|
Title: The more things change.... Post by: Paul, K2ORC on February 19, 2005, 01:06:22 PM An excerpt from a letter about amateur radio
exams in the letters to the editor section of a national magazine for hams: Quote Why not keep things as they are? If the examinations were made any easier, the bands would be crowded worse than they are now. If changed to all-code or to all-technical questions, a particular class would be favored. As it is, we have a balanced examination that gives everyone an equal chance, not too much code nor too much technical knowledge being required. That letter appeared in the May 1938 issue of Radio magazine. Like the book says, nothing new under the sun. Title: The more things change.... Post by: Vortex Joe - N3IBX on February 19, 2005, 01:43:18 PM Paul,
Very interesting and how true! The problems they were facing then are much the same we are facing now, though a bit more complex. I read an article in a 1917 edition of QST; right before the outbreak of WW1 complaining of QRM by ops and what must have been a 1917 variant of "pissing contests" between ops. As you said, the more things change, they stay the same..... Title: The more things change.... Post by: Paul, K2ORC on February 19, 2005, 05:22:57 PM It is interesting to see how little things really have changed in amateur radio.
In the January 1937 issue of Radio were some letters addressing the magazine's editorial the previous November about all the bad behavior and poor operating practices by phone operators on 160 meters. The magazine's editor had intimated that 160 had become the hangout place for lids, drunks and foul mouths. The editor in responding to one of the letters wrote that while those who misbehaved were a relatively small percentage of the amateurs on 160, when considering 20, 75 and 160 meters, "the greatest amount of folderol, horseplay, and poor signals occur on the 160 meter band". In other words, 160 meters was the way some see the General phone portion of 75 meters today. Title: The more things change.... Post by: Steve - WB3HUZ on February 19, 2005, 05:53:48 PM Similar complaint letters can be found in QSTs dating to at least the early 30's. One memorable letter complained of Saturday night house parties held on the air with most participants drunk! Too funnny.
Title: The more things change.... Post by: k4kyv on February 19, 2005, 07:28:51 PM Under the 30's version of incentive licensing, holders of the "Class A" (Advanced) ticket could operate phone on 160, 75, 20 and 10. There was no 15m band, and all of 40 was cw only. 75 and 20 were "restricted" phone bands, available to "Class A" operators only. The lowly Generals ("Class B" operators) were limited to 160 and 10 m phone, but could use cw on any amateur frequency. 10m was still very experimental in those days and much less reliable for routine use than it is today. So, 160m phone was the "electronic ghetto" of ham radio, the one and only phone band available to the majority of licensees.
Title: The more things change.... Post by: Steve - WB3HUZ on February 19, 2005, 08:40:18 PM Indeed. Phone ops in general were looked down on by the majority mode (at the time) CW, and especially by those at the ARRL. On top of that the Class B ops were looked down on by the Class A ops. If someone was so low to be the tri-headed monster of being a Class B op, a phone op, and a 160 meter op (and as such caused BCI or could be easily monitored by BCLs), you were lower than whale snot! No wonder they got drunnk on the air! AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands
|