Walking into the front doors of this brick building on a cloudy day is an exciting experience. The museum of Radio Technology is open to the public and can be found by traveling to Huntington, WV.
Upon entering the museum, you'll find various rooms filled with different electronic equipment. The first room houses an assortment of radios from the past, many of which are remarkably well-preserved despite their age. The classroom area is for electronic enthusiasts. It offers hands-on experience with a wide range of radio equipment to discover. Notably, there's a large circuit board on the wall that showcases the power flow of electricity.
Moving on to the next room, you'll discover a collection of large cameras. The tour guide explained that the RCA television camera was once used in a political debate on WPBY (West Virginia Public Broadcasting). However, a technical issue arose during the debate which altered the picture quality. That prompted the camera operator to make a real-time adjustments to the camera. Unfortunately, the candidate didn't win the election, and it was assumed that the equipment failure inside the camera was to blame. Consequently, the camera equipment was upgraded to prevent any technical issues during a live broadcast in any future debates.
Continuing through the museum, you will come across a room dedicated to a fascinating computer collection. This room features a variety of vintage computers that were developed over time, including an Apple II positioned next to a Commodore computer. These old computers are exceptionally well-preserved. The Commodore 2001 keyboard has a flat, glossy, metallic face, and its layout may is very striking because the space bar is tiny. Additionally, there is a QR code available for scanning. The QR code provides more information about the computer type, model, and inventory numbers. This QR code can be scanned using a cellphone app.
Stepping forward through the museum, another room invited me to take a closer look inside. Here, you'll encounter a vast assortment of radios, old record players, and televisions, all meticulously preserved and on display. You'll be astounded by the various styles of radios from different decades of the past. Some may appear fun to use, while others may puzzle you with their intricate layout. The informative tour guide explained the details of the TV cameras and emphasized that each person working inside the museum has a unique understanding of the museum's different artifacts. This museum offers a delightful experience to understand how communication has changed through the years and will continue to be remembered. There is also a room filled with military communication equipment that should not be missed. Plus, really fun old style headphones that you can actually hold and put on!
