Grant Bolitho

A very bright future in the world of radio and electronics awaits young Grant Bolitho, of Richmond. Grant, a 5th form pupil at Waimea College, is only 15. At the age of 14 he made the oscilloscope, a very complex piece of electronic equipment, pictured above, and, what is more, found it worked perfectly when it was switched on for the first time. An oscilloscope has a variety of uses. It is used extensively in the radio field for the detection of irregularities in radio equipment and also in the mechanical field for the electrical tuning of vehicles.

Grant began experimenting with radio equipment when he was only 9 years of age. At first he worked on crystal sets and later on small transistorised circuits similar to the one displayed at left on top of the oscilloscope. As can be seen from the two circuits displayed here, Grant has progressed tremendously in a few short years. At the moment he's working on building a miniature radio transmitter, and when this is finished he intends to build a television set. The oscilloscope took him four months to make, but the greater part of this time was spent in ensuring that it was assembled accurately. He is also shown (above) with the sound mixing unit he made. As well he has completed a power amplifier and a super-het radio which he also designed. On the oscilloscope, above left, an outline of the light pattern on the tube can be seen. Grant is a son of Mr and Mrs V. A. Bolitho, of Richmond.