunity to view at the radio sale area 1000’s of radios of all types from tube to transistor, radios that use no power to receive and technology both whimsical and quizzical. Are old radios expensive, most are not and are priced reasonably by collectors. Be sure to understand that safety protocols needed to uses some of the vintage tube equipment. Ask someone at the Radio Evaluation Booth for more information.

Technology Demonstrations
The radio club will have demonstrations of electrical phenomenon that created our modern electrical grid like a Tesla Coil and Jacobs Ladder in the classroom building. Attendees can see close up how this all works and is a don’t miss event for the curious of all ages. Check with the club headquarters on the day’s events.

PSARA Headquarters
For those who just have to have a piece of history of their own and want to talk to the experts visit the Puget Sound Antique Radio Association Headquarters. At PSARA HQ you can meet the officers of the club, learn about PSARA and visit the Museum Store to find unique items for yourself or a gift for that hard to please technology person. Regular announcements about the day’s activities will take place at PSARA HQ. Who knows, maybe you will want you and your family to join the club!

We are Looking for Exhibitors
Do you have an expertise and a passion for technology that you would like to share with the public? We are offering free spaces for individuals and clubs who want to demonstrate or do a Show and Tell involving STEM, Maker or vintage technology. More information and application here. (These spaces are demonstration only. If you would like to sell as well, please let us know. Seller spaces are just $20, and if you would like to do both, please let us know on the registration form.)

UPDATE: A previous version of our Swap Meet handout mistakenly mentioned a raffle and prizes. We will not be having these.