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Encyclopedia > Amateur radio history

Throughout its history, amateur radio enthusiasts have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry, and social services. Research by amateur radio operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations, and saved lives in times of emergency. Ham radio station with modern solid-state transceiver featuring LCD display and DSP capabilities Ham radio station with vintage vacuum tube gear featuring separate transmitter, receiver and power supply Amateur radio, often called Ham radio, is a hobby and public service enjoyed by about 6 million people throughout the world. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... Engineering is the design, analysis, and/or construction of works for practical purposes. ... A social worker is a person employed in the administration of charity, social service, welfare, and poverty agencies, advocacy, or religious outreach programs. ... An amateur radio operator An amateur radio operator is an individual who has been assigned an amateur radio license by a governmental regulatory authority. ...

Contents

Beginnings

The birth of amateur radio and radio in general was mostly associated with various amateur experimenters. There are many contenders to being the inventor of radio, that honor has been disputed between not only the original experimenters, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1888), Nikola Tesla[1], and Guglielmo Marconi, but also Amos Dolbear, Reginald Fessenden, James Clerk Maxwell, Sir Oliver Lodge, Mahlon Loomis, Nathan Stubblefield[2], and Alexander Popov[3]. In the beginning of 1895, Tesla was able to detect signals from the transmissions of his New York lab at West Point (a distance of 50 miles). [4] Marconi demonstrated the transmission and reception of Morse Code based radio signals over a distance of 2 or more kilometers (and up to 6 kilometers) on Salisbury Plain in England in 1896. Marconi, by 1899, sent wireless messages across the English Channel and, according to his reports, the first transatlantic transmission (1902) [5]. Following Marconi's experiments (1900-1908) many people began experimenting with radio. Communications were made in Morse Code by use of spark gap transmitters. These first operators were the pioneers of amateur radio. // For the controversy about who invented radio, see Invention Of Radio. ... // Many people were involved in the invention of radio transmission of information as we know it today. ... Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (February 22, 1857 - January 1, 1894) was the German physicist and mechanician for whom the hertz, an SI unit, is named. ... Nikola Tesla (1856-1943)[1] was a world-renowned Serbian inventor, physicist, mechanical engineer and electrical engineer. ... Guglielmo Marchese Marconi, GCVO (25 April 1874-20 July 1937) was an Italian inventor, best known for his development of a practical radiotelegraph system, which served as the foundation for the establishment of numerous affiliated companies worldwide. ... Amos Emerson Dolbear (November 10, 1837 – February 23, 1910) was an American inventor. ... Reginald Aubrey Fessenden (October 6, 1866 – July 22, 1932) was a Canadian-born inventor, best known for his work in early radio. ... James Clerk Maxwell (13 June 1831 – 5 November 1879) was an important mathematician and theoretical physicist. ... Vanity Fair cartoon. ... Mahon Loomis born Oppenheim, NY Invented the wireless telegraph in 1872. ... Nathan B. Stubblefield (November 22, 1860 - March 28, 1928) was an American inventor and Kentucky melon farmer. ... Alexander Stepanovich Popov (Russian: Александр Степанович Попов) (March 4, 1859 - December 31, 1905) was a Russian physicist who publicly demonstrate transmission of radio waves (March 1896) but didnt apply for a patent an apparatus or method for radio. ... Alternate meanings: West Point (disambiguation). ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: La Manche (IPA: ), the sleeve) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ... 1922 Chart of the Morse Code Letters and Numerals Morse code is a method for transmitting information, using standardized sequences of short and long marks or pulses — commonly known as dots and dashes — for the letters, numerals, punctuation and special characters of a message. ... The spark gap transmitter was the first practical way to send radio signals. ...


In 1912, the United States Congress passed the Radio Act of 1912 [5] which restricted private stations to wavelengths of 200 meters or shorter (1500 kHz or higher).[6] These "short wave" frequencies were generally considered useless at the time, and the number of radio hobbyists in the U.S. is estimated to have dropped by as much as 88%.[7] By this time, the term "ham" for an amateur radio operator was well established, the origins of which are obscure.[8] [9] [10] Following the 1912 disaster of the RMS Titanic, which was exacerbated by inept radio operators, the United States Congress passed the Radio Act of 1912. ... By the early 20th century, the term ham for an amateur radio operator was well established, although origins of the term remain obscure. ...


World War I

By 1917, World War I had put a stop to amateur radio. In the United States, Congress ordered all amateur radio operators to cease operation and even dismantle their equipment.[11] These restrictions were lifted after World War I ended, and the amateur radio service restarted on October 1, 1919. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Franz... A congress is a gathering of people, especially a gathering for a political purpose. ...


Between the wars

In 1921, a challenge was issued by American hams to their counterparts in the United Kingdom to receive radio contacts from across the Atlantic. Soon, many American stations were beginning to be heard in the UK, shortly followed by a UK amateur being heard in the US in December of 1922. November 27, 1923 marked the first transatlantic two-way contact between American amateur Fred Schnell and French amateur Leon Deloy[12]. Shortly after, the first two way contact between the UK and USA was in December 1923, between London and West Hartford, Connecticut,[13]. In the following months 17 American and 13 European amateur stations were communicating. Within the next year, communications between North and South America; South America and New Zealand; North America and New Zealand; and London and New Zealand were being made.[14] This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. ...


These international Amateur contacts helped prompt the first International Radiotelegraph Conference, held in Washington, DC, USA in 1927-28.[5] At the conference, standard international amateur radio bands of 80, 40, 20 and 10 meters and radio callsign prefixes were established by treaty. A band is a small section of the spectrum of radio communication frequencies, in which channels are usually used or set aside for the same purpose. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... The 10 meter amateur radio band is the highest of the High Frequency or HF bands. ...


World War II

During the German occupation of Poland, the priest Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, SP3RN was arrested by the Germans.[15] The Germans believed his amateur radio activities were somehow involved in espionage[16] and he was transferred to Auschwitz on May 28, 1941. After some prisoners escaped in 1941, The Germans ordered that 10 prisoners be killed in retribution. Fr. Kolbe was martyred when he volunteered to take the place of one of the condemned men. On October 10, 1982 he was canonized by Pope John Paul II as Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Apostle of Consecration to Mary and declared a Martyr of charity[15]. He is considered the Patron saint of Amateur radio operators.[16] Combatants Poland Germany Soviet Union Slovakia Commanders Edward Rydz-ÅšmigÅ‚y Fedor von Bock (Army Group North) Gerd von Rundstedt (Army Group South) Mikhail Kovalov (Belorussian Front) Semyon Timoshenko (Ukrainian Front) Ferdinand ÄŒatloÅ¡ (Field Army Bernolak) Strength Poland: 39 divisions 16 brigades 4,300 guns 880 tanks 400 aircraft Total... Maximilian Kolbe (January 8, 1894–August 14, 1941), also known as Maksymilian or Massimiliano Maria Kolbe and Apostle of Consecration to Mary, born as Rajmund Kolbe, was a Polish Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland. ... Auschwitz, in English, commonly refers to the Auschwitz concentration camp complex built near the town of Oświęcim, by Nazi Germany during World War II. Rarely, it may refer to the Polish town of Oświęcim (called by the Germans Auschwitz) itself. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... For other uses, see Sacrifice (disambiguation). ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article discusses the process of declaring saints. ... Coat of Arms of Pope John Paul II. The Letter M is for Mary, the mother of Jesus, to whom he held strong devotion Servant of God Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), (Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born   (May 18, 1920, Wadowice, Poland – April 2, 2005, Vatican City) reigned as Pope... A Martyr of charity is a martyr who dies while succoring, (coming to the aid of) someone else in the name of his or her religion. ... Saint Quentin is the patron saint of locksmiths and is also invoked against coughs and sneezes. ...


Again during World War II, as it had done during the first World War, the United States Congress suspended all amateur radio operations[6] . With most of the American amateur radio operators in the armed forces at this time, the US government created the War emergency radio service which would remain active through 1945. After the War the amateur radio service began operating again, with many hams converting war surplus radios, such as the ARC-5, to amateur use. The War emergency radio service (WERS) was a precursor to the civil defense and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service systems in the United States. ... Two radios in the ARC-5 series. ...


Post war era

A U.S. Postage Stamp commemorating amateur radio.
A U.S. Postage Stamp commemorating amateur radio.

During the 1950s, hams helped pioneer the use of single-sideband modulation for HF voice communication. In 1961 the first orbital satellite carrying amateur radio (OSCAR) was launched. Oscar I would be the first of a series of amateur radio satellites created throughout the world. [17] Image File history File linksMetadata Amatuerradiostamp. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Amatuerradiostamp. ... 48-star flag, 1957 This is a survey of the postage stamps and postal history of the United States. ... Single-sideband modulation (SSB) is a refinement of the technique of amplitude modulation designed to be more efficient in its use of electrical power and bandwidth. ... OSCAR is an acronym for Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. ...


Late 20th century

At the 1979 World administrative radio conference in Geneva, Switzerland, three new amateur radio bands were established: 30 meters, 17 meters and 12 meters[18]. Today, these three bands are often referred to as the WARC bands by hams. The World administrative radio conference is a technical conference of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) where delegates from member nations of the ITU meet to revise or amend the entire international Radio Regulations pertaining to all telecommunication services throughout the world. ... This article needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Shortwave bands are frequency allocations for use within the high frequency radio spectrum. ... Shortwave bands are frequency allocations for use within the high frequency radio spectrum. ... The WARC bands are 3 frequency ranges used by Amateur radio enthusiasts. ...


During the Falklands War in 1982, Argentine forces seized control of the phones and radio network on the islands and had cut off communications with London. Scottish amateur radio operator Les Hamilton, GM3ITN[19][20] was able to relay crucial information from fellow hams Bob McLeod and Tony Pole-Evans on the islands to British military intelligence in London, including the details of troop deployment, bombing raids, radar bases and military activities.[21] Combatants United Kingdom Argentina Casualties 258 killed [3] 777 wounded 59 taken prisoner 649 killed 1,068 wounded 11,313 taken prisoner The Falklands War (Spanish: ) was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... The Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) was founded in 1936 as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence. ...


Major contributions to communications in the fields of automated message systems and packet radio were made by amateur radio operators throughout the 1980s. These computer controlled systems were used for the first time to distribute communications during and after disasters.[5] Packet radio is a form of digital data transmission used in amateur radio to construct wireless computer networks. ...


Recent

For many years, amateur radio operators were required by international agreement to demonstrate Morse Code proficiency in order to use frequencies below 30 MHz. In 2003 the World radiocommunications conference (WRC) met in Geneva, Switzerland, and voted to allow member countries of the ITU to eliminate Morse code testing if they so wished .[22] World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) is organized by ITU to review, and, if necessary, revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and the geostationary-satellite and non-geostationary-satellite orbits. ...


On December 15, 2006, the FCC issued a Report and Order eliminating all Morse code proficiency testing requirements for US Amateur Radio License applicants, which will take effect sometime in 2007. [23]


References

Cited References
  1. ^ Marconi and Tesla: Who invented radio?. PBS.
  2. ^ Bishop, Don. Who Invented Radio?. Retrieved on 2006-02-24.
  3. ^ Rybak, James P. Alexander Popov: Russia's Radio Pioneer.
  4. ^ Leland Anderson, "Nikola Tesla On His Work With Alternating Currents and Their Application to Wireless Telegraphy, Telephony, and Transmission of Power", Sun Publishing Company, LC 92-60482, ISBN 0-9632652-0-2 (ed. excerpts available on line)
  5. ^ a b c d History of Wire and Broadcast Communication.
  6. ^ a b Coe, Lewis (1996). Wireless Radio: A History Technology. ISBN 0-7864-0259-8. 
  7. ^ DeSoto, Clinton B. 200 Meters & Down, The Story of Amateur Radio. ISBN 0-87259-001-1. 
  8. ^ Ramsey Moreau,, Louise. ARRL History Page.
  9. ^ Columbia University Amateur Radio Club.
  10. ^ Lombry, Thierry ON4SKY. History of Amateur Radio, The.
  11. ^ Laster, Clay. Beginner's Handbook of Amateur Radio, The, 3rd edition. ISBN 0-8306-4354-0. 
  12. ^ 75 Years Ago in Ham Radio. Atlantic Wireless Association.
  13. ^ The History of Amateur Radio. RSGB.
  14. ^ Early Radio Astronomy: The Ham Radio Connection. NRAO.
  15. ^ a b Catholic Forum - Maximillion Kolbe. Retrieved on 2006-03-01.
  16. ^ a b Famous Hams and ex-Hams. Retrieved on 2006-03-01.
  17. ^ A Brief History of Amateur Satellites.
  18. ^ The ARRL Letter Vol. 21, No. 19 May 10, 2002..
  19. ^ QRZ Callsign Database GM3ITN. Retrieved on 2006-03-02.
  20. ^ QRZ Callsign Database VP8ITN. Retrieved on 2006-03-02.
  21. ^ BBC News - The Falklands get wired. Retrieved on 2006-03-02.
  22. ^ WRC-03 Modifications to Article 25.
  23. ^ FCC Releases Report and Order in "Morse Code" Proceeding.
General References
  • Cain, James D. (2003). YASME: The Danny Weil and Colvin Radio Expeditions. Newington, Connecticut, USA: American Radio Relay League. ISBN 0-87259-893-4
  • DeSoto, Clinton B. (1936). 200 Meters and Down: THe Story of Amateur Radio. West Hartford, Connecticut, USA: American Radio Relay League. ISBN 0-87259-001-1
  • Gregory, Danny and Sahre, Paul (2003). Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio. Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 1-56898-281-X
  • Haring, Kristen (2006). Ham Radio's Technical Culture. The MIT Press. ISBN 0-262-08355-8. 
  • Messerschmidt, Donald A. (1997). Moran of Kathmandu: Pioneer Priest, Educator and Ham Radio Voice of the Himalaya. Orchard Press. ISBN 974-8299-72-4

 
 

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