Why there is broadcasting on 40m. The Spanish Civil War

[k4kyv]

I just viewed the newly-released film "Pan's Labyrinth" at a local cinema.  This Spanish-with-subtitles film is set in Spain after the end of the Spanish Civil War but while WW2 was still in progress.  The Nationalists had taken control of the country but Republican forces were still actively conducting guerilla warfare against Franco's army.  The film gives a glimpse of a brutal war sometimes described as the "dress rehearsal" for WW2, but practically ignored in US history books.

A little-known fact is that broadcasting began in the 40m band shortly after the war had broken out in 1936.  Amateur radio in Spain was shut down in the days following the beginning of hostilities, and all transmitting equipment was immediately confiscated.  Partisans on both sides set up makeshift transmitting stations in our 40m band to broadcast propaganda to the population.  Then, more powerful transmitters located in the Soviet Union began to broadcast on behalf of the Republican/Loyalist cause, while Hitler's Germany and Mussolini's Italy made broadcasts on behalf of the nationalists.

It quickly grabbed the attention of other nations in Europe that the 40m ham band was an excellent place in the spectrum for regional broadcasting, so at the International Telecommunications Conference held in Cairo in February-April 1938, 7200-7300 kHz was officially reallocated to broadcasting in Region 1.  It was later expanded to 7100-7300.

Before WW2, 40m was cw-only in N America, much as 30m is today.  When amateurs returned to the air after the war, the broadcast interference on the high end of the band drove most of the cw activity to the bottom end, and the top end was practically vacated by amateurs.  Fearing that broadcast interests in Region 2 would succeed in taking the top end of the band here as well, citing lack of use by amateurs, it was agreed to allow phone on 7200-7300, to attract amateur activity back to this portion of the band.

Radio and the Spanish War

[Jim, W5JO]

Something snags my memory here.  About the time I first licensed (1955) there were complaints from foreign governments about interference from American hams who were running high power on 40 AM.  Then as SSB took hold, the interference became worse because the signals rode on the carrier as SSB stations would zero beat the foreign carriers, even though they ran less power.

I just wonder if that played a part in changing the power measurement method and level here.  I believe it was a factor.  Anyone else remember those discussions and if there is a valid point there.

[w3jn]

Who woulda thunk that the Spanish Civil War begat the end of CW and thus the complete destruction of amateur radio 

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Hmm, a Communist plot?

[w3jn]

But the Fascists won the Spanish Civil War.

[k4kyv]

We almost lost amateur radio at the end of World War ONE.  As in WW2, amateur radio was shut down, and as I understand, it was prohibited to even LISTEN, let alone transmit.  The Navy took over all the radio frequencies during the war, and when the war was over, they did not want to allow amateurs back on the air.  It took several months before amateurs were allowed to return, some time in 1919, IIRC.  This was reportedly due to lobbying efforts coordinated by Hiram Maxim.  This is also what got ARRL off to a real start, gaining widespread support from the ham community.  Prior to that, the primary objective of ARRL had been to coordinate chains of relay stations to allow amateurs to pass messages long distances, before the higher frequencies and daytime DX were discovered.

Considering some of the things ARRL has promoted in recent decades, HPM would be spinning in his grave.

Then, we almost lost 160m following the second world war.  Thanks to a small dedicated group the band was kept alive while it was cluttered with LORAN noise and power was restricted in some cases to 25 watts at night, and at one time the band was only 25 kc/s wide, while ham radio appliances were advertised with "all band" 80-10m capability.

Hopefully the tide is turning on 40m.  The ham band in Europe is supposed to be expanded back to 7200 in 2009.  It remains to be seen if the broadcast stations will actually comply and move out, however.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

But the Fascists won the Spanish Civil War.

Of course they did. But those transmitters in the Soviet Union weren't broadcasting stuff to benefit the Fascists, not that there was much difference between the two groups - a dictatorship is a dictatorship. Interesting history, nonetheless.

[k4kyv]

It was a proxy war between the Soviet Union and Germany/Italy.  All three had troops and agents in Spain.  Of course it was the Spanish people who suffered the most.  It set the country back 40 years.  No matter who won, the result would likely have been an authoritarian state.

I recall that before Franco died, Spain remained on the fringe of Europe, and was an economically backward and poor country.  I travelled through Northern Spain in 1965 and remember spending a night in a simple but comfortable hotel for less than the equivalent of $2.  I also remember sleeping in a cornfield, using a sleeping bag in July, and almost freezing to death.  I survived on sandwiches made with hard crusty bread soaked in olive oil.  The wine was dirt cheap, too.

[KB2WIG]

Don't  forget the "Lincoln" and "George Washinghton" brigades  made up of US, Brit. and other "socialists"...

"Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."

[WU2D]

The 60 Meter band still has a lot of fun going on. Every time I tune past 5 MHz, I hear some kind of jammer buzzing or whelping.

Mike WU2D

[w3jn]

But the Fascists won the Spanish Civil War.

Of course they did. But those transmitters in the Soviet Union weren't broadcasting stuff to benefit the Fascists, not that there was much difference between the two groups - a dictatorship is a dictatorship. Interesting history, nonetheless.

I blame this on the Voice of Communism.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

I blame this on the Voice of Communism.

That's right. (That's right.)

These are facts recently published in Pravda by the news agency Tass.

That's right.

[k4kyv]

I blame this on the Voice of Communism.

I remember a pirate station in the mid 80's that was a parody of Radio Moscow.  It called itself The Voice of Communism.  They even succeeded in achieving that peculiar sound quality to the audio that was always unique to Radio Moscow.  It was  hilarious.

This was during the same era when Radio Clandestine was active, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the same station.

[w3jn]

 

^^ THat's the obscure reference to which I was referring in the above reference.