Vintage Amateur Radio HAM MEMORIES 1960s-1970 history a film restoration SW CB computer social media

[@GordonHudson]

I started at 14 yo. We had to be 14 to get a licence here. 42 years later and im still at it. Learning new things every day. My youngest son got his licence at 17. 73 from Scotland, GM4SVM

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @GordonHudson, fantastic to be on the airwaves for so long! Thanks for your comment and glad you found our channel! Keep well! ~ VK, CHAP

[@jlforrest]

I was also a member of the West Valley Amateur Radio club. I recognize virtually all the people. Matt is now N6PN and is a friend of mine. I visited Charleen at her apartment when she was a student at UCLA. Good times! Jon WB6EDM

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @jlforrest, very cool, that is pretty amazing. It is great to have such long lasting connections. Yes, lots of good times to be sure! Thank you for your great feedback. Hope you will explore some of our other vintage tech videos. keep well... ~ Victor

[@matthatter51]

Hiya Jon!

[@DougGilliam]

I was originally licensed as WN7IGV in 1967 at age 13. Thanks for the great trip down memory lane! I have been continuously licensed ever since. Now retired and still going strong. Doug, K7EME

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi Doug, thanks very much. Glad you liked the trip down memory lane! Keep hanging in there! 73's..... VK

[@Atomshamradio]

Very cool we need more old school videos like this

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @ATOMSHAMRADIO, ... that's the plan. Thanks very much for the feedback! ~ VK

[@Dennis-uc2gm]

I recognize all the equipment in this video having first getting my ticket in 76. Ham radio has really changed from those days but it still a bunch of fun and a great way to meet a bunch of people from all corners of life and places in the world.

[@user-mp7hi5rt8e]

I knew most of these folks- WA6BOB, WB6FFE, Roy! May most of them RIP as silent keys... good days in LA. WA6LGW, WA6LTM 73s from WA6CAB

[@treen6tr587]

WB6ZVC here.

[@user-mp7hi5rt8e]

​@@treen6tr587Wow! Tree! You were out in China Lake or out there. Hope you had a FB life and good ham radio times... even tho those were the best! 40 meters, Yeah! Take Care.

[@matthatter51]

@@treen6tr587 SFPA

[@Oddyellano]

I didn't have a HAM when a kid in the '70s, and I had much less a licence. But I did listen to conversations from around the nation (US, I just write in British English, lol) that my walkie talkie picked up! It was so groovy!

[@W1RMD]

I love this! Real HAMS. Vacuum tubes in the rain with a generator that's so old you have to wrap a rope around it to start it. These hams were hard core! What a wonderful display of equipment as well. Excellent as always CHAP!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @W1RMD, thank you very much for the great feedback! Yes, seeing the dedication in their work to set up such a great field base was wonderful! Glad you liked the video. Great memories. ~ VK

[@W1RMD]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Always a pleasure when you guys come out with a new video. Great content on this channel!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @W1RMD, thank you again for the feedback, much appreciated. It is a pleasure to hear from so many of the former and current Ham operators who appreciate this high-tech hobby. I am glad to see it is alive and well in so many areas(!) It is wonderful! -

[@rafael55]

I remember 40 meters was full of stations. Now it’s kind of empty.

[@W1RMD]

@@rafael55 Yeah, it comes and goes, but last night I couldn't find a blank frequency on 40. CW was even hopping! The lock down brought a big boost in the hobby. I've been a ham since 1993 and it was mostly old people even back then. I would like to see more younger hams. More publicity would help. I used to leave my old QST magazines at doctors offices to help promote ham radio. One thing that really hurts us is that 20+ Khz wide buzz saw interference on forty last night it completely wiped out 7230-7250 and 7275-7295. simultaneously. This lasted for hours. I think it's actually deliberate, but too strong of a signal to have come from a rouge ham. NO digital signal sounds like that! And it's almost daily!

[@jonizornes5286]

I sure miss those days! Late 60's, early seventies, we, as classmates, we were doing a lot of the same stuff on CB, enjoying communicating with each other. CB, along with SWLing, definitely led me to get my Novice in 1974, using a Hallicrafters and a one tube transmitter, my Elmer built from a junk TV set, much like in this movie.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @jonizornes5286, thank you for the great feedback. Those certainly were some fun and exciting times! Sounds like you have a lot of experience in the CB/Ham field too. Glad you enjoyed the video, hope you will explore some of our other videos. Keep well. ~

[@tjtj5691]

Awesome; video before the days of cell phones and such. I looked up many of the callsigns on QRZ and see so many are still with us. Some are SK, some changed their call signs; many kept their call from decades ago. I was in junior highschool when this was made so I could relate. I still remember having QSOs on a 5 watt CB radio and vertial from the East Coast to the West Coast and it sparked my hobby in Ham Radio. It took 10 years to finally get my first ticket. Great post Thank You.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @tjtj5691, great to hear you found our channel, and hear you enjoyed the video. You speak the "Q" codes like a pro. I remember some of the early days doing impressive DXin with a CB if one found a big enough antenna. That certainly was exciting too!

[@bblod4896]

1970 to 2024. Some things have changed. Morse code is no longer required. Fewer young people are into the hobby since there are so many other distractions. I don't think Armature Radio will die anytime soon, but, the numbers will dwindle. Thanks for the look back. Although, some of the music of those days, I'd rather forget 😆

[@skykingimagery899]

40 M, 15 M and 10 M were big. Now it's totally different. 2 M and 6 M

[@N4TCM]

A 75 yr old man, a non ham says ham radio is dead. He brags about his dope smoking days mostly. Thinks he knows everything.

[@Feahi]

Some have left phonics. I have been working exclusively in telegraphy for some time now. SSB contacts occasionally. FT8 is not real amateur radio.

[@franciscolopez3229]

​@@FeahiI believe your right. For me, anything digital in amateur hobby is not a real ham. To me, it is RF station that's real, radio, transmission line antenna. If the system bigs down in the digital world, it"s useless unlike pure rf.

[@rubensanchez1797]

wrong, myself had Novice license & required morse code test in 1980? ( KA2KXR ) then I took morse code test in NYC FCC office for the General class, 13 word per minute & I past ( KA2KXR ) ..then I moved to New Orleans, la & got my Extra license ( N5EHC ). then 1984, I moved to Miami, fl & changed call sign to AB4RB ..1991 to 1992, I was Satgate for SE USA & the Caribbean ..

[@MichiganPeatMoss]

2024: The cameo from Negativeland's "Time Zones" track with "WA6-ODB ... wiff a questionnn" - must've been from the same California hills. Simpler days. Great stuff.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Thank you!

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

My introduction to Ham radio was listening to the AM guys on 160m in the London area of the UK in the 1960s. Back then licensees were restricted 10 watts DC input on that band so the most popular rigs were simple home made AM transmitters, and one could re-tune almost any old medium wave broadcast receiver to listen there, so you really didn't need anything special to get active there. There would be two main nets operating on a Sunday morning both well subscribed, and I remember the 6BW6 beam tetrode seemed to be the most popular valve for the PA, although the 807 featured quite a lot too as well as a few others. I got my Ham license at age 16 and went on to become a ship's radio officer and these days work the world on CW, sometimes using the same morse key that I travelled the high seas with, but it all began with a re-tuned broadcast band receiver in a London suburb.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @rhodaborrocks1654, that is quite a fascinating story! You have certainly been in the radio field for a long time, and no doubt seen many changes. Didn't know about the UK restriction to 10 watts in those days. Sounds pretty restrictive. Is ham radio still a big activity in the UK these days? Thanks again for sharing a bit of your history! ~ Victor, CHAP

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject I can't speak for the UK because I have lived in South Africa for many years now, however I have worked many UK CW stations from here so I would guess that SSB activity would be healthy there too? Transmitter power was measured as DC input back in those days and the 10 watt restriction only applied to Top Band, I think it was 150 watts DC input on other HF bands, but then one had to take the efficiency of the PA into account as to what was going up the antenna feed, so the Top Band guys with properly adjusted class C amplification were probably getting around 7.5 watts out. Some of them must have had really good antennas though, I was in the county of Essex and some of the South West London and beyond guys would be really good signals, but it's also possible that some of them may have had the cathode current meter needle pointing a bit higher than perhaps it should have been 🙂

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Thanks for the quick reply. Fascinating info. I sense that some of the radio tech terminology might be a little different in UK and Commonwealth. "PA" is "pre-amp" ? Here, many regulations were described in "maximum power output" in watts, e.g., 1,000 watts at the top end, 50,000 watts for commercial radio. I am not an expert by any means, still learning, but this is a fascinating field! (I was in London in 1980 and ran the London marathon, but had no friends there with radio.... so can't compare...) Thanks again. ~ Victor, CHAP

[@awaismushtaq5719]

Those beautiful days. Wish I could live those😢. Alas!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @awaismushtaq5719, your sentiments are mirrored, so do I. ~

[@elmoreglidingclub3030]

Wow, this is so impressive! These look like some of my best friends growing up during that time. Friends who were into ham radio. I’d hang out with them as they’d build Halicrafters and Heathkit radios. We’d spend hours, well into the night, listening to short wave. Most got licensed and thoroughly enjoyed the hobby. I never did as the Morse code requirement seemed daunting. But now, I’m learning Morse and building a QRP radio. A good friend passed and left me his gear. I never knew what fun and enjoyment I was missing. But I plan to make up for it! 73, KO4GQS

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @elmoreglidingclub3030, Glad you liked the video! Thank you so much for the great feedback. Good luck with the Morse Code and building a QRP radio, sounds like a fun challenge to be sure! Hope you will check out our other vintage tech videos. Keep well! ~ VK, CHAP

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

(Restoration Note: a minute or two of the original background music at the beginning and end of the film were flagged by KZbin as copyrighted by a third party music company {this happens a lot on YT now}, so replacement music was used in this version. Otherwise, all elements and video are the same as the original film. The original 16mm film was scanned with modern equipment and color corrected as much as possible, to bring you this improved, easy viewing bit of nostalgia.)

[@matthatter51]

You did a great job with the music! I selected the original music for This is Ham Radio and I like your selection as well. - 73 de Matt, N6PN

[@Uniblab9000]

@@matthatter51 Wow, that's so cool that you selected the music for the original film. I LOVE the use of Funky Fanfare, it's so of-its-time and fits the mood of the film perfectly. Did Dave Bell give you some Keith Mansfield albums to pick through, or did you know of his music already?

[@LMHS63John]

Let's just say I have been around a while in Ham radio for 51 years. I recognized much of the old gear and I owned many of the rigs shown here. I love the back-back J-38 keys, the practice FD in the rain, the homebrew antennas. A defunct TV Flyback transformers wire made many an invisible antenna for us Novices. One thing that stands out here is the air quality in California in the 1970's. Looks like a smog bank descended on the city in the distance. Those chirpy transmitters and drifting receivers were fun to use and keep working! Thanks for the post!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @LMHS63John, ah, yes, the air quality.... Quite a bit different back then. Well, 51 years is quite a long time to be in the field! I bet you have seen lots of changes and the evolution of the Ham radio tech, and infusion of the digital equipment as well. Thanks very much for your feedback. Hope this brought back some good memories as well. ~ Victor

[@silvermica]

KD6NCR here. I got my license in 1992. Back then we did a lot of T-hunts with the local clubs on 2 meters. Some of my friends had packet radio BBS systems too. Before we had the internet we had ham radio! It was great fun!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @silvermica, agreed, lots of fun! ... and educational too. Some of that tech data helped launch quite a few careers, from what I have hears. Thanks very much for your feedback. ~ VK

[@silvermica]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject - It lead to me getting my engineering degrees. So, yeah, all good stuff!

[@RandomTechWZ]

Was not expecting to hear Livonia MI in this video! RIP Sharlene.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Not sure what you meant..."Livonia MI" ?

[@buildstoys]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject That is the City and State one of the radio operators was in at 5:38

[@Hugo-t3e]

Super schönes Viedeo. Das waren die schönsten Jahre meines Leben.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Hugo-t3eIch, Ich verstehe. Vielen Dank für Ihren Kommentar. : )

[@mauriziolored6123]

Better times.... Without smartphones and without 1000 useless TV channels.....

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @mauriziolored6123, you have a good point there. ~

[@rustynail6819]

HAM radio needs to make a comeback.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Some aspects are, but with lots of changes. Thanks for the feedback!

[@rickmaudlin2160]

The film and audio quality are fantastic for this era. (Nice Re-Mastering also ) The original camera shots , like when they're raising the quad antenna , with the camera on top of the mast and looking down was quite an innovative shot for the time , given the film-cameras available. Also the the cut away sound being recorded from both the transmitting person and the receiving radio, again quite innovative for a promo film.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @rickmaudlin2160, thank you so much for the excellent and detailed feedback! It always helps to receive thoughtful comments on the material we share here. A lot of work went into this one. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Hope you can visit some of our other tech videos as well. ~ Victor, CHAP

[@WA1LBK]

Great video,brought back lots of memories. Got my Technician license in 1969, at age 16, BEFORE getting my driver’s license. 😊 Still active on my original callsign (WA1LBK). Loved the vintage ads as well; lots of ads from long - gone manufacturers such as Hallicrafters, Hammarlund, Collins, Swan, Lafayette, but also saw a couple of ads from these upstart Japanese companies “ ICOM” & “Yaesu”. Saw an ad for my first piece of solid-state amateur equipment, an Allied AX-190 (I have an operational duplicate in my shack), as well as one I’d rather forget, the first transmitter I bought, a Knight T-150 (the only thing I ever got out of that piece of junk was an 800 - volt B+ shock 😮 & my first RF burn!). For someone who’s now been continuously licensed for 56 years now, the technology & capabilities of modern amateur radio equipment is mind boggling! (And hamming also started me in a 45 - year career in electronics, starting in consumer electronics, commercial 2-way radio, industrial control electronics, electronics manufacturing, and ending with my last 20 years in the computer field). I enjoy restoring vintage amateur equipment, but also like to play on the “cutting edge” as well; very active on the amateur satellites, VHF / UHF / microwave weak-signal operations, & contemplating EME operation as well. 😊

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @WA1LBK, thank you for the great feedback (!) and sharing some of your experiences on the airwaves. Glad you liked the old ads, too. There are tons more out there, but making the ADs appendix too long might have been too much for some....maybe another different listing in the future. It sounds like you have tons of experience (56 years!) and are working with the new tech. I bet you could teach quite an interesting course in this material. There is so much to learn for those just getting their feet wet. Thanks again for sharing. Hope you can explore some of our other videos too. Keep well! ~ Victor, CHAP

[@suenord1]

I got my novice in 1962 in LA. Was in the AREC. Now active in Norway. Brings back memories!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @suenord1, sounds great! Just watched your antenna creation video too, nice work!!

[@suenord1]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Thank you! Made a 20m dipole last night to hang up in a park!

[@richardwesterman5773]

Me too, in 62. I was the assistant emergency coordinator for our club. I was active in the national traffic system passing messages during the Alaskan earthquake. Now active in Germany. (DJ0IP)

[@suenord1]

@@richardwesterman5773 I was just a novice, but my mother was quite active during the earthquake.

[@kellingc]

RIP Sharlene WB6FFE - was still an active Extra class until some time before 2022.

[@Rob2]

She became a Professor in Electrical Engineering at California State University Northridge and worked on a cubesat satellite project in 2013...

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Thank you for sharing that. : )

[@kellingc]

@Rob2 That is awesome information. Being an electrical engineer is a challenging enough job, but to teach it, too. She has my upmost respect. Now, that woman with the Drake in her car's back seat - no call sign given for her, so I can't confirm she was actually a ham. Of all the call signs listed in thus film, and the succeeding one, one wS a silent key, three I could not find any assignment on QRZ ir the FCC database. All the rest (including the ones listed but not said) are still active.

[@hangflyer907]

@@kellingc According to Dave Bell, who produced the movie, he states in his book "World's Best Hobby", that the lady in the Mercedes 230SL was Sharon La Traille, WA7DSW. She was the manager of an electronics store called the Valley Ham Shack at that time. The Winter 1973 Radio Amateur Callbook for District 7 lists her as living in Phoenix, Arizona. I can't find any mention of her callsign in the FCC database, or in QRZ, so she is probably a silent key as well.

[@Robbie-sk6vc]

​@@hangflyer907Or she just got busy and let her license lapse! But as old as this film is, it could be anything. Interesting look back anyway! DE kd7cjo

[@KD0RC]

Love those old chirpy novice rigs. Even the sidetone has chirp! A Canadian ham got me to reduce the drive on my homebrew 1625 (807) rig in the day to help reduce my horrible chirp to a reasonable level. 73, Len, KD0RC

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @KD0RC, very cool. Thanks for tuning in here! ~

[@StalinTheMan0fSteel]

When I got my novice license, just a kid in 1979, there were so many chirpy signals in the novice band, including my DX-60b. Some chirped so bad they sounded like a chicken!

[@JaseLovesDub]

LOVE the performative movememnt of the sequencer rate. As always, excellent woek. I don't think I've ever seen one of your videos without wanting to fire up my own (non-Buchla) modular and get patching. Best wishes always!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Awesome, thank you!

[@kf5hcr176]

Thank you very much. Have a great day OM. 73

[@lucski5371]

Nice, thanks for sharing! I’m on the radio since 1974.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Very cool!

[@Buzzygirl63]

This was a fun watch. I am old enough to recall the CB craze in the mid-1970s, and some of my friends (or their dads) had CB base stations at home. I didn't become a ham until 2002 and the 5 WPM receive only Morse Code test requirement was still in effect. By that time, I think home brewing equipment was sort of a "niche" part of the hobby, yet there are still kits available for the DIYers. Now, with SDR and various digital modes being so popular, the hobby is not only still around but it's appealing to a younger crowd. It's interesting to me how this hobby continues to morph and grow. 73!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Buzzygirl63, thank you very much for the feedback on the video and for sharing a bit of your history! I think you are quite right that the hobby of Ham radio continues to morph and grow. It is a challenge just to keep up sometimes. Thank you for visiting!

[@randykitchleburger2780]

5:30 I love this. Nerd in the rain! look at that smile right before he goes back into his tarp to continue! So fun!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @randykitchleburger2780, yes, that was a good one! ~

[@KeritechElectronics]

Massively interesting, thanks for sharing!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

HI @KeritechElectronics, you are very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@cathyboggs3902]

Great to see all the Heathkits and hams from SoCal - it was quite a trip by Greyhound bus from San Luis Obispo to take the General Exam at the US Federal Building in downtown LA.

[@Rob2]

Nice to see the amateur field day in the first part... there is a video of our field day made about a decade later showing similar scenes, where I show up as a youngster 🙂

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Rob2, glad you liked the video! I also have a film clip of a field day of young folks setting up a HAM station and large antenna back around 1962-1963, think it was Michigan...

[@matteng2332]

Thanks for sharing this video. It is very interesting seeing equipment that was used the year I was born.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @matteng2332, very cool! Thanks very much for the feedback. It is ok to be vintage! VK

[@matteng2332]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject absolutely one of my favorite things to do when I go to a ham fest is look at all the old radio equipment. They just weren’t functional, They were also works of art truly gorgeous.

[@StalinTheMan0fSteel]

I just did a quick check. Sharlene katz WB6FFE, a PhD. in electrical engineering, remained a ham radio operator until her passing!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @StalinTheMan0fSteel, good checking, yes, you are correct!

[@mgraemem]

Wow. I feel old. I had a beautiful Drake TR4C that I traded for what turned out to be a junk car as a teenager. 73 de N7ATE.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

ooooh, Too bad, Drake made some great looking equipment!

[@ronechols]

Not a waterfall display in sight! KJ5GBA, 73

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

The "waterfall display" reference escapes me. Can you explain? ~ Thanks.

[@MadGoat]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Waterfall is the type of display that you see on modern radios like the iCom 7300 or the ft-10dx or all SDR software, that shows signals on different frequencies falling down like a waterfall streams. I prefer radios without them, it feels more fun trying to find something on the air, rather than knowing where everything is.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @MadGoat, now I got it! I just didn't connect the dots. Thanks for the clarification! ~ Victor

[@richardwesterman5773]

No computer either. How on earth could they even communicate? (hi)

[@davidsharp3110]

Nice seeing Swan, Drake, Collins, Heathkit, Hallicrafters, Turner and Astatic products. All the best of the day in 1970.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes, they are some pretty classic and high-class names!

[@awaismushtaq5719]

Do they still make them?

[@davidsharp3110]

@@awaismushtaq5719 All those companies are defunct. Heathkit came back in name, not the same products.

[@awaismushtaq5719]

@@davidsharp3110 makes sense as the products they made won't sell in this Internet age and especially when current and forthcoming generations don't share the same passion toward the radio as us; the old school. It's pointless making them now. Isn't it sir?

[@davidsharp3110]

@@awaismushtaq5719 NO, they went out of business when the Japanese made better products.

[@bobcharlie2337]

Very cool.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@fredWaxBeans11111]

The greatest Documentary music in history 0:24 Groovy!!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Greetings, glad you liked it. Specially picked for this upload, (The original music was flagged copyrighted by YT. This is a specially selected piece. Thanks very much for the feedback! ~

[@fredWaxBeans11111]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject That's great to hear! I thought it was original (being from 60s-70). Great pick for the music!!

[@skepticalmechanic]

Been a ham for 42 years… First rig was a HW101… memory lane ❤ AD2ER

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @skepticalmechanic, that is quite a time period! Very impressive. A great way to amass many good memories! Thanks for visiting us!

[@ChatGPT1111]

Rig, like what a Mack or Kenworth?

[@Lion_McLionhead]

There were a lot more doers in those days than spectators.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Lion_McLionhead, an excellent observation! Everyone was involved, not just "tweeting" about stuff....

[@414s4]

Very glad I didn’t need to know CW to get my general. I do miss heathkit.

[@skykingimagery899]

Most of these rigs are high end :) I had DX10 Heath kit and NC173. As I remember, WB6QDL were novice or technician class. Then converted to WA6QDL. Now K6AGE. BTW, that earthquake was one of the strongest in history.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @skykingimagery899, thank you very much for your feedback! Yes, it seems many of those systems shown were high-end sets. It is amazing how much these cost back in the 1960's (taking into account inflation today as well). Fascinating how popular the Ham world became, even though the investment could be high for a full home base set up. ~

[@skykingimagery899]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Yes, I remember Drake and Collins were very expensive. Beyond the normal budget of a budding teenager. What great fun that was :)

[@busterj11776]

thanks for the post, I was once K3JBJ

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @busterj11776, very cool. Skills one learns and never forgets....

[@Robbie-sk6vc]

Was once? Why not still? I can't complain though, I'm not that active anymore. DE kd7cjo

[@Atomshamradio]

Them old drakes heathkits wow

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Agreed. Some of the vintage sets have that great "look" about them. Even if they don't fully work now, they are fun to look at. : )

[@Albrecht8000]

Reminds me (Amateur radio OP) at the film "Frequency" (2000). Greetings from germany

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Albrecht8000, "Guten Tag!" Schön, jemanden aus Deutschland zu hören! Thank you for your feedback. Glad you found our channel. ~ VK

[@mindblast3901]

Way cool good video 73

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @mindblast3901, glad you liked it. It was a great classic of its time. Credit goes to Dave Bell, and the ARRL (American Radio Relay League.)

[@sundownsigns]

Fond memories, I've been licensed since 1962. when I was 16..WA7VVV

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @sundownsigns, A long - time radio guy! Very cool! Thanks for the feedback!

[@rickmaudlin2160]

It would be fun project to contact these same Hams today, and do short video interviews with them if they have stayed active all these years, to further the promotional - documentary.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @rickmaudlin2160, that is an excellent idea. It would make a fascinating project, and it would cover lots of ground, different states and countries as well!

[@agoraphobicadam1171]

Love the ole Boat Anchors. KO4HPC 73

[@miketaylor2197]

Look at all those sweet boat anchors

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @miketaylor2197, the ones that still survive and work are the most amazing ones.

[@sgs1262]

That music is classic early 70s

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Absolutely!

[@johnwest7993]

It seems strange that gear that I bought new, or wanted to, and some of which I still have and use is thought of as 'history', when I think of it as just part of my station.

[@Hungry_Hunter]

So Cool......

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Hungry_Hunter, thank you.

[@tangoalpha8381]

👍👍👍🏆🏆🏆🏆

[@ON5ALE-Alessio]

I was 14 when I started with cb

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @ON5ALE-Alessio, that's a great age to get started!

[@ON5ALE-Alessio]

@@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject yes it was. But later I became amateur radio.

[@bobkozlarekwa2sqq59]

Licensed since 1970. I think this was the ARRL film Hams Wide World

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes, and we mentioned that in the descriptions section. A great film.

[@EC5ABG]

Muy bueno!!

[@SangiTariq]

Great Days

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes, agreed!

[@jason3fc]

Why replace the stock music in it with Silent Partner? Was it something that would have had a content match?

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Stock music was flagged by YT as copyrighted by foreign entity.

[@BigBoss-rh7zq]

Nice IK6T.....

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

The best

[@KB1UIF]

Unfortunately, Charlene WB6FFE is now a silent key.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

that is what we have been hearing from a few others too.....

[@KB1UIF]

@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject Yeah, if you look up her call on QRZ, it says she's a silent key now.

[@fparisi]

The golden age

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes, quite Golden! : )

[@ON5ALE-Alessio]

4:00 Portable 80 pound rig system machine. It had to be great fun. Ah yes we bring a tent !

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @ON5ALE-Alessio, yes, it will be fun! We have the hot dogs! : )

[@thesteelrodent1796]

and then came SMS and we had to reinvent the language to fit everything in 160 characters or less ;)

[@1967deek]

RIP WB6FFE

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

yes

[@sgs1262]

Kid seemed smarter back then

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Sadly.... yes they did.

[@1shARyn3]

WB6FFE silent key

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @1shARyn3, thanks for the note. Hope you liked the look back down memory lane... : )

[@dw8840]

I guess back then, more younger people got into the amateur radio hobby. Now it seems younger people have little if any interest in it.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @dw8840, seems so. It takes a bit of study, time commitment and intelligence to make it all work together.

[@jr4062]

Why is it that people seemed much more intelligent and rational in the old days?

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @jr4062, you pose a very good question! Notice how older radio, television or computer tech books and mags often have articles of higher technical information and better writing? Wonder if education was better and more thorough back in these days. ?

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Shagadelic!!!!

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Thank you, glad you found us!

[@richardstumph7833]

America

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Yes it is.

[@billk9403]

WB6FFE is SK

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

I believe so.

[@Larochaess]

2:18 Mcmlxx = 1970

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Absolutely! The film was copyrighted 1970... many of the film clips were from late 1960's....

[@breebw]

2024, the irony is its making a comeback. Freedom and anti-censorship groups giving presentations and tutorials towns.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @breebw, yes, a bit ironic(!)

[@episol144]

73's de F6GBZ qth HONFLEUR

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

73's and greetings!

[@Quakeboy02]

Damn, I miss those days! I built 2 HW-101s. Life was good! But even then you could see the solid state crap creeping into the radios, bit by bit by bit.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Quakeboy02, nice to build your own! Very cool. You got to see the evolution of the tech also!

[@johnopalko5223]

It's "ham" radio or, maybe "Ham" radio. It's not "HAM" radio. It's not an acronym. Please don't set it in all caps.

[@feywerfolevado6286]

I don’t think people care about that (the way it is spelt), too much.

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Greetings, I am sure you are very correct in that "HAM" is not an acronym. After researching 2,500 pages of info, I just feel more comfortable using "HAM" than "Ham," since the latter was making me hungry. But, your point is well taken. No offense intended. I will likely use that term in all caps again, as a matter of emphasis. My friends at "Unisys, Inc." are always upset with me when I spell it "UNISYS" but I similarly take offense when they spell "UNIVAC" as "Univac." One should always endeavor to be correct. Thank you for the correction. : )

[@497SC]

Are you the guy that complains when someone is 2Hz off the fundamental frequency when you are having a conversation with them?

[@johnopalko5223]

@@497SC I'm a pain in the butt, but I'm not quite that bad. 10 Hz, on the other hand ...

[@497SC]

@@johnopalko5223 HAHA yeah 10 Hz would be terrible! Reminds me of the boat anchor net on 14.293 they all start out on frequency and 30 mins later everyone has drifted up and down the band by almost 100 Hz.

[@jeffgarrett4533]

Very nice OM KE4EZ

[@masgun99]

YD3EFG 🇮🇩 chekin, 73

[@Pascal-F11DRE]

Merci nice video Tnk U. 73's QRO Pascal HB/F4LPH

[@ComputerHistoryArchivesProject]

Hi @Pascal-F11DRE, thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed the video! Keep well.~ VK

[@elmoreglidingclub3030]

Wow, this is so impressive! These look like some of my best friends growing up during that time. Friends who were into ham radio. I’d hang out with them as they’d build Halicrafters and Heathkit radios. We’d spend hours, well into the night, listening to short wave. Most got licensed and thoroughly enjoyed the hobby. I never did as the Morse code requirement seemed daunting. But now, I’m learning Morse and building a QRP radio. A good friend passed and left me his gear. I never knew what fun and enjoyment I was missing. But I plan to make up for it! 73, KO4GQS