Gary Albach, BSc ’70, is a radio hobbyist who does exactly that. From a young age, Gary was obsessed with fixing radios for local farmers near Fort Erie, Ontario. Becoming something of an amateur electrician in high school, Gary taught himself the basics of radio repair and stored many future projects in his home. He had no idea at the time that his hobby would become a life long obsession of transforming broken and worn radios to renewed heights that he would enjoy well into retirement.
It was his tinkering in electronics that piqued his interest in physics, and led him to pursue a degree at the University of Waterloo. Gary would go on to obtain a MSc and PhD from the University of British Columbia and for the next 30 years his radio restoration hobby would take a backseat to a busy family life and an extremely full and rewarding career. Gary has over 35 years’ experience in forming and managing high technology companies. He has drawn on his expertise in entrepreneurship and marketing as well as business development, intellectual property commercialization and executive technology management in partnerships around the world. He was awarded the St. Paul’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019, which recognizes his exemplary career advancing science, technology and entrepreneurship.
About five years ago Gary and his wife, Ann, a retired professor from UBC, moved to Victoria, British Columbia, after several years in Edmonton, Alberta. The climate and way of life seemed to suit their love of community activities and with over 100 radios he had stored over the years, Gary was once again knee-deep into his radio hobby. Completed collections are displayed all around his home.
“My wife has become more sympathetic to my hobby through the years,” he laughs, “she loves the final product. We change what we display a couple times a year, just like you might change up a seasonal picture or two.”
According to Gary, hobbyists like him enjoy several aspects of restoration, some of which are more complicated then others. “The first part of a restoration is the cabinetry itself- the woodworking, the glass, the beauty of the radio display,” he explains.
Next comes the inner workings of the radio which requires electronics knowledge as you fix or rebuild the radio back to its original factory condition, museum quality. “Believe it or not, there are plenty of parts around, lots of radio tubes were made in the 30s and 40’s so you can find them fairly easily. There’s also a network of collectors out there you can contact if you’re missing a piece you need to finish.” Canada’s national network is the Canadian Vintage Radio Society, an online resource filled with information on how to enjoy radio restoration as well as information about joining local chapters. Currently, Gary is a director of the society, and a regular content contributor as well.
A third aspect to radio restoration involves assembly of collections, an aspect Gary had not realized when he started out initially, “Some people collect radios of uncommon themes. Sometimes a certain style or look, a specific maker like Westinghouse or from a desired era like the 1930’s,” he explains, “my own favourite is art deco with mirrored radio facades and classic design like the Empire State Building.”
With hours spent each week on his hobby, Gary admits that he fully enjoys retirement life.
“I think that’s the key to retirement. Keep busy, do things you love and stay involved with your community.”
He pauses for a moment and continues, “and keep your collection small enough that your wife tolerates it.” He laughs again, “I’m one of the lucky ones. She calls it art.”
