ARRL Handbook 1926/ 2006

[N8ECR]

Last weekend I was to swap near Detroit.  I bought a new ARRL handbook which inclued a reproduction of the 1926 handbook(for $40).  After I got it home I was quite interested in seeing what was up in 1926, so I checked it out.  Going through the thing page by page.  I found that there was a collation error that happened  about page 10, and the next following page was 27 then it was all there until page 40, and jumped back to page 27 again(a dup section).  The rest of the book was fine then on.

I'm in the printing business, so I know this happens some times, cause it has happened to me more than once. HI HI.

Those of you that plan on purchasing a new handbook might want to check it out soon after purchase, that is the 1926 reprint....

I sent a short letter to someone at the ARRL on Monday with no reply back since then.

Thought this might be of interest to someone.

Thanks, Mike/N8ECR

[Vortex Joe - N3IBX]

Mike,
      I've wanted a copy of the 1926 ARRL Handbook for a long time so I decided to spring for the new 2006 Handbook so I'd get the repro of the first one. Originals from that year occasionally show up on ebay for exorbitant sums of money; and there's no way I'd give up my first born and mortgage the house for one. The repro is the next best thing.

Good eye on catching the printer error. I didn't even notice it with mine, but since you brought it to everyones attention I checked my copy out and sure enough it's in there!

My oldest original handbook is 1929 and I thought it would have basically the same warmed over information from 1926, etc. To my surprise the 1926, first edition has a lot of information the 1929 handbook doesn't have. A lot of technological progressions happened during the three year span between the two books, and I found the 1926 handbook thoroughly fascinating. The 1BCG or whatever receiver tuner circut was in full regalia and the hottest thing at the time. By 1929 it was far outdated by improved regenerative circuts, TRF's, screen grid tubes like the 22 and 24A, etc. I feel it was well worth the 40 bucks plus shipping I laid out. Coincidentally, the 2006 Handbook wasn't anything to sneeze at either. A lot of things I either wasn't interested in, or applicable to my style and mode of operating. Regarding antennas, different marriages of radios to computers, and digital modes I found fascinating to read up on. Besides, they give you the CD to install in your computer; a handy little thing to have at the "salt mine" - hi!

Now to find the 1927 and 1928 Handbooks............

How did you make out with your SX28? Hope to mod-u-sooner-than-later and best regards.
                                                                                                         Joe Cro N3IBX

[K6DSW]

I purchased the Handbook combo by mail order from ARRL. I just paged through the 1926 handbook again, and all pages are present. Since both of you have the same error, there are at least several bad copies out there. I'd try to get the ARRL to replace it.

Donald Wilson
K6DSW
North Hollywood, CA

[k4kyv]

Those pages are ok in mine.  Haven't searched thoroughly to see if there are other errors though.  The text is readable, but the repros of the photographs are pretty poor quality, no better than what you could get with a standard photocopier.

My oldest original must be a second edition.  It says "revised edition", but the page with the year of publication is missing.  Even that one is considerably different from the first edition repro.  It's very badly worn, but most of it is there.  I also have a 1929 edition in good shape.  It was absolutely mint when I first got it, but I stored it here in the house with some of  my other stuff while I lived in Houston in 1977-79,  and goddam silverfish infested my entire book collection while I was gone, and ate holes in the cover of that handbook.  Other publications got damaged as well.  They had an uncanny ability to select the most valuable and irreplaceable books and magazines to munch on.

[N8ECR]

As I said I am in the printing business, and things like this happen.  But maybe the arrl wrapped up the bad ones with the 2006 book just to get rid of them???They sure did a nice job on the reprint, otherwise...

Joe: I got the sx-28 going; that is all so far.  Now I got to find a corner to stach it till I get the cabinet redone.Hi HI.

[c. mac neill w8znx]

Hello Mike
did you have a good time
during Skip's visit

pagination probs often happen
post press in bindery room

Mike you know how
bindery workers are

dit dit Mac

[N8ECR]

Hey!!! Mac'ola, It was just great meeting Skip/the most traveled AM'er after all these years. We told lies to each other, and took him out for BBQ ribs. HI HI.

Will be listening for you.....