Practical Wireless

Practical Wireless is a British radio and electronics magazine, now published monthly by PW Publishing of Broadstone, Dorset. The current editor (2009) is Rob Mannion.

The magazine was founded in 1932 (as a supplement) by FJ Camm (brother of Sydney Camm), of George Newnes Publishers. It became an independent weekly in that year, then monthly in 1940 (due to wartime paper shortages). Camm was editor until his death in 1959: it was often referred to affectionately as 'Camm's comic'. Practical Television was a supplement to the magazine for a short while before the war and became a separate publication in 1950.

Clive Sinclair was, for a period, the assistant editor for Practical Wireless, after writing articles for them since his school days. Sinclair Radionics also advertised their products extensively in the magazine.

From Rob Mannion G3XFD, Editor of Practical Wireless writes: Although Clive Sinclair advertised his products in Practical Wireless and also contributed to the magazine (as a freelance writer) there is no evidence in our archives that he was ever officially on the staff of Practical Wireless. I have been Editor for 21 years and we have complete archives going back to 1932 (when the magazine was first published) and I'm unable to confirm the statement that Clive Sinclair was on the staff. However, if Clive Sinclair would like to contact me in writing at the PW offices in Broadstone, Dorset, in the UK, (PW Publishing Ltd. Arrowsmith Court, Station Approach, Broadstone, Dorset BH18 8PW) providing the dates where his name appears on the magazine's 'masthead' (listing the official staff involved with each issue) I will remove this statement. If this statement is removed by anyone other than myself, I will reinsert it. RBM September 6, 2010.

The magazine covered mainly wireless (radio) topics. In 1964, the non-wireless articles were 'spun off' as a separate magazine Practical Electronics (now published as Everyday Practical Electronics by Wimborne Publishing Ltd, Ferndown, Dorset). In the early 1980s, Practical Wireless became dedicated entirely to amateur radio.

External links

• Web-site PW