Alfred Hermann Traeger (2 August 1895 – 31 July 1980), known as Alf Traeger, was an Australian engineer and inventor, chiefly known for the development of the pedal radio used by both the School of the Air and by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Early life and education
Traeger was born at Glenlee, near Dimboola, Victoria, and raised near and in Adelaide, South Australia, the son of South Australian-born parents. His paternal grandparents had been German migrants to the young colony in 1848.
Traeger attended Balaklava Public School, about north of Adelaide, then Martin Luther School in Flinders Street, Adelaide, followed by two years at Adelaide Technical High School (now Glenunga International High School). From 1912, aged 16, he spent three years at the South Australian School of Mines and Industries, studying mechanical and electrical engineering, earning an Associate Diploma.
Early career
He first worked for the Metropolitan Tramways Trust and the Postmaster-General's Department, but his application to join the Australian Flying Corps in World War I was refused.
thumb|The photograph taken by Flynn of Traeger in 1928 demonstrating his pedal radio, He is operating a morse key.
Traeger returned to Adelaide and worked on a transceiver for the network, which had to be small, cheap, durable and easy to operate. He found that a person could drive the generator using bicycle pedals, and he built his transceiver into a box. His famous "pedal wireless" was a pedal-operated generator which provided power for a transceiver. He divided his time between his workshop and the outback, where he also taught radio operating and Morse code.
He made subsequent refinements to this system: an alphanumeric keyboard was developed which enabled unskilled operators to type their message in plain language, and later developed a voice-capable transceiver.
A plaque marks the site of the Traeger workshop at 11 Dudley Road, Marryatville, commissioned by the Kensington & Norwood Historical Society in 1998.
In 1999, the Wakefield Regional Council in South Australia commissioned a sundial and plaque to be placed at the southern entrance to Balaklava. Funding for the project came from the History Trust of South Australia, Wireless Institute of Australia, the 4WD enthusiasts' associations and the council. The memorial was unveiled on Australia Day, with his widow Joyce Traeger and other family members in attendance.
In 1999, the model of the transceiver known the "Traeger Scout" was still in production, with little change to its design except for the colour of the case since the first model produced. Following the closure of Traeger Transceivers, the model was continued as the "Tracker Scout", made in Adelaide by Tracker Communications; after they closed, Scout Communications (part of Oz Electronics Manufacturing) in Brisbane continued manufacture.