''Modern Electrics'' was a technical

magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...

for the

amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...

experimenter. The magazine existed between 1908 and 1914.

History and profile

''Modern Electrics'' was created by Hugo Gernsback and began publication in April 1908. The magazine was initially intended to provide mail-order information for radio parts and to promote the amateur radio hobby, but it later became a vehicle for technology-based fiction stories. The first fiction appeared in the April, 1911 issue, and the series of 12 installments by Hugo Gernsback would later be published as the

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

novel '' Ralph 124C 41+''. The circulation for this magazine increased rapidly, starting at 2,000 and increasing to 52,000 in 1911. In 1908, the magazine announced the "wireless registry", a listing of radio owners, their call letters, and the type of equipment they owned and how it was operated. The magazine was sold in 1913, and ceased publication in 1914. It then merged with '' Electrician and Mechanic'' to become '' Modern Electrics and Mechanics.'' The experience Gernsback gained with ''Modern Electrics'' led him to introduce '' Electrical Experimenter'' magazine in 1913 and pulp

magazine ''

Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearance ...

'' in 1926.

References

External links

Digitized ''Modern Electrics'' on World Radio History

''Modern Electrics'' Archive at Hathitrust
1908 establishments in the United States 1914 disestablishments in the United States Monthly magazines published in the United States Science and technology magazines published in the United States Amateur radio magazines Defunct hobby magazines published in the United States Magazines published by Hugo Gernsback Magazines established in 1908 Magazines disestablished in 1914 Defunct magazines published in New York City Popular science magazines {{hobby-mag-stub