Few people have heard of it, yet many consider John Blankenbaker's KENBAK-1 to be the first commercial personal computer.
My Favorite Bakelite Antenna
By bohus
I've had this antenna for a long time - it might be one of the first things I ever got from a thrift store when I was a kid. It's got everything - coiled up springies, matte steel antennas, Bakelite base, and a multi-position Frankenstein switch. This'll bake your noodle - I still use this for TV reception.
I've got a modern $30 powered antenna, and it doesn't do any better than this Flash Gordon pairing of Bakelite & tinplate that I got for a quarter. The chicken-head switch (seriously - that's what they're called...) does help clean up the signal depending on the channel I'm watching.
Not sure what it does inside, but I've had newer antennas where the switch didn't seem to do anything. I guess that the reassuring clicks are there to let you feel like you've got a chance in hell of tuning in Star Trek where this antenna might appear as a prop!
