Radio apparatus in Hogan's Heroes

[Circlotron]

Does anyone know what that thing is that Sgt Kinchloe is seen using in Hogan's Heroes? In intro he winds a handle and what seems to be a threaded shaft moves an  inductor or something like that. Obviously it's a movie set so nothing has to be real, but what might this device have been?



https://youtu.be/2UnB-9tIZAo?t=38

[DrG]

I would think a hand powered generator inspired by a field phone as in a https://whatsthescuddlebutt.com/ee-8-b-military-field-phone/

"A 90-100 volt, 20 Hz hand-cranked ringing generator GN-38 is contained in the case of an EE-8 or EE-8A while the GN-38A or GN-38B is used with the EE-8B. The crank is operated from the side of the case."
 

There were certainly larger generators also



The show was ummm not detail oriented



With this being their state-of-the-art bug.

[GlennSprigg]

Does anyone know what that thing is that Sgt Kinchloe is seen using in Hogan's Heroes? In intro he winds a handle and what seems to be a threaded shaft moves an  inductor or something like that. Obviously it's a movie set so nothing has to be real, but what might this device have been?



https://youtu.be/2UnB-9tIZAo?t=38

Yea, apart from the fact that I never saw any real wires coming off of the main 'board' either. And on that 'board' in front of Hogan, you can see
a single capacitor tuning-gang, (like a multi-plated 1/4 circle)... which MIGHT be ok as a simple morse-code receiver, but NOT as a 'transmitter' too,
especially considering the Hetrodyne technology available at the time, and the lack of Tubes!   

[Gyro]

That big stepped cylinder reminds me of an antique mutual / variable inductor for a receiver. The original ones were wound with cotton covered wire, not shiny like the one in the attached photo and considerably chunkier...

[GlennSprigg]

Gyro...  Yep, and in the front right corner of the 'board' you can see the 'Cats-Whisker' Diode, with a lever on the right of it,
to try and 'strike' a good spot on the Chrystal!!  The most important part, to demodulate the incoming sine-wave to discriminate
the amplitude-modulation of the signal, using just 1/2 the waveform. Was a fiddly business back then!!   

P.S....  As you said, it's a variable inductor for frequency selection, instead of the typical variable Capacitor...
However, this topic reminded me of the oldest Radio in my collection!  One of the 1st that 'Crosley' ever made. But instead of varying the amount
of overlap of consecutive plates to make a typical variable capacitor these days, it uses what 'Crosley' call a 'Book-Capacitor' !!  As per...

With these, it has two fixed plates, and via a 'CAM' from the knob, has a spring-loaded 'Variable-Dielectric' !! to achieve the same result.   
You won't find those on the shelves anywhere! haha...

P.P.S...  I couldn't help myself...  Usually, (as in my case too!), across the above 'Capacitor' is what they refer to as a 'Grid-Leak' Resistor/Capacitor...

OK, so here is where they seemed to have a sense of 'humour' back then, some bright person decided that if it is 'Leaking', (not in that literal sense!),
then it may need a 'drip' tray under it!!!  So you can actually buy a 'drip-tray' for those, just for fun!!...

You can see the above 'tray' with the word 'MUTER' on it.... It of course does nothing... but I WANT ONE !!!