By Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU
Contributing Editor

This week, Surfin’ looks at radios that are very pleasing to the eye.

Tom Kipgen builds designer radios.

You may ask, “What’s a designer radio?” It’s a radio that not only works well, but looks good.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I direct your attention to Tom’s Designer Radios website where you can view photos of Tom’s designs (representing tens of thousands of words), as well as words that describe the designs, which include crystal sets, tube radios and accessories like a horn speaker, amplifiers and coil winders.

I like a good-looking radio as much as the next ham, but Tom’s radios are something special. They look nothing like the most attractive radios I own, and the beautiful photographs are eye candy for anyone visiting the website.

It is very difficult to choose my favorite Kipgen radio design, but being a retro sort of ham, I like his Art Deco Magic Eye Tube Radio, and I also think his B-1 Bomber Crystal Radio is very cool.

Also, being a retro sort of ham, I appreciated Tom’s reference to a new (to me) website called Retro Thing. Any website that features a do-it-yourself cardboard tube radio kit deserves further exploration!

Kudos to Norman Wald, W9VQ, to alerting me about Tom Kipgen’s website.

Until next time, keep on surfin’!

Editor’s note: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, seeks the unusual in radio. To contact Stan, send e-mail or add comments to the WA1LOU blog.