Band Plans of 1941
Vito Chiarappa (W6TH)
on
January 10, 2007
View comments about this article!
Here are the band plans back in the year of 1941. You will notice that the CW operation was the going thing in ham radio.
Also as time went by the old CW operators became silent keys and so did building amateur radio sets and transmitters.
I remember during depression days my family grew their own vegetables and canning food crops and now we buy food in cans. Every household today is a must to have and own a can opener. Yes, the change for modernization.
Here is the band plan when I became an Amateur Radio Operator in 1938. You will notice the 20-meter band that it was great for CW operation. You had to have a class: A: ticket to work the 20 meter phone band.
160-meter band from 1.715 mc to 1.800 was CW only, the phone bands from 1.800 mc to 2.000 mc.
The 80-meter band 3.5 mc to 3.9 mc CW and the phone band from 3.9 to 4.0 mc.
The 40-meter band from 7.0 mc to 7.3 mc all CW.
The 20 meter band from 14.0 mc to 14.15 mc CW.......14.15 mc to 14.25 mc phone.......14.25 mc to 14.4 mc CW.
The ten meter band from 28.0 mc to 28.5 mc CW.......28.5 mc to 30.0 mc all phone.
There was no 15-meter band back then. (Not until the Television sets were made with 21 mc "IF" stages).
Then there was the 2 1/2, 5, and 1 1/4 meter bands. All used for CW and phone.
Had to move so the TV can come into use. Moved to 6, 220, 440, etc.
I enjoy bringing back the past as it is history to see the changes, no matter how you look at it.
73 and a Happy New Year to one and all
This article has expired. No more comments may be added.
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by LNXAUTHOR on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
- tks for the look back into the past... interesting on the sandwich CW portions on 20M!
- but aside from the band edges, were these 'gentlemen's agreements' or federally mandated plans for CW and phone?
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
CW was operated in any portion of any band and there was never a mention of gentlemens agreement as we all were well above the 13 wpm requirement. It was common to jump from operating phone to cw on the same phone frequency.
We were Amateur Radio operators also called hams. There were two classes of tickets, the class "B" and Class "A". If I remember, you could not up grade from class B to class A until you have held your class B ticket for one year. CW was enjoyed in any part of any band with no complaints from any other ham operator.
When you first applied for your ticket and passed, you had to wait for one month before receiving your ticket and never knew if you passed your test until you received your mail. Also, if you did not have a radio station setup, you received a operators permit with no call letters, but if you had a station set up you would be issued a call letter. Upon renewal of your ticket, you had to show proof of at least five stations you have made a contact with, if not your ticket would be cancelled.
Much more interesting information, but would take up a lot of pages to tell like finger prints and a U.S. Citizenship.
W6TH
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W4LGH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
This is certainly not meant as a FLAME or anything else..just and interesting question Vito... How come the post on the past? When we were enjoying our past with old radios, you were pretty negative, now you are going back into time. Just curious.
We all enjoy going back in time, one way or the other, and I have many fond memories of sitting up late as a kid to watch for the 1st snow flakes to fall and report it to my buddies on the radio.
Over the years, I have met and made many a friend in radio, some I never met personally, some are now SK and some are still going strong. Met a new friend on the air last nite, and he worked for RL Drake for many years, and has a huge collection of Drake gear.
Really looking forward to conversing with him some more, maybe getting some of the inside dope on what was really going on there. Another litte trip back into the past!
73 de W4LGH - Alan
http://www.w4lgh.com
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Alan says:
When we were enjoying our past with old radios, you were pretty negative, now you are going back into time. Just curious.
Never at all negative Alan, but every radio you have and talk about I have used for years and sold. I don't believe it is any longer to suit me, but for those new to ham radio I would say go for it, enjoy it.
I still would like to have my Hallicrqafters BC 610 plus my SP-600-JX and the Racal RA 17C. Even to my National SW 3.
It is like one day I threw my suit of clothing out in the garbage and along came a fellow that picked it out of the garbage and next day I have seen him wearing it. Now, I thought that it was a wonderful thing that I have done and felt proud that I had done so. I continue to do so.
73 Alan, my friend and happy hamming.
W6TH.
.:
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Couple of points:
- They weren't band plans, they were the regulations.
- There were three license classes: A, B and C. All
required 13 wpm code, receiving and sending, plus a
written exam of about 50 questions that included
drawing block and schematic diagrams, writing essay
type answers, show-your-work calculations, and some
multiple choice. Class A required an additional
written test on more-advanced techniques, plus a
year's experience.
- Class B and C were the same except B was taken at
an FCC office and C was by-mail, for folks who lived
more than a certain distance away. If a Class C moved
closer, or wanted a Class A, s/he had to retake the
test. Class A was only available at FCC offices.
- The use of phone on 75 and 20 meters was Class A
only. This was the only additional privilege granted
to Class A hams.
- Class B and C 'phone were limited to 160, 10 and
above. They could operate CW in the 75 and 20 meter
phone subbands.
- 15 meters would not become a US ham band until 1954.
30, 17 and 12 meters would not become US ham bands
until after 1979.
- The only modes US hams were allowed to use on HF were
CW and AM. SSB was considered a form of AM and allowed,
but only a handful of hams used it before WW2.
- The cost, complexity and size of a pre-WW2 high
power AM phone rig limited their number.
- After WW2 broke out in Europe (Sept 1939), the FCC
began to require proof of identity, citizenship and
loyalty oaths from all US hams.
- There were fewer than 60,000 US amateurs in 1941.
Most had been licensed less than a dozen years,
because in 1929 there were fewer than 20,000 US hams.
- You could only have one operator license. But you
could have several station licenses - one for each
location where you had a station. The callsign
belongs to the station, not the operator, so it was
common for a well-to-do ham with more than one house
to have two or more callsigns.
- There were only nine call districts, and they were
somewhat different than today's, with some states
being split. US amateur calls did not have zeroes,
and all CONUS ham calls began with W. All non-CONUS
USA ham calls began with K. If you moved and changed
districts, you had to get a new callsign that matched
the district you moved to.
- TV and FM broadcasting existed in the USA before
WW2, but on different frequencies than today.
- To renew your license, you had to certify that
you had made a certain number of QSOs in a certain
number of months before the license expiration date.
Those QSOs had to be Morse Code only. You also had
to certify that you could pass all the exams for the
license you held.
- FCC continued to hold license exam sessions during
WW2, and issued amateur operator licenses too. However,
all amateur *station* licenses were suspended for the
duration, so there were no amateur stations to be
operated during the war. Hams who passed their tests
after the US entered the war would give their callsigns
as "LSPH" - Licensed Since Pearl Harbor. FCC waived
the activity requirement for renewal for some time
after WW2, since nobody could meet it legally.
- Many of these requirements continued for decades
after 1941. Others were abandoned soon after the
war ended.
73 de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AE6CP on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Speaking of 1941, Here's a link to an online book that was written that year; 'Calling CQ' by Clinton B. DeSoto. It's out of print and is getting harder and harder to find a soft copy online. You can copy and paste each chapter to a txt file or Word doc.
I think this book along with '200 Meters and Down' by the same author and 'The Complete DX'er' by W9KNI are three great books every Ham should read.
http://www.qsl.net/ng3p/haminfo/desoto/toc.html
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Thanks Jim and great update.
Yes, Rules and regulations. Right on.
- They weren't band plans, I have no idea of where and when band plans came into use.
W6TH
.:
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WX4O on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Don't forget what happened to Ham Radio after the war began. There wasn't any.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Yes, the hams were still on the air. From 1941 through 1946; In foreign countries and I was one of them. Live Free or Die.
.:
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W8AD on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Vito, great trip down memory lane. I really enjoyed your article. Nice reply comments too, so far. You have reminded me of some things that I think are now misunderstood.
For example, people complain that we have "dumbed down" ham radio. I think just the opposite is true. Here's why. I got my Class B ticket in 1950 after reading and talking with neighbor hams and buddies during the late 40s. I was 14 years old when I passed the test. You think I was technically proficient? Of course not! Even then, I memorized the 1949/50 ARRL license manual, worked with some young buddies and took the test. I drew a few schematics of oscillators and amps, did a couple of block diagrams and wrote out some essay questions. But then, I had no idea what I was doing. A person could not have been more "dumbed down" than I was! And remember, that was 1950. No, it was NOT a technical big deal then.
It was AFTER I got my license that I started to learn things with mentors and young ham buddies. I didn't know any more then than the "dumbed down" newbies that people complain about now in 2007. The key is to welcome the newbies, encourage them, and help them along after they get their tickets instead of being rude and sneering and saying "they should have known this or that". I had great help in 1950 because there didn't seem to be the flamers then, either on the air or in person. Compare the 1949/50 license manual to the newest ones and you'll find they are definately "dumbed UP".
Because I was encouraged in ham radio then, when I was 14, I went on and got a college degree in EE and had an absolutely wonderful career. I think some people say we have "dumbed down" the hobby because they think that's the popular bandwagon to be on. But, they we're there when I was. Different reality.
Encourage the "dumb" newbies, they'll appreciate it and enjoy it like I did.
73,
Don, W8AD (W9JTN in Peoria, IL in 1950)
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Thanks Don for your most thoughtful and consideration of the rights and feelings of others.
73
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WA1RNE on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
The history of amateur radio is great reading. One of the best web sites I've seen so far is ON4SKY's. It's about as complete - probably more so than any one book I've ever read:
http://www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/qsl-ham-history.htm
After World War II, amateurs were moved from 56 Mc or 5 meters to 50 Mc, 6 meters. What perfect timing......the first commercial television broadcast stations were going on the air and '46-'47 was a sunspot maximum. The next peak was '58-'59 which was one of the best in history. A favorite story from one of my elmers was from circa 1959 when he worked the west coast from the Boston area on 6 meter AM with 10 watts and a dipole hanging out his kitchen window.
Another interesting change occurred in 1958 when the FCC pulled 11 meters from hams, paving the way for the first Citizen's Band, starting in the U.S. This explains the inclusion of 11 meters on many amateur receivers and transmitters in the 50's, like the Collins 75A4 and 32V3 up until that year.
WA1RNE
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AA4LR on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I object to the inference that all amatuer building stopped after the OTs from before WW II died.
I wasn't even born until 1961, and I just recently finished a homebrew 6CL6/6146 CW transmitter that I used during Straight Key Night. I had a blast calling CQ on 7075 kHz (the frequency of the crystal I used).
The receiver was a K2/100, that I also built. I've been building gear since even before I became a ham in 1975.
Yup, there certainly was a lot more CW activity back then. I think the cost of tubes and transformers for an AM transmitter of reasonable power was what kept a lot of hams off phone in those days.
As for the 5 2 1/2 1 1/4 meter bands being moved -- that actually had little to do with Television directly.
You see, before WW II, Edwin Armstrong invented FM, and the radio broadcasting executives at the major networks were reluctant to adopt it. Armstrong retaliated by building his own broadcasting network, using frequencies in the vincinity of 72 MHz. (Mc back then)
After WW II, during the process of reallocating frequencies for television, David Sarnoff of RCA/NBC made it a point of manipulating this process so that the FM broadcast band got moved from its current location. This caused Armstrongs broadcasting network to go obsolete overnight -- as all the receivers suddenly became worthless.
Ironically, Sarnoff also saw to it that FM was adopted into the television standard (for the Audio channel), and then proceeded to deny Armstrong licensing for his patents.
These broadcast executives wielded considerable political clout! Armstrong lost his patent fights, although this was overturned more than a decade after his death.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KX8N on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Great thread! Thanks for all the interesting information.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Also I may add that the new television sets had 21mc "IF" in their designs and guess what? We now have the new meter band which just so happens to be the 21mc band or called the 15 meter band.
73
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Yup, there certainly was a lot more CW activity back then. I think the cost of tubes and transformers for an AM transmitter of reasonable power was what kept a lot of hams off phone in those days.
Not true as we had Heising modulation and clamp tube modulation and no transformers were needed.
The problem was most didn't like the phone operation and cw was the challenge and enjoyment.
73
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AE6RO on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Edwin Howard Armstrong's FM band was around 42 to 50 MC. It wasn't anywhere near 72 MC. Perhaps you were thinking of 1972.
The FCC thoughtfully moved the FM band up to its present location because they were terribly, terribly worried that FM "skip" would cause interference between stations in different service areas. As you pointed out, this change put Armstrong and his "Yankee Network" out of business. The old FM band was supposed to become a television channel to benefit RCA.
He did alot of work during the war on an OTH FM radar for Uncle Sam, and let Uncle Sam use his patents gratis. He died in 1956 by jumping out of a window. I read a few years ago that alot of his notes were destroyed in a warehouse flood.
One of the great engineers, and so underappreciated.
73, AE6RO
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AE6RO on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
W6TH: Thanks for the interesting history. Good one about staying on-the-air during the war! Funny! Where in the world could you do that without getting shot? Bora-bora?
Something else that's interesting is how hams communicated with each other since they couldn't get on-the-air. The most successful used carrier current, putting LF signals over the powerlines. The trick was using low enough power and the right frequency so the signal didn't radiate. A kind of early BPL in reverse. They found that five or ten watts at 175 KC would turn the trick. Range was anywhere from a few blocks to five or ten miles, if you were lucky.
One fellow in Glendale, California got gigged by Uncle Charlie for radiating at 25 watts. The story makes interesting reading in light of today's BPL issue. If anyone is interested I'll dig it up.
All of that was published in QST during the war years. 73, AE6RO
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Very interesting John, yes I tried the power lines, but my transformer on the pole was not in phase so gave up on that idea. Although my very large coils came in handy after the end of WW2.
Put the infor on as that is very good part of the ham radio during the shut down of ham radio.
73
.:
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AG4RQ on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Thanks Vito for the wonderful article, and thanks to all those who added information. I really enjoyed this ham history lesson. Very interesting stuff. I'll continue checking back here to read what others might add to this history lesson.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by RADIOGUYR2 on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
N2EY
Couple of points:
- They weren't band plans, they were the regulations.
whoooo wait till you go back to 1956 and look up the mobile ham regulations. Its a wonder that anyone worked mobile or portable after reading how one has to jump throught the hoops with the FCC field office and person in charge.
I was looking through a copy of the ARRL mobile handbook that they put out back then. In the back it has the regulations. So if I wanted to go from Arizona Dist 7 to Calif Dist 6 I had to noitify the engineer in charge--in writing--- as to the dates I would be in his area as well as provide him with my credentials. And get approval to do it!!! wow...
Being a ham really got easy after that. I remember the field trip...by buss..to go down to the FCC field office.. very intemidative federal building... to take the ham test and code portion. (some what like the military draft board was like too)
Ahhh the good old days when you really had a adventure in ham radio. The newbies today missed out on the adrenelin and happyness that accompnayed the passing of the ham test. Today its bim bam thank you mam... pay your 18 bucks and your out the door to go to get into the care and start flapping your lips on the radio.
Ya their were 30 days of mental anguish waiting for the mail man to show up with that envelope from the FCC in Gettysburg that had the answer to all your hard work and effort you put in.
Now you know why the older hams are more agressive to the dummying down of the ham radio. they did it the old fashion way... they worked for it.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Many thanks for the mobile info and I want to thank you for the updating and the enhancement of the good old days. Your new information sure goes back to what was called "security".
Again, I want to thank you Jim for the great help here on this posting and also to thank eHAM and all the nice comments.
73, Vito, W6TH
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AE6RO on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Since you asked, here goes: From QST, January 1943 pg 48. "Experimenter's Section Project A 'Carrier Current'"
"Well, here is another report on my wired-radio activities, perhaps the last for some time. It seems my signals were radiating, because I had a call from the FCC monitoring officials. Since I have been using a frequency of about 150 kc., it seems that I interfered with naval communications at a station about ten miles away and was heard at a distance of about fifty miles. Unfortunatly, I can't tell any more about the conditions of reception, since that was all I was told . . .
Please tell the gang on wired radio to keep their power down to the absolute minimum. I have never run over 25 watts input. I don't believe I was heard until I increased power from 12 watts to 25 watts about October fifth, but I can't be sure. W6*** was also causing interference, and I believe he was using about 15 to 20 watts. I was told that the other stations which I had mentioned in previous reports had not been heard. I don't believe any of them used over 5 or 10 watts.
I don't think the work on wired radio shuld stop; keep it up, but let us all be careful about (signal) radiation . . ." (technical paragraph ommitted)
". . .In regard to the contacts I have had with W6*** in Glendale, I am now inclined to believe that direct radiation was responsible in some manner. Since checks werre made at each end with outside antennas for pick-up, it seems that the sensitivity of our receiving equipment is not great enough to receive these signals by direct radiation. When they are connected to the power line, the signal pick-up is stronger, perhaps because the signals tend to follow the power lines." Art *****, W6****
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Sorry, also to thank RADIOGUYR2 for this mobile posting. Guess I got carried away with the falling snow we have today and was looking out the window and touch typing at the same time. It has been 30 years or so since I seen snow flakes and got very excited. I like the snow and the freezing 13 and the 0 degrees here in the east coast. It is in the lower 30's right now and can't wait to go to the post office and walk through the snow. Maybe throw a snow ball or two. 73 RADIOGUYR2, thanks again.
W6TH
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
AE6RO,
Well from that write up then the BPL can be a problem, especially with low power.
Hams again are the first to use BPL and prove its worth.
ARRL had circuits of this in their QST.
Tnx, 73.
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WB2WIK on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Nice stuff.
I often work old timers on the bands, mostly on CW, but most notably W6BNB, Bob, up in Sebastapol, CA.
He was licensed in 1931 and still very active on the bands, using a "bug," and darned well at that.
TVs with 21 MHz IFs must have been great fun to watch in the presence of a local ham running high power on 15 meters.
WB2WIK/6
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
W6TH wrote:
"Not true as we had Heising modulation and clamp tube modulation and no transformers were needed."
Well, sort of.
A 1941 amateur high power AM rig was a big expensive deal no matter how you did it.
Heising modulation requires a big choke - typically
30 henries, with enough current rating to handle both the modulator and final plate currents simultaneously.
The Heising modulator tube(s) must run Class A. That
means full plate current in the modulator all the time.
So if you wanted a legal-limit AM rig with Heising modulation back then, you needed:
1) A final amplifier capable of 1000 watts AM input
2) A single-ended AM modulator with the modulator tube(s) capable of 1000+ watts continuous plate dissipation and 500+ watts audio output
3) A suitable choke
4) A power supply capable of delivering 2000 watts continuous - 1000 for the final and 1000 for the modulator.
Clamp tube, screen, grid, or cathode modulation, as well as conventional AM linear, are only capable of about 35% carrier efficiency. The result was less
than half the output of a plate-modulated rig, yet the
final tubes had to be twice as big.
And all of this was before inexpensive WW2 surplus.
--
In 1941, low power AM could be inexpensive and easy. High power AM wasn't.
73 de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
W6BNB, Bob is an old friend of mine and a qso a day. We both belong to the SOWP group. Both use bugs.
Yes, we had problems with the 21 mc IF's plus the 10 meter band TVI, all solved with high pass filters.
Just came back from the post office walked to and from, the temp is 19 degs, just love it. Snow covered homes look great.
73, Vito
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Yes all correct. The DX 60, Heathkit if I remember uses the clamp tube modulation.
Also what became famous was cathode modulation.
You must remember, back then we wound our own chokes and the transformers (power).
.:All from the ARRL handbooks.:
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
"I object to the inference that all amatuer building stopped after the OTs from before WW II died."
ME TOO!
I was born in 1954 and became a ham in 1967. Built my first ham rx and tx (2 tube regen, 1 tube 10 watt 6V6GT).
Which led to this:
http://hometown.aol.com/n2ey/myhomepage/
73 de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WB2WIK on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
>RE: Band Plans of 1941 Reply
by W6TH on January 10, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
Just came back from the post office walked to and from, the temp is 19 degs, just love it. Snow covered homes look great.<
::I grew up in the cold and snowy northeast, and to me, they look a lot less great when they include snow covered driveways, walkways, patios, cars and other stuff that I don't need to be covered by snow and have to clean off to use. If I could figure a way for snow to only fall on houses, trees and yards and not anywhere else, I'd probably still be living there.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AE6RO on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Thought I'd add that missing "technical" paragraph, hoping to relate it to modern-day BPL:
From QST January 1943 "Experimenter's Section" pg. 48
"...It seems to me that the cause of this radiation may be the lack of cancellation between the two wires of the system. I was coupling only to the 115 volt circuit, hence one wire was the neutral and grounded. Since I have 230-volt service, 115 each side of neutral, I believe that I might have had better luck if I had coupled to the 230-volt circuit, as cancellation might have been more complete. The numerous branch lines leading off the main lines must cause some degree of phase shift and a consequent radiation of the signal. The report of W4** in November (1942) QST also suggests this to me. Since I can no longer try these things, please pass this along: have someone check the comparative radiation of the two methods of coupling." 73, AE6RO
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KC8VWM on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Built my first ham rx and tx
(2 tube regen, 1 tube 10 watt 6V6GT).
----------
I always thought a 6V6GT was an audio amplifier tube, not capable of 10 watts tx.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Here is what I mentioned: Also as time went by the old CW operators became silent keys and so did building amateur radio sets and transmitters.
This was meant for the past several years or so and not prior to WWII. In and around 1952, where I lived there was nothing being built from our local hams or adjoining states like CT, NY, NJ, Ma, etc. All were for Swan, Drake, Hammarlund, Collins, etc. The big project was the 9TO keyer, Yagi antennas, Quads. I myself was a big builder of Electron coupled oscillators, power amplifiers usinng TZ 40's, 813's, 808's 811A's, and receivers, up until I ran out of needed ham gear. Then to commercial for the nice looks.
Your building looks great and can see you put much time and effort into your Amateure field. Should you still have it and still in use, the use can be much more fun than with the modern ham gear.
Thanks for the link.
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WB2WIK on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
>RE: Band Plans of 1941 Reply
by KC8VWM on January 10, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
Built my first ham rx and tx
(2 tube regen, 1 tube 10 watt 6V6GT).
----------
I always thought a 6V6GT was an audio amplifier tube, not capable of 10 watts tx.<
::6V6 can easily produce 10W RF output in the HF spectrum. The original 6V6 was a metal tube. The "GT" version, which is glass, can probably do about as well. My first "Novice" transmitter in 1965 was a single 6V6 used as a power crystal oscillator (no buffer, no PA), cathode keyed. Slight chirp, definite shocks from the key! What fun...
More memories: I had four crystals (Peterson Radio FT-243 case type) for the 40m Novice band. They were all for different frequencies, but for the life of me, as I remember it, they were all on the same frequency as Radio Moscow!
:-)
WB2WIK/6
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N0NB on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
W8AD, thanks for sharing your experience of your early years and thanks for providing an example of the way we should all treat each other.
W6TH, thanks for allowing us to learn more of the pre-WWII history of amateur radio. I find it most fascinating.
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AC7CW on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I recall that 30 day wait in 1957. By the time I got my Novice license in the mail I had forgotten the code!! I recall trying to work my first qso and having my elmer standing behind me reminding me what the letters were!!
I started off in that great sunspot cycle mentioned previously, I could work the world on 40 cw with a dipole laying on the house roof and 50 watts, a vibroplex and a Navy surplus regenerative RAL5. I had in the neighborhood of $20 invested in equipment, I recall that the Vibroplex cost about twice what the receiver did and the transmitter was borrowed from my elmer. I had tvi like crazy and had to stay off the air until 9pm to keep the lady next door happy. I could work dx way into the night and before school in those days. I used to sleep through classes anyway!!
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
AC7CW Max,
We missed each other as I lived in Lancaster, CA. Came out east in May of 06. My antenna farm at Rosamond, CA.
Keep cool this coming Aug Max.
73, Vito W6TH
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by K5FH on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
It really is possible to be nostalgic for an era you didn't live in (I was born in 1954 and first licensed in 1970).
The following quote from the first chapter of Clinton DeSoto's book pretty much sums it up for all hams past, present and, hopefully, future:
"But the enjoyment of amateur radio is not measured in dollars or even in elaborate equipment. It is rather measured by such gauges as service, self-expression, a sense of personal accomplishment."
Some things, thankfully, don't change.
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N5YPJ on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
The more I live, the more I find that the good old days weren't so good as we sometimes feel they were. My days as a single foot loose and fancy free guy have lots of good memories for me, but I get the most enjoyment ever from my family.
Ham radio has seen lots of changes, in my time as a ham I believe most have been positive - less FCC hands on and more ham groups doing the hands on, new modes, BETTER equipment, on and on.
Learn from the past, live for today, plan for tomorrow.
|
| |
|
Clinton B. DeSoto, eh?
|
|
|
by AI2IA on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
On page 8 of Morse Code: Breaking the Barrier, Dave Finley, N1RZ, says that in 1936 DeSoto suggested one way to limit the number of amateurs was to increase the code speed requirement.
Ah, the good old days?
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KC8VWM on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I always thought a 6V6GT was an audio amplifier tube, not capable of 10 watts tx.<
::6V6 can easily produce 10W RF output in the HF spectrum. The original 6V6 was a metal tube.
---------------
Thanks Steve.
I have a few metal ones here (JAN versions.) Well now that I know that it will produce some RF perhaps I can heat up the iron and look into building something like that in the future. Might be a fun project.
73 de Charles - KC8VWM
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by NS6Y_ on January 10, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
If you guys haven't, read the book 200 Meters And Down, it's a very interesting read!
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N0AH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Is it just me or does it seem posted comments are getting edited out on a more frequent basis. I simply stated that I wished the band plan could go back to the way it was.....that post has been deleted-
Paul N0AH
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Here is more of interest:
On the 160 meter band from 1.715 mc to 1.800 mc, there came a change and that change was these frequencies later became the police frequencies. So the 160 meter spectrum is what we now have today, 1.8 mc - 2.0 mc and no longer 1.715 - 2.0 mc.
It was fun to listen to the police in the morning while having that second cup of coffee.
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Clinton B. DeSoto, eh?
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
On page 8 of Morse Code: Breaking the Barrier, Dave Finley, N1RZ, says that in 1936 DeSoto suggested one way to limit the number of amateurs was to increase the code speed requirement.
Ah, the good old days?
This was done and at first, in the earier years the code speed was 10 wpm and then increased to 13 wpm.
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Clinton B. DeSoto, eh?
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
"On page 8 of Morse Code: Breaking the Barrier, Dave Finley, N1RZ, says that in 1936 DeSoto suggested one way to limit the number of amateurs was to increase the code speed requirement.
Ah, the good old days?
This was done and at first, in the earier years the code speed was 10 wpm and then increased to 13 wpm."
end quotes
I haven't read the Finley book, but I have read "200 Meters And Down", plus other articles from that time period.
What really happened was quite different.
From the end of WW1 to 1929, amateur radio in the USA grew rather slowly. While there were radical changes in radio technology during those ten or so years, the number of US hams grew very slowly during that time. There were well below 20,000 US hams in 1929. IIRC the number was about 18,000.
Then in 1929 there came two big changes. First, the new "1929 rules" came into effect. Those rules were a direct result of the 1927 World Radio Conference that recognized amateur radio as a separate radio service, with bands protected by treaty. This was a major victory for amateur radio, which had faced legal extinction many times since 1912 and had existed at the whim of the government in many countries.
These new rules radically narrowed several US amateur bands. 40 meters went from 7000-8000 to 7000-7300 and 20 meters went from 14000-16000 to 14000-14400, for example. They also required much cleaner and more stable signals from amateur transmitters. The available bandspace was radically cut overnight, and many transmitters and power supplies that were only a few years old had to be junked or rebuilt completely. If you think we have fast technology change today, compare a 1920 amateur station with a 1930 one - there's almost nothing from the former that was usable in the latter.
The second change was the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression.
It would seem logical that these two changes would spell big trouble for amateur radio, with many hams leaving the air and few newcomers appearing.
But the exact opposite happened. Thousands of new hams got licenses and got on the air. The number of US hams grew to over 46,000 in less than 5 years, almost tripling our numbers. There has never been a period of faster growth (percentagewise) in US amateur radio history.
The problem was that a lot of those Depression era newcomers had some difficulty keeping in conformity with the 1929 rules. Too many of them couldn't keep their signals and harmonics inside the bands, caused BCI from their key clicks, etc. They weren't "bad", they just didn't know any better, because they'd memorized just enough to pass the tests, and hadn't really spent much time with radio technology at all.
Often they'd taken too many shortcuts with their rigs in an effort to save money, and signal quality suffered.
There was also the problem of huge amounts of turnover in the amateur ranks. Many new hams would get a license, throw together a rig, get on the air and make some noise, then sell their setup and fade away. Sometimes it was due to money troubles, sometimes disappointment in the results they got, sometimes because of too many citations from Uncle Sam about their bad signals.
The problem was so bad that it threatened the existence of amateur radio. A ham signal or harmonic that trashed aircraft radio, press radio, military radio, etc., gave all of us a very black eye. QST and others had many articles on better rigs and methods, but the problems persisted.
The answer was to raise the license requirements. This would ensure a longer preparation period for new hams. The change proposed was to raise the code test speed from 10 to 12.5 wpm *and* to improve the written exam.
The idea was not to limit the total number of hams but to improve their qualifications and to slow down the flood of unqualified newcomers.
46,000 amateurs may not sound like a lot. But back then very few hams had selective receivers or really stable transmitters, and almost all amateur operation then was what we would call "split" today. Most 1936 hams were only on 160, 80, and/or 40 meters, and operated anywhere from several hours per week to several hours per day. The result was crowding, and wide/unstable signals only made it worse.
The FCC rounded the proposed 12.5 wpm to 13, and fixed up the written exams. The code speed increase is often remembered but the written exam changes and the reason behind it all are often forgotten.
73 es KC de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AH6FC on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Nice piece, thanks.
Though our current situation with licensing may not be "bad," our ranks might be improved if similar standards still existed. Particularly in regards to the written examination requirements. I was licensed in 1968, shortly after one of the early rounds of "incentive" licensing. The fear generated by the need to sit down for an exam at the local FCC office, and face the cranky old guy with the black rim glasses, narrow black tie, and white short sleeve shirt was not a bad thing. I always had wished I lived far enough away to qualify for a conditional exam...so I wouldn't need to go to the FCC, but alas. Nowadays exams are certainly less intimidating and cognitive performance requirements are less demanding. Not always a good thing.
Anyway, thanks for the nice article. Thanks for pointing out the factual information and not going after the code/no-code differences.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W5TD on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
"The idea was not to limit the total number of hams but to improve their qualifications and to slow down the flood of unqualified newcomers. "
Which wouldn't be a bad idea for the exam regulations of today either. Too bad we don't recognize that goal any longer.
73s John W5TD
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WA2JJH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Nice artical. Interesting. I do have a question. Was not all ham radio forbidden during WW2. How long was the ban?
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KC8VWM on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Not that I was around at the time but here's what I found out.
In June 1940, the US invoked the Telecommunications Convention prohibiting US amateurs from contacting hams outside the USA. Also all portable and mobile operation below 56 MHz was banned. All licensees were required to send a set of fingerprints, a photo, and proof of citizenship to the FCC.
As the USA enters WWII in 1941, Amateur Radio Operation is suspended and by 1942, there was about 15,000 Amateurs serving the US Military. But there is a WERS (War Emergency Radio Service) on 2 1/2 meters (around 2,000 Amateur Stations participated.
1941 - 1945. Skilled code operators on either side could distinguish the enemy operators by the CW swing or style of 'fist", thus in many cases identifying the ship or station location. Post war records indicate the Japanese were monitoring US Navy VHF from long distances -- VHF was thought to be limited to line of sight.
On November 15, 1945, amateurs are allowed back on the air -- but only on 10 and 2 meters. By 1946, Amateurs get most of the bands back except for 160 Meters, this was used by LORAN and other services and was not available to Amateurs. Over the next several decades 160M would be reopened, a little at a time.
Source: ARRL
73
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
All I can rememberis I was told to stop using ham radio at about 2:30 pm Sunday afternoon on December 7 1941.
I Then resumed my operation when I arrived home from China on Jan 11 1946 and built up a rig and back on the air a few weeks or months later. I went on 40 meters and the band was full of 40 meter AM phone stations.
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W5HTW on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
<<Here is more of interest:
On the 160 meter band from 1.715 mc to 1.800 mc, there came a change and that change was these frequencies later became the police frequencies. So the 160 meter spectrum is what we now have today, 1.8 mc - 2.0 mc and no longer 1.715 - 2.0 mc.
It was fun to listen to the police in the morning while having that second cup of coffee.>>
Police HF radio was starting to disappear in the late 1950s but actually continued to some degree until the mid 1960s. Interstate police communications, such as records checks from one state to another, were handled largely by CW. One of the most popular CW transmitters used by police was the Collins 16F 500 watt CW/300 watt AM crystal controlled transmitter.
Our police ogranization still had, when I joined it in 1962, the HF Window antenna, and an NC183D receiver, but the transmitter was gone. We had gone to low=band VHF (46 mhz) FM. Most of our interstate work was now done by land line TTY, much of it direct, some of it by Telex. But we had a carrier system that covered a multi-state network, a voice system kept operational for emergencies. Each 8 hour shift we tested that system, but we never really passed any traffic on it after the early 1960s.
Base to mobile communication was HF voice on 1715 khz. Range was poor, as it was AM, with basically 160 meter mobile antennas. As police comm moved to VHF, the frequencies below 1800 khz became useful mostly for Civil Defense radio systems. I was a CD Radio Officer. Our station operated on 1775.5 khz, AM, with a Johnson Viking II and an SX71 receiver.
To RADIOGUY? Yes, one had to notify the FCC engineer if mobile or portable operation was intended outside of district. However, there was a minimum time limit. If the operation was to be temporary, under a few days, I think, (but I don't recall) no notification was required. If longer term mobile or portable operation was contemplated, one had to notify the FCC engineer in charge of the district one would be operating in, each 30 days, though if the operation would exceed six months, a single notification could be given for six month periods.
By the mid 1960s only one second station license was permitted, as one had to justify being at that location for six months of the year! That meant a maximum of two station licenses could be issued. In 1965 I held W1BXP as my primary in Mass., and WB4LNX as my secondary in Virginia. In the early 1970s, secondary station licenses went away for good.
During World War II operator licenses were issued but no station licenses were issued. Just this past week I went through checking on this for a friend of mine who is not sure if he was licensed in 1941 or in 1946. The first record of a call sign for him is 1946, but he may have been licensed in 1941 with an operator license. There appears to be no way of checking, and he can't remember.
Like Vito, I do not recall when "band plans" came into being. Band 'limits' were rules by the FCC when I came into amateur radio in 1956. Band segments were designated by rules, not by gentlemen's agreements. As a Novice I was permitted CW in the range 3700-3750, 7150-7200, 21100-21250 and 145-146. On 145-146 I could use AM phonem, or CW, MCW or FM.
There were two primary modes of operation - voice or CW. Some had RTTY but it was not awfully popular. Hence bandplans were not needed.
On 20 meters, 14150-14200 was the "foreign phone band," and US hams were not allowed on there except, of course, using CW.
Typically it took about nine weeks for the license to arrive in the mail, and no, you could not operate until the license was in your mitts!
There was a requirement that one had to hold a General or Advanced license for two years before one could even apply to take the Amateur Extra test. Neither Technician nor Conditional licenses qualified.
There was a requirement of three hours of on-air operation as shown in the log, in the last year of one's license term (five years back then) before one could renew a license. The Novice was not renewable, good for only one year. Once held, it could never be held again. I never knew anyone who was asked to show his log for renewal, but the requirement was there.
General, Advanced and Extra Class all had the same operating privileges. Until Incentive Licensing came into being in the late 1960s, no new Advanced licenses were being issued. With the arrival of Incentive Licensing, though, the Advanced was once again open, as a 'step' toward the Extra.
In the 1950s one could hold both a Novice and a Technician license (the later good for 5 years and renewable) at the same time. Since Technicians could not operate on two meters, and Novices could not operate on six meters, holding both licenses permitted one to operate on both six and two meters voice! It also gave one a five year foothold in ham radio during which time one could study and upgrade to General.
The Technician license was exactly that - a license issued to encourage experimentation on and development of the VHF and up frequencies. It was not an entry license, or a "gab" license, as it is today. The FCC had hoped Technician class hams would explore new technology in those still under-developed ranges of VHF into SHF.
Most hams of the era of the 50s and 60s had rather in-depth knowledge in areas of electronics theory. The reason was they had to repair their own equipment. There were very few places one could send a large AM/CW radio to get it repaired, and the cost would be prohibitive. So hams had to be self sufficient to be able to open up a broken radio and fix it, or get a buddy to help them fix it. This just automatically resulted in more basic electronics capabilities. We simply had no choice. (A lot of us had to do the same things with our cars, forcing us to learn auto mechanics as well!! For the same reasons!! )
And yes, the 21 mhz IFs for TVs were a problem for us, and a lot of us stayed off 15 meters for that reason. In the late 1950s the 21 mhz IF disappeared.
Ed
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KB1SF on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Don (W8AD wrote): "…People complain that we have "dumbed down" ham radio. I think just the opposite is true…A person could not have been more "dumbed down" than I was! And remember, that was 1950. No, it was NOT a technical big deal then.
It was AFTER I got my license that I started to learn things with mentors and young ham buddies. I didn't know any more then than the "dumbed down" newbies that people complain about now in 2007. The key is to welcome the newbies, encourage them, and help them along after they get their tickets instead of being rude and sneering and saying "they should have known this or that". I had great help in 1950 because there didn't seem to be the flamers then, either on the air or in person. Compare the 1949/50 license manual to the newest ones and you'll find they are definitely "dumbed UP".
---------------------------
Dumbed up indeed.
In fact, while reading your and other's posts on the subject, it is becoming ever more clear to me that, prior to the time the ARRL (and their willing goons in the FCC) turned the Amateur Service in the United States into an instrument of national economic and social policy, Hams WERE largely left alone to be "self-trained".
However, that all seemed to change when the FCC (at the ARRL's obvious urging) launched their "No Budding RF Engineer Left Behind" foolishness (otherwise known as "incentive licensing") in the late 1950s…a mess that they now (thankfully) appear to be ever-so-slowly correcting one element at a time.
I would be interested to also learn what the Morse tests were like "back then". I remember taking my 13 WPM test in front of an FCC examiner in the late 1970s, and I do recall having to both send and receive. But, I can't remember whether the tests were scored based on so many minutes of solid copy or whether I had to answer a bunch of questions on content.
73,
Keith
KB1SF / VA3KSF
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by K6YE on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
W6TH (Vito),
I came along in the early 60's with my ticket and remember crystals. I had an Ameco AC-1, with a Hallicrafters S-85 receiver and then a National NC-300) and had 4 rocks for 40 meters, 3 for 80, and 1 for 15 meters. The Moscow Woodpecker was alive and well then and I remember putting graphite on the crystal face to "rubber" the frequency.
When I upgraded to general (novice license was good for one year and I operated only the DC bands), DX was plentiful below 7.025 MHz. Then license reform helped me to upgrade (had to hold a ticket for 2 years) to get the 40 meter DX back.
It took a long time for me to get on SSB as commercial equipment was very expensive on a light budget.
I have really enjoyed ham radio for 40+ years. I have every issue of QST (managed to get issues before 1962 free from a ham's estate) Thanks for memory lane walk.
Semper Fi,
Tommy - K6YE
DX IS
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AC7CW on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Hi Vito
Yup, best thing about the Mojave Desert is plenty of room for antennas!! Now if we just had ground :) If I come east I will look you up for an eyeball QSO.
====================================================
Vito posted:
AC7CW Max,
We missed each other as I lived in Lancaster, CA. Came out east in May of 06. My antenna farm at Rosamond, CA.
Keep cool this coming Aug Max.
73, Vito W6TH
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KC8VWM on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
But, I can't remember whether the tests were scored based on so many minutes of solid copy or whether I had to answer a bunch of questions on content.
73,
Keith
KB1SF / VA3KSF
-------------------
Basically, it depended on whether or not you wore a tie, shaved or combed your hair the right way that day.
Then after sweating palms and the proverbial slippery CW keying experience, the FCC examiner at no particular time during the test would blurt out something like, "Alright...alright..., that seems good enough for me..."
...And that's how the west was won.
73
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
"I would be interested to also learn what the Morse tests were like "back then"."
They were very simple, at least at FCC offices.
The receiving test consisted of exactly 5 minutes of plain-language text, usually from a machine. FCC supplied a lined pad of paper and a pencil, and usually (but not always) headphones. You copied what was sent and when the code stopped, you put the pencil down and the examiner took the pad away. Typewriters were sometimes allowed for 20 wpm or if someone was disabled, but I never saw one used for a test.
In order to pass, the examiner had to find the required number of consecutive, correct, *legible* characters on your paper. No going back and fixing up or filling in after the code stopped. The examiner wouldn't ask you to explain what something on the paper was. No second chances, no alternate routes.
The first time I tried 13 wpm, the examiner could not find the required 65 consecutive, correct, *legible* characters on my paper. My "Palmer Method" longhand wasn't good enough for him. So I went home and taught myself to block print Signal-Corps style at 30 wpm, and to copy 18 wpm W1AW bulletins start to finish that way. Next try I passed easily.
If you passed the receiving, you had to send at the required speed with the FCC supplied straight key until the examiner was satisfied you knew what you were doing. Bugs and keyers were allowed *if* you supplied them, could hook them up to the FCC test setup easily and quickly, and if they were self-powered or you brought an extension cord. No keyboards, of course.
Try sending 20 wpm on a straight key with the FCC examiner listening and watching your every move, deciding if you have "the right stuff" to be an Extra.
And yes, people did fail the sending test.
There were some accomodations for the disabled, such as the use of Braille by blind hams or the use of a flashing light or fingers-on-the-speaker-cone for deaf hams. But the disability had to be obvious and well documented, and the accomodations were at FCC's discretion.
If you failed either part of the code test, you had to wait at least 30 days before you could try again.
If you passed the code test, you could try the written test (if required for the license you were attempting).
If you passed the code but failed the written, you had to wait at least 30 days and do the whole thing all over again. No CSCEs, no partial credit, no second chances or do-overs. The only way you got credit for a test element you passed is if it resulted in a new or upgraded license being issued.
One effect of all this, IMHO, is that most hams went to an FCC test session way overprepared, because it wasn't worth taking a chance on failing one part.
IMHO, a lot of the difference between the old and new tests isn't so much the test *content* (adjusted for technology) as the test *methods*. The old methods required you to perform in what was a high-stress environment for most hams.
73 de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AE6QF on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Eleven-eleven. We had the 27 Mc band for 11 years, starting in '47. One of the magazines sponsored a 'Save 11 meters contest' back in '57 or '58.
Sunspots. Boy did we have sunspots! One Sunday morning, I was tuning-up a crystal-controlled screen modulated 2E26 rig on 28.62 Mc using a 25 Watt bulb for a dummy load. The line to the bulb was about 3' of zip cord. A ham in Rhodesia heard me tuning-up and called me. At the time, I was a high school kid who'd just recently gotten rid of the letter N before the numeral in his callsign..
73, Quiet-Finger, AE6QF
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WB2WIK on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
>RE: Band Plans of 1941 Reply
by N2EY on January 11, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
"I would be interested to also learn what the Morse tests were like "back then"."
They were very simple, at least at FCC offices...<
::Like all hams licensed before the 1970's, I went through exactly the same thing you describe, as a 13 year-old kid. It wasn't scary, though. I looked forward to it, and it was "exciting," I'd say. My biggest worry was getting there, because the FCC office was in Manhattan and I lived ~20 miles away in New Jersey and had never been to NYC "on my own" before (without parents, or a teacher, or somebody older).
It was cool taking a bus to a train to a subway...I was so afraid of being "late" (the FCC office opened at 9:00 AM and did not take appointments, it was first-come, first served and if too many applicants showed up, you'd have to come back another time) that I arrived an hour and a half early and had to stand outside on the sidewalk in winter WX (about freezing, and snowing lightly) until the office opened.
To celebrate passing the General exam (code, written -- you had to take it all at the same sitting back then) I treated myself to a hot dog in Washington Square Park (close to the FCC office), spent $1.50 on that plus a Coke, and almost didn't have enough money left to get home.
I think it was GREAT doing it that way. The VE system is obviously more convenient, and maybe even "friendlier," but there's something special about the old way. Maybe it's just me.
WB2WIK/6
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N9VR on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Hi Vito
Thanks for that trip into history. Things always change. Or do they?
73 Hiram
Bill N9VR
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Testing by the fcc for the class "B" very similiar to what has been posted; given just one minute of 13 words per minute with not missing a single character, having it to be in long hand and not printing. The FCC examiner then checked the solid copy and handed me a package and said to send on the straight key. I bursted at around 20 wpm, he stopped me and said ok. What I sent was from the package which was my 50 question test. He made me change seats to another with no one in front of me or on the sides or the back. I opened the package and in about one hour or 1 1/2 hours I completed the test. The FCC examiner came to the desk and took the paper test papers and said it is ok to go, but let me check your mailing address.
I can't think how it could all be memory when I had to calculate for capacitive reactance and another for inductive reatance when I had to show my math for the calculations. Memory doesn't work as who knows what capacity or inductance the test would supply. Questions were all AC and DC theory, Crystal frequency drift and the percentage. Much more math concerning Ohms law.
My testing for both the class "B" and "A" and the Extra were The Federal Building Washington Street New York City and my call letters came thirty days later and the call letters were W2OGH.
Yes, W2OGH at 15 years of age.
73, W6TH ex W20GH both non vanity calls.
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WB2WIK on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
>RE: Band Plans of 1941 Reply
by W6TH on January 11, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
My testing for both the class "B" and "A" and the Extra were The Federal Building Washington Street New York City <
::Exactly the same place I took the test. 641 Washington Street, on the West Side, just up from Washington Square Park in the Village. You could see the Hudson River out the windows of the FCC office on the 5th floor (or whatever floor it was -- it was high enough to have a good view). The examiner was a guy named Finkelman who smoked a stinky cigar and liked to leave all the windows open (that did help clear the air from smoke) in the middle of winter. The wind blowing in the windows would blow the yellow lined paper around -- the one we were supposed to "copy" on. And the tablet arm chairs dated back to the Crimean War. But it was fun!
WB2WIK/6
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
N9VR Bill
Just people change Hiram. Whether for the better or worse, people are people. Stay on the square om.
Harrison lodge 1093.
73 Bill
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Steve I drove to the FCC as I had a learners permit and my dad let me drive his 1928 ford four door sedan. I also went for the drivers test and passed on my age 16, but could not drive after 6 pm. For the other tests I went with my Pontiac Fire Bird and passed the rest classes on the first try. Smart Kid you say? NAW, I just put more time in my studies. I studied until I dropped, that is how much I loved my ham radio. AMEN.
73
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by K4VVX on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Vito,
First of all, thank you for your service to our country. I was born in 1943 and am still a student of WWII history.
Secondly, I would like to thank you for posting this article. It is one of the best that I have seen in a long, long time. I remember back in 1960 when I had two borrowed crystals, 21.180kc and 21.240kc (actually 7.060 and 7.080). I spent many nights trying to wear them out, operating as Kn4VVX, a 16 year old kid. Thanks also for the nostalgia and the memories of "the way it was".
73,
Carl
Harmony #61
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AI2IA on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Another thanks to Vito, W6TH! I believe that everyone looking at the Band Plans from 1941 finds them interesting. Sometimes it is very good to look at the past. It helps us appreciate the present and to see where it all come from. - Ray, AI2IA
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Thanks Carl. In high school I majored in History and my favorite is American history, from the landing on the Plymouth Rock to the year 2007 and beyond. I don't know how I wound up in electronics, but must have been just a challange as a guess. I thank you and many others that have supported this grand memory post. It turned out better than my expectations and was good for all.
73, Vito
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Yes Ray, I thought it was time to have the shootout and what we old timers did to keep it going for others to join and appreciate. Not many of us around so it is up to others to keep it going and the best part is all of the good antenna and designs we now have left behind. Thanks.
73, Vit0 W6TH.
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
"There was a requirement that one had to hold a General or Advanced license for two years before one could even apply to take the Amateur Extra test. Neither Technician nor Conditional licenses qualified."
Not exactly.
You needed two years' experience as a Conditional, General, or Advanced before they'd even let you try the Extra. Experience as a Novice or Technician did not count.
Before the Advanced was closed to new issues at the end of 1952, it required a year experience as a General or Conditional. When it was reopened in 1967, there was no experience requirement.
"General, Advanced and Extra Class all had the same operating privileges. Until Incentive Licensing came into being in the late 1960s, no new Advanced licenses were being issued. With the arrival of Incentive Licensing, though, the Advanced was once again open, as a 'step' toward the Extra."
It should be remembered that the 1960s changes known as "incentive licensing" were actually a return to the older system that had existed before 1953.
"In the 1950s one could hold both a Novice and a Technician license (the later good for 5 years and renewable) at the same time. Since Technicians could not operate on two meters, and Novices could not operate on six meters, holding both licenses permitted one to operate on both six and two meters voice! It also gave one a five year foothold in ham radio during which time one could study and upgrade to General."
Before 1987, the Technician and General/Conditional used exactly the same written test. The only difference was that the Technician code test was 5 wpm and the General/Conditional code test was 13 wpm. So the only thing a Technician needed to study to upgrade to General was Morse Code.
73 de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KB1SF on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Jim (N2EY) wrote: "If you passed the code but failed the written, you had to wait at least 30 days and do the whole thing all over again. No CSCEs, no partial credit, no second chances or do-overs. The only way you got credit for a test element you passed is if it resulted in a new or upgraded license being issued.
One effect of all this, IMHO, is that most hams went to an FCC test session way overprepared, because it wasn't worth taking a chance on failing one part.
IMHO, a lot of the difference between the old and new tests isn't so much the test *content* (adjusted for technology) as the test *methods*. The old methods required you to perform in what was a high-stress environment for most hams.
---------------------------------
Jim, your assessment of the testing conditions as being a "high-stress environment" is the height of understatement.
I was absolutely petrified!
And, yes, I do now recall being WAY over-prepared because of the need to pass both the Morse AND the written exams at the same sitting for General. And, luckily, as a direct result of my being so over-prepared, I always managed to pass every element of every test I attempted, sweaty palms, shaking hands and all.
But I know a LOT of others who weren't so lucky. I couldn't help but overhearing some of the "horror stories" of other folks in the local area (Dayton, Ohio) who had tried (unsuccessfully) not once but SEVERAL times to pass one or the other parts of an upgrade attempt, and were unable to do so. Sometimes these folks even alternated those failures between the Morse and the written test…passing one but not the other, and then coming back months later only to reverse their performance, sometimes without EVER earning the upgrade to General, Advanced or Extra. Most of these folks who absolutely couldn't pass the Morse test then "settled" for the Technician.
I also seem to recall paying some sort of a (non-refundable) fee each time to take a test. However, by that time, I do believe the license itself was "free".
Needless to say, the utter inconvenience of this whole approach was compounded by the fact that, unless you lived close enough to an FCC Field Office, the FCC only took their testing sessions "on the road" to various auxiliary testing sites a few times per year. So, that meant you had to register for such sessions well in advance, and then make arrangements to be away from work (school, etc) for those "semi-every-once-in-awhile" sessions. And, God help you if you were sick or had a conflict on one of those dates. One absolutely, positively KEPT those appointments, particularly because that would be your only chance to upgrade for at least another 3-6 months.
The only alternative to this approach was to drive a long distance to an FCC field office so as to take the tests on a "walk-in" basis. The closest such office for those of us in Dayton was Detroit, some 200 miles distant. Otherwise, you had to pre-register and then wait for their "traveling road show" to come to one of their closer auxiliary testing sites…in my case these were held at either Cincinnati or Columbus.
I know many folks from Dayton got so frustrated waiting for one or the other of these sessions that they would end up taking two days off from school or work as all such tests were only offered on a weekday. They would then drive the 200 or so miles up to Detroit the day before their exam, spend the night in a Motel…at their own expense…take the test(s) on the following morning, and then drive the 200 miles back to Dayton later that evening happy or sad, depending on the outcome of their test(s) earlier in the day.
Also, by the time I took my General, by adding the word "interim" and a few letters after my call sign, I could immediately use my added privileges, even though my license had not yet come in the mail. I understand prior to that time, one had to actually have that new license in hand before one could exercise those added privileges.
I also seem to recall that if you failed the Morse test for the General, you COULD still take the General written test and get a Technician license, possibly at the same session. But I can't recall whether or not you had to re-take the 5 WPM test for that license, or whether just passing the written test at that point was enough. Personally, I never had to do this, so my memory is fuzzy on the issue.
Of course, that was also back in the days when the Novice license had an expiry date associated with it. You were really under the gun to upgrade to "something" lest you be forced into starting all over.
And, I'm not sure which would have been worse…one's own frustration at having failed the test, or having to face one's local Ham Radio "peers" after such a failure. Fear of being shamed in front of one's peers can be a powerful motivator sometimes. I know it was for me.
My, how times HAVE changed!
73,
Keith
KB1SF / VA3KSF
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KC8VWM on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Keith,
It makes you wonder how many potential hams who just decided to throw in the towel and said forget about it and went on to other things.
Like the Kenny G song says, "You gotta know when to fold 'em."
I know if I went to a testing session and failed CW on multiple occasions I probobly would have given up and done the same thing eventually.
Today I enjoy using CW, not because it's required per se but rather because I find it useful and somewhat entertaining. I'm not proclaiming to be an expert and make my share of mistakes but I admit I find using CW fun really.
73
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W5TD on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
"Like the Kenny G song says, "You gotta know when to fold 'em."
That was Kenny Rogers. Not sure how you could confuse those 2.
And back then I am guessing that we didn't have this "everyone needs to be a ham" attitude.
73s John W5TD
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by QRZDXR on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
KC8VWM on January 10, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
I always thought a 6V6GT was an audio amplifier tube, not capable of 10 watts tx.<
::6V6 can easily produce 10W RF output in the HF spectrum. The original 6V6 was a metal tube.
Thanks Steve.
I have a few metal ones here (JAN versions.) Well now that I know that it will produce some RF perhaps I can heat up the iron and look into building something like that in the future. Might be a fun project.
----------------------------------------------------
Just remember Charles that your going to be keying that thing at the cathode with about 350-400 volts... pushing up 450 will really make the cathode current flow... most electronic keysers won't do that... so its stright key or vibroplex non electronic bug only... our the use of a nice relay to key the tube.
crystal contolled is also the better way to go on it...
Good luck... I am sure you will find out what that lever on the side of the old brass key is for... to tune up the transmitter... we used to call it the tune key...
ahhh yes lots of fun back then.
Good luck
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KT6K on January 11, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941 Reply by W6TH
My testing for both the class "B" and "A" and the Extra were The Federal Building Washington Street New York City <
RE: Band Plans of 1941 Reply by WB2WIK/6
Exactly the same place I took the test. 641 Washington Street, on the West Side, just up from Washington Square Park in the Village. You could see the Hudson River out the windows of the FCC office on the 5th floor (or whatever floor it was -- it was high enough to have a good view). The examiner was a guy named Finkelman who smoked a stinky cigar and liked to leave all the windows open (that did help clear the air from smoke) in the middle of winter. The wind blowing in the windows would blow the yellow lined paper around -- the one we were supposed to "copy" on. And the tablet arm chairs dated back to the Crimean War. But it was fun!
I didn't remember Mr. Finkleman's name, but I sure remember that stinky cigar, the old chairs and windows, and the view of the Hudson...
Boy did you ever bring back some memories!
K2IDL/KT6K
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
KT6K es WB2WIK,
I didn't have Mr Finkelman as my fcc examiner did not smell of cigar and yes the windows were open and the chairs were the normal school desk and seats with the ink well in the far corner on the right side.
The windows were open and was good as it was June in NYC.
I travelled 40 miles to the FCC office and 40 miles to return as I lived in Port Chester, NY at that time. It was good to see the "new" George Washington bridge on the way to NYC.
Ahhh. They were the days, low rents, no CC&R or HOA, no taxes except income, no TV's, no TVI, all home brew rigs and rcv'rs, end fed wire aerials for beginners and Center Fed Zepp's for the OT's, hand keys and Vibroplex bugs where you knew who was calling CQ or calling you by the tempo of his/her fist.
And best of all, all able to send and receive faster than 13 wpm or copy 35 to 40 wpm in their head and all talk about radio testing, improvements of radio and the futue of ham radio with our new ideas to improve ham radio.
Here today, gone tomorrow.
73
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W6TH on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
.
Here is the secret to passing the Amater Radio License examination in the years before WWII.
This is/was my secret:
Memorize all, I said all the formulas in the ARRL handbook and you would pass your written exam with no problem.
Using the formulas for math and knowing how to use them. Using formulas for the theory and reciprocals in math and theory.
A young girl about the age of 14 passed the same test the day I took mine. I asked her how long did she study for the exam and she told me just what I am telling you.
The FCC tests were centered around the ARRL handbook and the ARRL was great in my days and the ARRL was my Elmer, both for code and the theory testing.
W6TH
.:
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KC8VWM on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Just remember Charles that your going to be keying that thing at the cathode with about 350-400 volts... pushing up 450 will really make the cathode current flow... most electronic keysers won't do that... so its stright key or vibroplex non electronic bug only... our the use of a nice relay to key the tube.
-----------
Thanks for the advice. I have always been a straight key kind of guy myself. Can't seem to master paddles.
Not sure if I want to run cathode voltage directly through the straight key though. Might need to look into a high speed relay, switching diode or something.
73 de Charles - KC8VWM
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by K2CBM on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
I remember when the 15 meter band opened up in the 1950s. I came in on every TV in the neighborhood! The IF frequencey of Ch. 4 fell right in the middle of the 21 mc. band.One neighbor even called the police. The FCC was beseiged with complaints. I was running 75 watts with a 6L6 tube driving a pair of 807s. And of course, no shielding and I'm sure a high SWR into my doublet. Who checked SWRs in those days? If your finals had no red plates you were OK. Great memories!
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AK2B on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
K2CBM wrote:
“Who checked SWRs in those days? If your finals had no red plates you were OK.”
I had to laugh. I forgot about my homebrew novice 6146 transmitter mounted on an exposed aluminum chassis along with a large coil and capacitor used to tune it. That’s how I learned about RF burns. I’m always amazed that I survived my youth. Ham radio could be dangerous in those days.
Nice post, Vito.
Tom, AK2B
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W7WV on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
It would appear that back then it would have been a definite benefit to know CW.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
In reference to a 6V6GT as a transmitting tube:
"Just remember Charles that your going to be keying that thing at the cathode with about 350-400 volts... pushing up 450 will really make the cathode current flow... most electronic keysers won't do that... so its stright key or vibroplex non electronic bug only... our the use of a nice relay to key the tube."
Couple of points:
1) The 6V6GT isn't the best tube for the job - it's just what I had available. For a simple oscillator transmitter, the 6AG7 is preferable. The miniature 5763 or 6CL6 are good candidates, too.
2) 450 plate volts is way too much. 350 is as high as I would go, and 300 much better.
3) Cathode keying does not put anything like the full plate voltage across the key. With a decent design, cathode keying results in only the grid cutoff voltage at the key terminals. A few dozen volts, not the full B+.
4) The ratings on tubes and rigs from before 1983 or so are DC input, not RF output. When I wrote of a 10 watt 6V6GT tx, that was 10 watts input - maybe 7 watts output on a good day. One Christmas tree bulb for a dummy load. Antenna was the classic random-wire-out-to-the-crabapple-tree.
--
This fall it will be 40 years since I first hit the air as WN3IYC. I still have the tube and many of the parts from that old rig. Perhaps I should rebuild it....
73 es KC de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by QRZDXR on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
well your about right... seems to me that the calculation of the voltage across the key is about half of what the plate voltage really is... but the full current also will cause the key to spark a little and thus we had to pad the key contacts with a cap ... out of a car distrbutor as I seem to recall...
The 6V6 tube is as you say not the best... the better was the old 6L6 tube...
http://www.io.com/~nielw/6l6/6L6.htm
Here is a copy of the transmitter that we made way back then also... in case any of you want to get the old heating irons going again... Of course your going to have to build youself a good power supply too... with transformers for the filliment and B+ etc.. not too common today but, should not be a problem scarfing the parts from old heatkit power supplys.
No the part about the key and shocking you is the slide on the side... as we used to say it was the keylock so you could tune up... only problem is don't get to wild with the fingers and stay on the key plat or else... you will see the white light in the middle of the night... (shocking)
We used to push the tubes up to 450... just short of the cap ratings... tried 600 volts to get just a llittle more out.. and found out about imploding tubes that glowed pretty blue till you keyed 'em and then they went from dull red to bright orange real quick... dont know how much more power the output was.. as again someone has it right we went by volt/amps going in... not out... so the effecency was not really taken into consideration...
It was fun back then... and big racks of equipment always impressed the visitors... today... they have cell phones... yuck... what excitement can that have...
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by QRZDXR on January 12, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
forgot one that someone just sent.. saying
what about this one... neat looking too and yes we didn't have the solid state diodes for the powersupply...
Tubes, Tubes were the thing...
this one has a voltage regulation on it too.. that I wish I had done to mine... keeping the birddies down...
http://www.qsl.net/k4gc/6L6.html
but he used the same household pan I did...
Ahhh what a memory.. thanks Vio... it truly was good back then. And if like the future holds.. it will be again.. as I don't think the newbies are coming like they think... so it will be us old timers till the end... some are predicting a decrease in the ham population in the next years... as the others just arn't interested in radio and all when they can use the cell and computer anytime they want... with privacy... so hams will be purest at the hobby and the ones that are probably going to stay.. are the ones that were here before the newbies tried to take over.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WA2JJH on January 13, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I used the ARRL lic. manual. Seemed to prep me well for the 20 minute walk to the Federal Building on Varick Street. Before that it was all the way on Hudson street in the west Village.
They had the Ham test's on Wednesdays, and Thursdays was commercial. I always looked at this door where the Enforcement engineers were.
They would not leave that door open long. I do remember arrays of Collins stuff, lots of scopes and other racks of who knows what.
When they first allowed calculators, the people working their would inspect your calculator. For what, who knows. I guess if you went in with a SR-58 texas instrument calculator, one could have stored answers on the built in mag card reader. I had one of those back in 1976.
Back then if you wanted ANY type of job in broadcasting, you had to have a 1st or 2nd class phone.
Even the "Talent", like DJ's had to have a 3erd class phone.
They had many schools that got a good idea of the question pool for the commercial. I had often wondered how the heck the tape ops ever passed the 1st and second at the station I worked for.
Just goes to show you. You can either really understand the material, or just take the test enough times until you got a 76 or better.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WA2JJH on January 13, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
The old building on Hudson and Washington street still stands.
The newer office at 220 Varick street still houses some federal offices. I have not checked to see if the FCC is still there or moved downtown into the new federal building in the court district.
It was good to have had the FCC as a Neighbor. Back then they really did go after CBers using mega-power.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N2EY on January 13, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
QRZDXR wrote:
"seems to me that the calculation of the voltage across the key is about half of what the plate voltage really is"
No, that's not right.
In a cathode-keyed setup, the voltage across the key is no more than the grid bias necessary to cut off the plate current.
"but the full current also will cause the key to spark a little and thus we had to pad the key contacts with a cap"
That part is correct. I used to have a rig that ran a pair of 807s, cathode keyed, in the final, with about 800 volts on the plates. Key-up voltage was about 75 volts but the key had to carry about 250 mA for the plates, screens, and the driver stage.
"The 6V6 tube is as you say not the best... the better was the old 6L6 tube...
http://www.io.com/~nielw/6l6/6L6.htm
Here is a copy of the transmitter that we made way back then also"
6L6 isn't much better, just bigger.
"... in case any of you want to get the old heating irons going again... Of course your going to have to build youself a good power supply too... with transformers for the filliment and B+ etc.. not too common today but, should not be a problem scarfing the parts from old heatkit power supplys."
There are plenty of parts sources out there for the hollow-state stuff.
"We used to push the tubes up to 450... just short of the cap ratings... tried 600 volts to get just a llittle more out.. and found out about imploding tubes that glowed pretty blue till you keyed 'em and then they went from dull red to bright orange real quick... dont know how much more power the output was.. as again someone has it right we went by volt/amps going in... not out... so the effecency was not really taken into consideration..."
I learned early on to run tubes at or below their ratings. The additional few watts would not make a difference at the other end, but *would* make a difference in tube life.
There are plenty of us still building our own and using it on the air. Most of us are on CW, and most are on the lower HF/MF bands (160 through 20).
The rig you see on my homepage was built about a 12-15 years ago. It has been the main station rig since then, used for ragchewing, contesting, a little DXing and was even on Field Day.
There are lots more hams like me, too.
73 de Jim, N2EY
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AG4RQ on January 13, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
WA2JJH:
"Back then if you wanted ANY type of job in broadcasting, you had to have a 1st or 2nd class phone.
Even the "Talent", like DJ's had to have a 3erd class phone."
Hi Mike. One needed the 3rd class phone ticket to do any kind of transmitting. The 2nd class phone ticket authorized the license holder to make repairs and adjustments to any transmitter other than broadcast transmitters. One who held a 2nd class phone ticket could make repairs and adjustments to land/mobile and marine 2-way radios, amateur and CB radios. To make any repairs or adjustments to a broadcast transmitter, you needed the 1st class phone. The radar endorsement is self-explanatory. You needed the radar endorsement to make adjustments and repairs to ship radar equipment. Holders of both 1st and 2nd class phone tickets could obtain the radar endorsement.
Testing elements were as follows:
Third Class Radiotelephone Operator's License
Element I - Basic Law
Element II - Basic Operating Practice
Second Class Radiotelephone Operator's License
Element I - Basic Law
Element II - Basic Operating Practice
Element III - Basic Radiotelephone (both categories)
Category "O" - General
Category "M" - Maritime
First Class Radiotelephone Operator's License
Element I - Basic Law
Element II - Basic Operating Practice
Element III - Basic Radiotelephone (both categories)
Category "O" - General
Category "M" - Maritime
Element IV - Advanced Radiotelephone (both parts)
Part I - Technical
Part II - Rules and Regulations
Ship Radar Endorsement
Element VIII - Ship Radar Techniques
Element I - 20 questions
Element II - 20 questions
Element III - 100 questions
Element IV - 50 questions
Element VIII - 50 questions
I held a 2nd class phone ticket with ship radar endorsement. I never had a GROL. I let the license lapse rather than pay the fee for the lifetime GROL ticket. By the time the GROL replaced the Class 1 and Class 2 tickets, I was in a different line of work and didn't need the license.
You can get a GROL the same way you get an amateur license. Go to a VE session and take the test. The question pool for the GROL is in the public domain as well; another cereal box ticket, only this one will cost some heavy bux. My 2 FCC test sessions were $4 each. Come to think of it, I don't really remember if I had to pay again for the radar endorsement. I do remember paying $4 for the 2nd class phone license, though.
When I got my 2nd class phone ticket with radar endorsement, I tested at the Miami FCC field office which was a 50-mile drive from my residence at the time. I took the tests with the rest of my electronics class in 2 sessions. I took the 2nd class test in 11/81 and the radar endorsement test in 1/82.
Steve (WB2WIK), you are right. There is something about taking the test the old way (in front of an FCC examiner at the FCC field office). I took my amateur exams at VE sessions in '95, '00 and '02. It wasn't the same. Down at the Federal Bldg, in that room with the grey walls and the wooden chairs (not Crimean War vintage. In Miami, the chairs appeared to be WW II vintage.) and the grey-haired middle-aged male FCC examiner, it all gave the appearance of being a typical governmental setting. It was a lot more "official" than a colloquial VE setting. The examiner appeared to be in his mid fifties. I was 26 at the time. The examiner had the air of authority about him. He wasn't your peer. He wasn't just another ham op.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AF9J on January 13, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Hi Vito & everybody else,
Believe it or not, but thanks for the trip down memory lane. I got my Novice back in early 1978. I remember all of of the exam stuff mentioned. I had to do 5 WPM, both sending & receiving. I took the test (for the 2nd time - I failed the written on my first try in the summer of 1977, so I went to licensing classes, to bone up) on Christmas Eve (an old gentleman, who's been SK for some time gave it to me). I didn't get the license in the mail until Feb. 1978 (one of the last of the WD9 calls). I was 14 years old. In March 1978, the Novice was changed from 2 years non-renewable, to 2 years renewable.
I didn't get on the air until Summer 1982. My hinderance - parents who thought even spending $150 was too much for a teenager, and insisted that a ham rig should cost no more than a CB! Ugh! I almost didn't renew the license, when it came due in 1980. My mom saw me throwing the Form 610 in the garbage, and asked me why. I told her, "why bother, since I'm not on the air, and have no idea when or if I'll ever get on the air." Mom talked me into renewing my license (she said that it didn't hurt to have it, and maybe someday, I'd get some use out of it). You see, my local radio club, didn't provide much support to newbies, and most of the members were over 40. As a teenager, you really don't want to hang out with 40-somethings. LOL So, I didn't even have access to a loaner rig. I finally took matters into my own hands, in the summer of 1982 (right after I graduated high school), and bought an HW-16 and HG-10 VFO. Boy was my dad irate! He felt I had foolishly spent money that would be better used by me in meeting college expenses. But he said that since I was 18, he couldn't do anything about me doing stupid things like that.
I had a blast with that setup at my parents' place during my first 2 years of college (I used to hang out on either the 15m, or the 80m Novice band (this was when the 80m Novice band was 3700-3750 kHz). This was all during pre-VE days. My hometown is 150 miles north of Chicago. The Conditional license had been gone for quite some time. The FCC gave exams in Milwaukee, 4 times a year. I had no wheels (other than a small motorcycle) that were up to the task of taking me to Milwaukee, much less Chicago (and my parents would not have wanted to drive me to either of the two locations "just for a ham radio license test"). I knew no other local hams.
So I was stuck with my Novice, until I transferred to the Univ. of Wisconsin (150 miles away from my hometown of Manitowoc), to finish my engineering degree. In 1986 (one year after I transferred), I finally got the gumption to join the university's ham club, where I learned that you could take the exam at a VE test from a club member. I went to a local hamfest, and got my General. The electronics classes I had in college sure came in handy. I passed my General easily, and was all set to take my Advanced, at the same test session. But a hitch came up. I really had to go to the bathroom. The VEs told me that going to the bathroom meant leaving the test site, and if I left the test site, my testing was done! Ugh! I grumbled, but I called it a day. I ended up finding out later on from another University of WI ham club member, who had the same bathroom situation, that he made a fuss, and the VEs let him go to the bathroom, and continue testing. Go figure!
Because I was having so much fun with my General (I did a lot of operating on 160m, 10m, and VHF & UHF, where it wasn't necessary to have an Advanced or Extra Class License), I didn't get my Advanced until 1993, and my Extra until 1994 (I heard the code test at a test session I was VEing as an Advanced, and because it sounded only like 13 WPM instead of 20 WPM, decided to go for it).
I tell you, things sure have changed since I first got my license.
73 & thanks for the memories,
Ellen - AF9J
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WA2JJH on January 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Another thing was offered by the FCC to EXTRAS only.
After I got my Extra at the field office. Waited the usual 6 weeks to get the ticket, I appled for an EXTRA
lic. certificate.
One simply sent in a copy of the ticket to the FCC.
In return one got a Very official looking certificate that looked like a commercial phone lic.
It was white with blue trimming. Looks very much like a FCC 1st phone lic.
My serial # on it is AE-2-1481. The lic. FCC officials name is hand signed Henry Paulison.
The secretary was a William J.Dricarico.
Just curious how many other FCC licensed Extra's have FCC form 659.
I also remember we did at first have to pay the FCC field office $4 per passed exam.
Later, many hams got rebates because the FCC decided
testing fee's were wrong.
BTW. I do remember one could apply for a waiver. If you missed the 1st or 2nd phone by one question, you could retake the test in 10 days.
I took Broadcast engineering as an elective in High School. I had told my teacher that I missed the 2nd phone by one answer. He said..Why did you did not apply for a waiver of the 30 days. I did. Took the 100 question test 14 days later and passed.
I found the First Phone test similar to the EXTRA written back then. One simply memorised the questions about Video tape machines, STL microwave links and the infamous TURNSTYLE Antenna that was a staple in broadcasting.
I did want to go on for the Radar endorsment. I took the test 5 days before the FCC was to do away with the 1st phone. I failed. No second chance for that one.
|
| |
|
RE: Ship Radar endorsement
|
|
|
by N4QA on January 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
The FCC's Ship Radar Endorsement is still available for the T1, T2 and GROL.
72.
Bill, N4QA
|
| |
|
RE: Ship Radar endorsement
|
|
|
by WA2JJH on January 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Good to know. I might take it. For what? I dunno. I just like to chase paper.
|
| |
|
RE: Ship Radar endorsement
|
|
|
by N4QA on January 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Yeah, me too.
I recently downloaded the question pool for the GMDSS operator/maintainer licenses...more of the finest 3rd-quarter 20th Century technology.
One of our daughters now works for what's left of the shipping company (Sea-Land Services) I worked for at sea. Who knows...as more US-based manufacturing jobs are moved offshore...I may have to become re-acquainted with pitch, roll, yaw...
72.
Bill, N4QA
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W5OOR on January 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Reading about the ham bands in the forties takes me back. I was licensed in June/48 while still in high school, I have been fortunate to hold this call since then. My first rig was a command transmitter and receiver covering 40 meters CW. After serving in the Air Force during the Korea War I got my BSEE and enjoyed a wonderful career. I owe most of these accomplishments to my ham radio experience. It was not easy as I was a teenager adrift at that time. My Radio/Electricity teacher, a ham, saw I needed some direction in my life. He asked me to be at his house one evening, I didn't know what was going on, but when I got there, I heard this morse code coming from his bedroom. He was working Australia on 40 Cw. Those 866's were turning the most beautiful blue each time he hit the key. I was forever after hooked and as I said, it set the stage for success in later life.
My dad was a ham in the mid twenties, 5FQ, he did not pursue the hobby but helped me to learn the code when I got my ticket in 1948. The rest of the story was at 75 years old, I encouraged him to get back in ham radio. He studied, got his novice, general, and even advanced. He became a silent key in 2002 at 97 years old. Ham radio brightened his life in the later years. He carried the 2 meter hand held even in the rest home.
I am retired and 75, and returning to my roots getting back on the air after some years absence. I am refurbishing his old equipment and will have the station active in a few more weeks. For young and old alike, it is a wonderful hobby. Thanks for listening to my personal testimony.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by AE6RO on January 14, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
I spent a good part of Saturday reviewing old QSTs from just before the war years. One interesting thing that surfaced was about a month before Pearl Harbor, hams were asked to abandon 80 meters in favor of military aviation. Does anyone remember that? They were also forbidden to use phone on 160 but CW was still allowed. And they weren't allowed to talk to hams from belligerent nations.
FCC Order 87 shut ham radio down for the duration as of December 8 1941.
Another tidbit was the suggestion that hams remove their transmitting antennas and donate the copper to the war effort. Also, to prevent suspiciousness on the neighbor's part since hams couldn't legally transmit. 73 AE6RO John
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N4CQR on January 15, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
This has been one of the best threads I have seen here is months.
Craig
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KI4FZT on January 15, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
W8AD wrote: "For example, people complain that we have "dumbed down" ham radio. I think just the opposite is true. Here's why. I got my Class B ticket in 1950 after reading and talking with neighbor hams and buddies during the late 40s. I was 14 years old when I passed the test. You think I was technically proficient? Of course not! Even then, I memorized the 1949/50 ARRL license manual, worked with some young buddies and took the test. I drew a few schematics of oscillators and amps, did a couple of block diagrams and wrote out some essay questions. But then, I had no idea what I was doing. A person could not have been more "dumbed down" than I was! And remember, that was 1950. No, it was NOT a technical big deal then.
It was AFTER I got my license that I started to learn things with mentors and young ham buddies. I didn't know any more then than the "dumbed down" newbies that people complain about now in 2007. The key is to welcome the newbies, encourage them, and help them along after they get their tickets instead of being rude and sneering and saying "they should have known this or that". I had great help in 1950 because there didn't seem to be the flamers then, either on the air or in person. Compare the 1949/50 license manual to the newest ones and you'll find they are definately "dumbed UP".
Because I was encouraged in ham radio then, when I was 14, I went on and got a college degree in EE and had an absolutely wonderful career. I think some people say we have "dumbed down" the hobby because they think that's the popular bandwagon to be on. But, they we're there when I was. Different reality.
Encourage the "dumb" newbies, they'll appreciate it and enjoy it like I did. "
Did you EVER hit the nail on the head! This is as true in ham radio as it is other areas of endeavor. As a medical person, I can readily see an equally true analogy: When a person first gets their license as a physician, nurse, or other health professional, if they have anything at all going on upstairs, they quickly realize that achieving that credential did NOT mean they had learned what they needed to know. ALL it meant was that they had learned enough of the basics to BEGIN to learn the rest of what they needed to know. It's EXACTLY the same with ham radio, and I cheer you for pointing this out in a time when it is all too popular to jump on the "they dumbed it down" bandwagon!
And thanks to Vito for this great trek down memory lane!
73 DE KI4FZT
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by N7EOJ on January 15, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
Thank all of you for the history and nostalgia.
I had to drive 150 miles to Phoenix when the FCC examiners came from San Diego, a couple of times a year. It makes me feel like a newcomer.
73
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WB7AVF on January 17, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
|
Very interesting! My Dad (ex-W7EWO) has mentioned to me that indeed folks would often switch from CW to 'phone on the same freq.
|
| |
|
Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by W0IVJ on January 17, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
W8AD wrote: "For example, people complain that we have "dumbed down" ham radio. I think just the opposite is true. Here's why. I got my Class B ticket in 1950 after reading and talking with neighbor hams and buddies during the late 40s. I was 14 years old when I passed the test. You think I was technically proficient? Of course not! Even then, I memorized the 1949/50 ARRL license manual, worked with some young buddies and took the test. I drew a few schematics of oscillators and amps, did a couple of block diagrams and wrote out some essay questions. But then, I had no idea what I was doing. A person could not have been more "dumbed down" than I was! And remember, that was 1950. No, it was NOT a technical big deal then.
A friend of mine is going to take the amateur technician and general class test (elements 2 and 3), so I thought I would look at the questions for elements 2, 3, and 4. I would challenge anyone who took their tests back in the 50's and 60's to look at the question pools. In my opinion these tests are not dumbed down. In fact, I am not sure that most of us could go in without studying and pass. So I would agree with W8AD. Let's encourage the new hams not ridicule them.
Tom W0IVJ
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by K4JF on January 17, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
"Very interesting! My Dad (ex-W7EWO) has mentioned to me that indeed folks would often switch from CW to 'phone on the same freq. "
Fine then. Not recommended today, as we are in a completely different situation.
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by WB2WIK on January 19, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
>Band Plans of 1941 Reply
by WB7AVF on January 17, 2007 Mail this to a friend!
Very interesting! My Dad (ex-W7EWO) has mentioned to me that indeed folks would often switch from CW to 'phone on the same freq.<
::And back in those days, a few hams killed themselves while doing so. It was common that the same transmitter worked AM (plate modulation) and CW, and to work CW you'd short out the plate transformer secondary, which of course was normally excited with the full plate voltage for the final amplifier stage.
"Okay, Joe, I'm going to switch to CW now, hold on a sec....bzzzt....zappp....cough...."
Call the paramedics...
-WB2WIK/6
|
| |
|
RE: Band Plans of 1941
|
|
|
by KA5N on January 24, 2007
|
Mail this to a friend!
|
WB2WIK/6
Steve, don't you mean they would short out the secondary of the modulator transformer?
Allen
|
| |
|
Email Subscription
You are not subscribed to discussions on this article.
Subscribe!
My Subscriptions
Subscriptions Help
Related News & Articles
Expanded QSO Logging
Visiting (Chapter 2)
200 Meters and Down -- 2003 Edition
60-Meters, A Model For The Future!
60 Meters – Use It Or Lose It!
Other Operating Articles
Safety First
My First Date with Olivia
D-STAR/Analog Interference Experience
Using Twitter During Mobile Operation
First HF Contact and Other Stuff
|
