Amateur Radio In Popular Culture

[W1UJR]

Check the following link for a surprisingly large list of movies, TV shows and other media depicting our beloved hobby.
Yes, even the Simpsons are mentioned...
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_in_popular_culture

[WA3VJB]

I'd love to get a copy of this one.

Tony Hancock's 1960 BBC TV episode The Radio Ham, in which he plays an incompetent ham , remains popular in the UK.

Also, I noticed vintage radio was MISSING from the list of activities.
We have now fixed that.

 Bibliographic details for "Amateur radio"

    * Page name: Amateur radio
    * Author: Wikipedia contributors
    * Publisher: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
    * Date of last revision: 28 December 2005 15:12 UTC
    * Date retrieved: 28 December 2005 15:22 UTC
    * Permanent link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amateur_radio&oldid=33001984

[Glenn NY4NC]

Interesting link!.... there are actually several Simpson's episodes where ham radio is mentioned... one where Homer is at a remote Christian mission and communicates back home via ham radio, another where Bart discovers a new Comet and is embraced by the school's nerd science club... one of the members says.. "they call me ham because I enjoy ham radio.."

(can you tell I'm a big Simpsons fan?) 

Check the following link for a surprisingly large list of movies, TV shows and other media depicting our beloved hobby.
Yes, even the Simpsons are mentioned...
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio_in_popular_culture

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Also, I noticed vintage radio was MISSING from the list of activities.
We have now fixed that.

Vintage Radio

Amplitude Modulation is a mode and an activity that enjoys status as a nostalgic specialty on the shortwave ham bands (1.8 - 29 mHz, or just above AM broadcast band to just beyond the CB band), and draws a wide range of enthusiasts from rock star Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, to the Federal Communications Commission's Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH.

Conversations are often configured as "roundtables" where several participants spend time developing and presenting their thoughts in a storytelling fashion. Listeners reflect on each transmission much as families did when they listened to the old wooden floor console in the early days of radio. Many find this style of communicating more satisfying than the rapid-fire style of operating that can seem rushed and shallow by comparison.

Much of the conversation revolves around do-it-yourself experimentation, repairs, and restoration of popular, vintage vacuum-tube equipment, which has been rising in value because of nostalgic demand. But contemporary transceivers also include AM among modes, and can sound quite good on transmit and receive as a way to encourage a newcomer to check in and introduce themselves.

Frequencies to look for AM activity include 1885, 1930, 3885, 7285, 14286 and 21425, and often include "special event" stations using unique call signs. The sound and visual impact of vintage radio are powerful lures.

"Vintage Radio" is not just AM. Where did you ever get that idea? To say that's what "Vintage Radio" means is incorrect and misleading to readers. “Vintage radio” reflects on the restoration, nostalgia, and use of older style, predominately vacuum tube type equipment. It should have nothing to do with a particular mode. AM, Sideband, CW, FM, and MCW are all “vintage” type modes.

[Ian VK3KRI]

I'd love to get a copy of this one.

Tony Hancock's 1960 BBC TV episode The Radio Ham, in which he plays an incompetent ham , remains popular in the UK.

To quote from the play :
A triumph of technological engenering, A work of art! They can keep their Sistine Chapels,  give me the inside of a wireless set any day.



A triumph of technogical engeneering!  A work of art! They can keep their
Sistine Chapels. give me the inside of a wireless set any day.

[WA3VJB]

Ian, yes, I'd be interested in an MP3 of that play about the incompetent ham.
What's the file size?

[The Slab Bacon]

There was even 1 episode of the Munsters where Herman was trying to be a
ham radio operator. And of course, as usual it got him into trouble again.

[Ian VK3KRI]

Ian, yes, I'd be interested in an MP3 of that play about the incompetent ham.
What's the file size?

Its about 26MB  in 128Kbps encoding.    I don't think Tony Hancock was a ham. but some of the writers must have been or known some quite well...

Now I think about it , I'm not sure if this is just audio from a TV program or a sepearate radio play. Ive seen the TV version of 'The Radio Ham' , but it was pretty static, basicly a one room set as I recall.
                                 Ian VK3KRI

[ve6pg]

..ADDAMS FAMILY...PUGSLEY HAS A TRANSMITTER IN THE HOUSE,AND AN FCC GUY COME TO INVESTIGATE
..MOVIE "49th PARALLEL"...NAZI U-BOAT IS SUNK OFF THE COAST OF LABRADOR.A FEW GERMAN SAILORS MAKE IT ASHORE..CAUSE TERROR IN THE HUDSON'S BAY TRADING POST. TRADING POST EMPLOYEE HAS A HAM TRANSMITTER. HAS FREQUENT QSOs WITH AN AMERICAN HAM IN WISCONSIN(?). THIS IS BEFORE THE U.S. COMES INTO THE WAR...BUZZARD OLD TRANSMITTER,FILM MADE IN 1940-41..TIM...SK..

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

How about this one from Dilbert?

http://www.amwindow.org/misc/av/dilbert.mp3

[Ian VK3KRI]

How about this one from Dilbert?

http://www.amwindow.org/misc/av/dilbert.mp3

Godd One!