ARRL Controlling Bandwidth Through Manufacturers in 40s-50s

[Pete, WA2CWA]

There was also no details requiring equipment manufactured be "CD approved" by the FCC or any other organization. Further, the frequencies available for use in the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service in the 1954 posted regulations included parts of 160 meters, 75 meters, 10 meters, 6 meters, 2 meters, and 1.25 meters.

Maybe not in 54 as the CD Yellow Gonset Gooney Birds and the Viking II CDC werent available then. Those specifically were CD approved. I think there were a few others, maybe Polycomm

Carl

Actually, there was no official "CD approval" that I could find. The manufacturer had to certify to the FCDA that the equipment met certain specifications under OCDM U-68 which, as an example for the Viking II CDC, included PTT circuitry and jack, some sort of over modulation limiting circuit, a cadmium or equivalent chassis plating, and conforming to the various bandwidth emission requirements listed the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service regulations.

Although I said, "1954 posted regulations", the 1954 came from the book that had these regulations in them in entirety. I did not research when these particular regulations were formulated as law nor do I know how far into the future these regulations were valid.

As far as the equipment you mentioned: Gonset (6 and 2 meter) Communicator I and II, IIA, IIB were released in late 1954 and early 1955. Communicator I was the basic model; Communicator II was the deluxe model; IIA/IIB were just mods to the original II. Communicator III was released in 1957; Communicator IV released in 1961. Gonset G28 (10 meters) and G50 (6 meters) were released in 1958. Their Gonset linear (sporting the pair of 826 tubes) which had 8 to 10 different model numbers, also sported  the "CD yellow" cabinet to mate with the "CD yellow" Communicator I, II, and III. Gonset also made a C.A.P. version for most of the Communicator models. I received a bunch of original engineering schematics for most of the early Communicator models years ago from, I believe, the service manager at Gonset.

Johnson Viking II CDC was produced from 1954 to 1956.

I have no record of any Polycomm rig or any ad copy that indicates any of their rigs were ever certified to be in compliance with any FCDA specifications.

[W4EWH]

It appears that what you really meant to say was that the ARRL supported and encouraged (even strongly) using narrower bandwidths as both AM heterodynes became a problem and SSB arrived for the masses. No argument from me or probably anyone else on that. However, the ARRL mandating such for all manufacturers is another matter entirely. I've never seen any proof of this in any of the CQ, QST, Ham Radio, handbooks, or other printed matter. Haven't tried Google yet, though. 

I'm not an authority, or a historian. With that said, I'll add that I feel SSB was the mode-of-choice at Newington during my formative years, but perhaps not for reasons as sinister as I once thought.

There were probably a lot of reasons: FWIW, my list would include

• QST is an advertiser-supported publication: no ads, no magazine. The ARRL favored SSB because that's what the advertisers wanted to sell.
• No surplus SSB equipment was on the market, which meant that it was "virgin" sales territory from the manufacturers perspective.
• The industry wanted to encourage mobile use, since the easiest sale is always to the guy who already owns one, and SSB transceivers were a lot easier to install than AM transmitters:
  
  • Even though they were hollow-state rigs, SSB transceivers could be powered from standard alternator/battery setups.
  • Newer, more modern-looking rigs were less likely to draw the ire of XYL's, who were exercising a lot more influence on major purchases after WW II.
• The military wanted hams to be pre-trained in SSB, since that was the mode-of-the-future from their perspective, and hams were always the "reserve" corps of radio operators if another war started.
• TVI, which was an ever-present issue with AM, wasn't nearly as much of a problem with SSB, and nobody in authority wanted to deal with the need to convince TV makers to "harden" their wide-as-a-barn-door front ends.

Of course, my crystal ball is as cloudy as anyone else's, so this is just my opinion, but I think the ARRL pushed SSB merely because their advertisers wanted them to.

73,

Bill, W1AC

[KM1H]

Actually, there was no official "CD approval" that I could find. The manufacturer had to certify to the FCDA that the equipment met certain specifications under OCDM U-68 which, as an example for the Viking II CDC, included PTT circuitry and jack, some sort of over modulation limiting circuit, a cadmium or equivalent chassis plating, and conforming to the various bandwidth emission requirements listed the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service regulations.

Words again, I equate approval with certification but Ive had enough with one nit picker already. The V II has an aluminum chassis and a copper plated cabinet.

As far as the equipment you mentioned: Gonset (6 and 2 meter) Communicator I and II, IIA, IIB were released in late 1954 and early 1955.

Released maybe but AFIK the CD models didnt show up until 56 or so as each town had to first create a CD organization, then apply for funds and then get the gear. In my town the use rotated among those with vehicles and I had to wait until early 57 until my folks let me drive the 49 Ford Id customized for a few years prior.

Johnson Viking II CDC was produced from 1954 to 1956.

I dont know where you got that from but the CDC model was produced right up until the end of the Viking II run in 1961. My CDC was one of only 48 of both models that year and went to the GM Proving Grounds club. Im the 2nd owner and except for one 6146 it was all original.

The industry wanted to encourage mobile use, since the easiest sale is always to the guy who already owns one, and SSB transceivers were a lot easier to install than AM transmitters:

The transceiver revolution was 10+ years in the future if we accept the late 40's as the ARRL's start date. Altho the KWM-1 arrived in 57 it wasnt a big seller. The KWM-2 came in 1960 and shortly followed by a bunch of low cost 1, 3, 4 and 5 banders.

The military wanted hams to be pre-trained in SSB, since that was the mode-of-the-future from their perspective, and hams were always the "reserve" corps of radio operators if another war started.

That was also well in the future and it was Barry Goldwater, General LeMay, Arthur Godfrey and Jimmy Stewart who prodded the USAF to look into SSB with planned flight demonstrations using the KWM-2 I believe in SAC planes.
There had been sporadic use of 1-4 channel SSB before that but no service wide contracts and deployment. The R-390/390A was still king and neither had a product detector unless a bulky rackmounted unit was added for very specific uses. Those converters are like gold today.

The first SSB I saw in the USN was the Collins URC-32 in 1963 which was so new it was loaded with bugs and the old 500W of AM was used even after it was fixed since instead of voice it was mostly dedicated to crypto. I proved SSB's  effectiveness to the Captain, XO, and Radio Officer by checking into a fleet net and getting a 55 (loud and clear) from a ship just approaching Subic Bay in the Philippines; we were tied up to the pier in Newport RI.

TVI, which was an ever-present issue with AM, wasn't nearly as much of a problem with SSB, and nobody in authority wanted to deal with the need to convince TV makers to "harden" their wide-as-a-barn-door front ends

The reduction of TVI was a huge plus which was due to linear stages being used instead of hard switching Class C which was a harmonic generator.

I still operate SSB and CW along with AM and all have their moments.

Carl

[N0WEK]

By the time I came on board the Torsk (SS-423) as a Radioman in 1966 the URC-32 was pretty well debugged and worked great. When we decommissioned it in 1968 the Navy pulled most of the radio and crypto gear out for other ships. It's now the museum boat in Baltimore and we have replaced almost all the gear that the Navy pulled out, including the R-390A with SSB adapter and the URC-32, which we bought from a Ham on the east coast who never got it running. We've almost got it up and running now.

It's still got the TCS rig from 1944.

[The Slab Bacon]

By the time I came on board the Torsk (SS-423) as a Radioman in 1966 the URC-32 was pretty well debugged and worked great. When we decommissioned it in 1968 the Navy pulled most of the radio and crypto gear out for other ships. It's now the museum boat in Baltimore and we have replaced almost all the gear that the Navy pulled out, including the R-390A with SSB adapter and the URC-32, which we bought from a Ham on the east coast who never got it running. We've almost got it up and running now.
It's still got the TCS rig from 1944.

Have they ever re-fired the F-M upside down diesels in her yet? ? ? That engine room is seriously cramped!! Not for the clostrophobic at heart! (My wife wont even consider going inside of her.)

Living in Baltimore, they often show her being towed around on the news. I have been on her a handful of times and would love to hear those 2-cycle diesels running!