Who spends this much time on obscure radios?

My name is Terry O'Laughlin and I am a faculty emeritus from Electrical Engineering and Electronics Technology Department at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin.

I may be reached at watkins-johnson(at)terryo(dot)org

My research is, at the moment, totally self-funded, though my college provides limited incidental support.

In the Fall of 2007, the college granted me a one semester sabbatical to research the history of Cold War surveillance radios. That time off allowed me to travel extensively and meet former employees of CEI, WJ, DEI, Nems-Clarke and other companies. It quickly became clear that primary sources could be found and that I had years of work ahead of me.

It is hard to find enough time to properly conduct my research. I cannot possibly accommodate all the requests I get from radio hobbyists and agencies for parts, equipment or information. Please do not be offended if I do not respond to e-mails.

If you have information that might useful for this research, please feel free to contact me either at watkins-johnson(at)terryo(dot)org or through the college at tolaughlin(at)madisoncollege(dot)edu

I have held the same amateur radio call sign since 1970 and an FCC Radiotelephone License since 1973. I starting moving away from commercial ham gear in the late 70s to the higher construction standards of military equipment. By 1990, I had owned, restored and sold 27 R-390s, R-390As and R-389s, as well as a host of other green, gray and black military radios. (I was young once and had a strong back).

I purchased my first surveillance radio, a Communication Electronics, Inc. (CEI) model 501 in 1983. I immediately recognized the design elegance and construction quality eclipsed even the finest military equipment I had previously owned. I started compiling and distributing equipment lists for CEI, Watkins-Johnson (WJ), Nems-Clarke, Defense Electronics, Inc (DEI). and Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV) equipment via e-mail in 1986 (in the pre-web internet days). I started my original Watkins-Johnson web site in 1994.