The World of Amateur Radio-Amateur Radio Vintage Film

[@kenhanson4015]

I remember when this was new. I'm WB5QLI, 39 years and counting. What a great hobby. 73 for now...Ken

[@DutchmanRadio]

Ken Hanson It’s not going anywhere!

[@MauofMiami]

I'm a ham radio operator since I was a child, my wife also and yes... my 8 year old son and my 12 year old daughter also. We enjoy the hobby. My son enjoys talking DX but my daughter enjoys talking and she has a group on 75 meters she talks too.

[@newsmaninla]

We shot the show in 1977 and 1978. It was released in late 1978 as a part of an ARRL growth in Amateur Radio campaign. It was the second film for the ARRL that I worked on that was directed by Dave Bell, W6AQ. It was also the last ham radio show shot on 16mm film. . When I first noticed the fade to magenta I transferred it to videotape so a far better archive copy exists about a foot to my right on Betacam SP video. So it survives.

[@TexasPrisonStories]

Thanks for the film

[@abundantYOUniverse]

That is fantastic thank you!

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

CQ CQ DE G8WOF ........ 1978 was a good year, formally British Receiving Station BRS41712 giving reports to VOA and CBC and others also receiving RTTY news wire and slow scan. Then go my Licence a few years later and met a good few chums on the way. I remember JY1, we had a 5 minute QSO as part of the Jamboree on the Air, pinged AMSAT a few times and a very short QSO with the shuttle. I am now working on getting the shack up and running as all my old gear has been sitting quiet for too long good memories of early mornings and the dim glow of the heaters. Thanks for posting this 73's G8WOF Wirral UK k

[@w3tua]

Wow! I got chills watching King Hussein JY1 operating. He was such a great operator!

[@dans9463]

My junior high school friend in the mid 60s stated he talked to the king of Jordan.. exchanged post cards. Later on , at business college.. I jokingly told a Jordanian student to say hi to King Hussain. She responded that the king back in Jordan often came by her home to drop off his daughter. They were friends.

[@purpsage]

I remember watching this presentation on television when I was a kid in high school... 1976 or 1977, give or take... Thanks for the fond memory!

[@loganmacgyver2625]

Im the kid of the 21st century, yet i find amateur radio stuff amazimg and fascinating. I wish it was still mainstream and cool

[@fredbissnette3104]

Logan MacGyver it's still pretty strong and super fun

[@W4MBU]

Still going on and young kids are on tiktok promoting the hobby

[@scott-in-dfw3005]

And modern radios are amazing, with rock solid frequency, touchscreens, high power much cheaper, digital modes over the air....while still preserving tradition and every so often you'll hear the chirpy drift of an old Heathkit, restored and on the air!

[@maestrobassaf]

I watched the video with some amusement, but most of all I kept reliving the memories I have of my dad, W5XU, formerly WA5LMH, 'bringing up the autopatch,' taking pride in his antennae, pushing pins into a map of cities worldwide, collecting QSL cards, and falling asleep in his shack with his thumb and finger still holding his Morse code keyer. Thanks for sharing this video!

[@marknesselhaus4376]

Wow, this takes me back in time as I became a Ham in 1974. Really enjoyed watching and remembering. Take care and 73 de WA4JAT

[@rontexas2]

Nostalgia....mobile handheld transceivers before the internet....kids today find it impossible to believe that we could communicate through amateur radio back before ordinary citizens had access to the internet. I built my first tube mobile radio in a fishing tackle box in 1954.

[@seacue9417]

Wish I had the parts to do the same. I love homebrewing.

[@talknottome]

as relevant today as it was then well done for preserving and puting it here for us to see.

[@DihelsonMendonca]

Amazing ! This is PT7DMS from Brazil. I was hooked by this incredible hobby when I was 14. Now, I´m 55 and counting...

[@W4MBU]

Start at 12 now 54 a day still a ham radio operator 73 W4MBU the voice of miami

[@johnkemas7344]

Probably one of the ARRL's best promos over the years for Amateur Radio. They really need to do something equivalent to it today to promote on social media. It was very well done!

[@KQ1X]

This is excellent! Seeing JY1 King Hussein of Jordan reminds me of working him in the 70s from K1KMV University of Rhode Island Radio Club. I worked him on 15 CW running a kilowatt into a 3 element beam at 100 feet, needless to say I had a very strong signal into Jordan. When JY1 responded to me I mistakenly asked him what the rest of his call sign was. He replied my call sign is JY1 and name is Hussein, I knew right away who it was... 3 weeks later we had a nice QSL card from him!

[@jameshales6958]

What a great video and appreciate the hard work that went into getting it uploaded to KZbin

[@johncliff5417]

Hi to everyone. what a great old peice of film footage. The Phone-patch piece takes me back to my first night in Malaysia. I had only just got to my new unit there and found the Ham club with help from my new troop sergeant and the Squadron Forman of signals. Who was a ham. I met up with Maj. Salisbury (Bob) 9M2RH down at the ham shack and was left to it. I got In contact with a ham in Scotland who asked me what my mother-in - laws telephone number was. The next thing that happened was her voice comming back to me to let me know that unfortunatley my wife was not in to be able to speak to me. Phone patch was not leagal to uk hams, but all the ham was doing was letting me hear what was comming over his phone and visa-versa has I spoke he was letting my mother in law hear my voice comming back over the air. I bet that my mother in law could not believ her ears when the guy from Scotland told her that he had her son in law on the radio.

[@VK7AM]

Hi John those were the days. I was up at Quoy Chee for 3 months doing the conversion course from Radio Mechanic to Radio Technician [ Heavy ] . Held the call 9M6DY and was based over in Borneo. Ham Radio was more effective than the old ComCan network. That was my first foray into RTTY. I scrounged an old model 7B and built up the decoder etc. pinching pot coils from the Radio store lol. Was acting F of S - IC M troop Workshops.

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

@@VK7AM RYRYRYRYRYRY QC CQ CQ 9M6DY DE G8WOF .... Sorry bit late comenting : Ahhh the chatter of a 7b and the clunk as the carriage returned slowly moving the machine of the table, I had three of them each on the wire service, Dad would come up every hour to collect the script, he was so chuffed that he had the news before the BBC. Still have some machines in the basement I need to work out how to get them to receive sms. 73's G8WOF QTH WIRRAL UK nnnn

[@titipsy]

Woaw the spark-gap transmitter at sequence 3:10... ! I had never seen a so noisy one... The QSO with JY1 King Hussein at 14:20 is also nice. Note that JY1 was active until 1991 maybe a bit later. An interesting film. Thanks for sharing

[@mattikaki]

Hi, this is OH2BIO from Finland. I was licenced in 1967 when I was 14 and I really love CW. The narrator told that station of JY5HHF was ”modest” but I don’t think the same. It was top range American made Drake-Line (or TRCV). It is really nice line with tubes. I prefer my old Drake Line to those new ones and I still have that. I have also Heathkit SB-Line. My first SSB rig was Heathkit HW-100 which I built in 1970. This was interesting movie and I’ll relay the url to the Finnish ham FB-group so other Finnish hams will see this. 73! de Matt

[@oltredding]

I remember the Marble Cone Fire very well. I was new to ham radio and an eager volunteer providing communications for the 12 or so fire camps. We used batter powered two-meter repeaters and HF 160 through 20 meters to handle phone patches and other traffic.

[@sheilalawson3724]

Not a ham, but glad to know several!

[@newsmaninla]

To all asking about "better transfers." They exist - mostly done by me in 1985 on an RCA Film Chain - but these are the property of the ARRL even though they are in my possession. I have them on 3/4" U-Matic and Betacam SP but do not at present have video tape players for either format on my premises. However, Dave Bell, W6AQ, has done a compilation DVD of all of his ham radio films which he gave the ARRL. Included is an introduction to each show by Dave himself ARRL may have it out in 2012

[@siscok5lyt]

Great to see JY1. I worked him from my College club station at Lamar Tech in Beaumont, TX in, Oh, 1967. Our signal was so strong, we wrote lists for him to work. Had to break the pile-up to do this. Used a Drake 2B, HT-37, four 811A's Amp, and TH6DXX Yagi on the roof of one wing of the Electrical Engineering class rooms. 73s Robert K5LYT

[@garygregory4668]

Now that's cool. Glad you took the time to preserve the recording.

[@whattheflimflam]

I've made so many good acquaintances and friends with Ham radio...and I'm not even on HF yet. I love Ham Radio so far and I'm thankful for my Elmer.

[@Nethanel773]

Before Facebook and KZbin, before IRCs and BBSs, there was Ham Radio. Thanks for sharing this.

[@FamousTVvoice]

Great video, much of this still holds true! 73's to all from N2VU

[@nw7us]

Very interesting to see this promotional video. So many things have changed, yet so much has stayed the same, since those days.

[@salahkhalaf6894]

Amazing video about our hobby. RIP JY1. Salah JY4SK/N4HCW

[@thegailen]

After hurricane Katrina the cell phones and the internet were out for a long time. In fact, the first communications made after most catastrophic emergencies are from ham radio.

[@patrickslevin6424]

Thanks so much for this video......a blast from the past for sure. I really enjoyed seeing King Hussein, he was a much admired person for me and this just puts the icing on the cake. I wonder if his son is into HAM?

[@Breeder333]

I'm studying now to get my Tech test complete so i can start my journey with HAM. Would like to have one in the rig and be able to help my community if trouble strikes. Great video

[@DutchmanRadio]

Free - Range just got mine!

[@ScottF250]

Awesome! Thanks for posting and sharing

[@gfinnstrom]

Great video from kb7ppw, 31 yrs on the air

[@BrockNanson]

Ah... those were the days... when you could go on a walk with your wife and handheld and completely ignore her in favour of talking to your geek friends on 2 metres... ;-)

[@spymaster9589]

wife bad

[@cmaligs]

Thank you very much for sharing this vintage film. 73. KC, DV1KC.

[@timinbovey]

@wa6dij That is not "added flicker". That in genuine, off the vintage 16mm projector flicker as actually projected and recorded by my video tape camera many years ago. Nothing has been added "for effect" to this post. That's how it actually looks when projected from the original film on a projector. The flicker is slightly more pronounced because a video camera doesn't react like the human eye to the frame rate (the eye "fills in" the flicker somewhat the video camera doesn't.)

[@prabhakarv4193]

Very nice. Thank you

[@thebakerman1]

This was an excellent video and as dated as it is I still found it very interesting. Ham radio has changed a lot since these earlier years and it looks like this video is possibly from the 1970's. King Hussein was an avid amateur in his day and it was good to see him operating here. He clearly understood the benefits of amateur radio and he certainly seemed to have a very likable demeanor about him. It's a shame he's gone now. He died in Feb 1999.

[@BeingRomans829ed]

Stu Gilliam is now KI6M according to a website on famous hams. The website mentions the discrepancy in his age shown on IMDB vs QRZ, but indicates that this is indeed the same person. May drop him a QSL card and hope for a sked. He was one of my TV favorites from years ago.

[@amp3cx10000a7jp]

It is activity of the nostalgic ham radio of the 1970s. Although it did not QSO in Mr. K7UGA Goldwater, KC4USN and JY1 King Hussein are QSO(ing) those days. a collins line, SWAN yaesuFT101, TRIO[kenwood]TS520, etc. are seen and a walkie-talkie is also nostalgic. It is the wonderful transfer which exceeded the border, a race, and thought to ham radio.

[@Camman010]

I wish the quality on this was better. I couldn't believe that I could almost make out the mores code on the spark gap around 3:00 and I haven't listened to mores in over 20 years. I could make out the "CQ".

[@1known2]

Brilliant! 73s from Orange nsw

[@RobBob555]

good on mike WD6FFV.. those lives you saved with have kids and grand kids by now..

[@antya4564]

the good old days, i guess, now cell phones have taken over but i still enjoy the old fashion stuff. CW which is still a useful mode, nice video tks fer showing it. oh, i forgot, i got my drake tr7 after i saw barry goldwater useing one.

[@BeingRomans829ed]

Mike Davis wd6ffv, is still active on QRZ, but probably not active on HF with just over 1000 lookups. King Hussein passed away in 1991. That's one bodacious (yeah, CB term...so what?) field day station! Noticed use of the word "break". I wish this weren't considered such a "no-no" on ham radio today, as it is useful; particularly if you need just a short break to make a quick and done contact. I like to say "short break" so the ones operating know that I won't be long. Loved ol' Stu Gilliam!

[@RobBob555]

eh i ( and many others ) use " break" all the time..

[@HamRadioLiveShow]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I host a KZbin channel to help encourage people to get their amateur radio licenses. I’d like to use part of this video on my show today. I’ll be sure to credit your channel and put a link to it in the description of the video. Thank you sincerely for posting this. It’s a big part of our history. Larry de K7HN

[@Vladlevampire]

Amazing video !! Thanks for sharing.

[@K2TOD]

Great video we have come a long way can't wait till tomorrow. K2TOD 73'S

[@chord972]

Very good! Thank you!

[@mikeybugguns]

This is great, thank you 73 mike

[@thecw301]

The director of this film, Dave Bell W6AQ is still active! I bought an Alpha amp from him a year ago.

[@Jon_Pearl]

+Erik Thompson -- Hi Erik. Sorry to report that Dave became a Silent Key just a few days ago - May 13, 2016. www.qrz.com/db/W6AQ73,de W4ABC...

[@thecw301]

Sorry to hear, Jon. Thanks for the news.

[@stupullenchannel3525]

I remember being a kid and having a ham rig and talking to Hawaii and little America and many spots in between so magical

[@TheBrickson98]

Who would’ve expected this to be watched by many on KZbin via the Internet. Even better, on my smartphone! The very thing that has replaced ham radio as the easiest to use and most popular way to communicate with people around the world.

[@Robbie-sk6vc]

Well, ham radio is still a thing! Not as popular maybe, but still around.

[@richardlange8355]

This is still worth watching. 😁

[@thebakerman1]

I know the flicker post was a whole year ago but I wanted to say I transferred some old silent 8mm film to DVD and I also had the flicker effect but was able to get rid of it by changing the frame rate. This pretty much eliminated this issue for me. I mention this only in the event someone else sees it because it may help you get rid of it as well :)

[@vk3crg]

A wonderful video - thanks so much for posting it! Craig VK3CRG Melbourne, Australia

[@VK3FTOM]

vk3crg I agree vk3ftom

[@sparky42]

Fantastic !! Thank you for posting this de ka3fad

[@DutchmanRadio]

These videos are awesome

[@Hubjeep]

1:08 W6PJX was current until April of this year! K2HUB here

[@robbll]

This was really terrific! Thank you for posting! Robb WB2HNP

[@RobBob555]

theres only 1 B in ROB stop using 2 !

[@QueenGrace1]

This is great! Thanks for posting it. 73's from KK4NZN

[@TheZeke1974]

Love it!!!

[@Yagimaker]

I like such the HAM historical films, like this! These were the golden days of amateur radio... :)

[@mortarmopp3919]

Would've been nice to know the year.

[@DennisDease]

Based on the vintage of equipment, cars on road, AMSAT OSCAR 8, age of celebrities, etc etc, looks like it was produced around 1980 ... The WD6FFV emergency occurred in April 1979.

[@oldtimegamer2.098]

Even though I am young in my late twenties but as a young child I did have a frs walkie talkie but I never had a ham radio or gmrs radio but from what I know about the hams and gmrs they are usually more powerful than the frs walkie talkies

[@wa4aos]

Great vintage video. Looks like it's from the early 70's. Brings back fond memories of my early days in the hobby as a teen. Sad to hear so much garbage on the bands now days. 73, WA4AOS

[@MauofMiami]

Don't be such a pessimist hobby is still great. People are just not as Square like they used to be lighting up the hobby is great

[@Rareed63]

Notice 73 not 73s? 73s would be Best Wisheses

[@Belgianlover1980]

25 minutes 39 de pur bonheur ;)

[@koolyman]

lol they basically had 'webcams' 10 years before the internet!

[@624radicalham]

0:53 thats Burt K1OIK walking down the street after everyone asks him "Are you the guy from that KZbin video The Truth About Ham Radio"

[@Richard_K1630]

OMG! Where did you find this video?

[@DoubleM55]

24:40 - He predicted that pretty well :)

[@lancebutterworth5954]

i remember the good old days of talking on my CB radio completely naked and oiled up from my neck to my toes...

[@fredbissnette3104]

Lance Butterworth hahahahahahahaaaaaaa

[@MultiDean98]

my grandpa and many others still do it. He talks to people all over the world. Its not dead, its just not in the young peoples interest in this gen., Im 15 and im interested

[@RobBob555]

thank fuck

[@MauofMiami]

there's a lot of people getting into it they are just using the digital modes for the most part, get into it you'll enjoy it

[@wa6dij]

Great video but I wish you had left it in its original format without all the "vintage" flicker added to it.

[@adelarsen9776]

Oh, I've heard it before..... Amateur operators are going to save the world.... Yeah, that's us.... LOL Thanks for the upload anyway. I enjoyed it :-) NB : Produced by Bill Pastornak - Check out a video by K7AGE about Bill and his lifetime achievements.

[@624radicalham]

20:26 What wrong thing was Mike doing??

[@wa6dij]

Oh, sorry but I have used video applications where you can add flicker like that so based on the age of the footage I assume it had been added. Thanks for sharing the film with all of us.

[@whattheflimflam]

"Theres no way you can feel isolated or alone when you're in a ham shack." 8:32 Roll on the floor Try not to cry Cry a lot

[@zoolkhan]

whats ur problem? the statement is correct is it not? i am living in the forrest in the north of europe, the next pub is too far away. I get the right dose of contact through the radio as a professional in the IT, i cannot say that its the same thing as "the internet" - you meet people on "the internet" - but not necessarily people youre keen to meet a 2nd time.

[@kizzMyBuzz]

Fantastic. KC6EBU Portable 3 73's

[@Guairdean]

Where can I download a copy of this video? I'd like to use it for Field Day and JOTA.

[@agile16mm]

Might be worth digging out the film to try a better transfer.

[@danne3367]

Great ! 73 de SM5VOC Sweden

[@legOldtimer]

Is it not possible to correct the colour?

[@dans9463]

What does jy1 mean? What does the y mean. My friend in the mid 60s, said he contacted the king on his Ha-Am radio. Ha-Am (the people) has a more kosher sound than ham :)

[@devilsatan2973]

Jy1 is his ham radio callsign.

[@MirlitronOne]

Enough to bring on a pink fit.

[@RobBob555]

*Who else is watching in 2021 ?*

[@624radicalham]

Watching in 1992

[@иванепифан-к8ж]

почему я не мог посмотреть этот фильм в 90ъ годах ? ))

[@624radicalham]

Can this upload be made with an even more purple tint?

[@timothybrooks1429]

Classic

[@MauofMiami]

well, to all that watch this video and don't have a ham radio license or have fond memories well go and get your license it's not hard at all and create new memories and populate the radio frequencies and make real friends that the internet can't do.

[@petersmits6951]

El Gato its hard here in Au! Not many clubs a dieing hobby :(

[@MauofMiami]

@@petersmits6951 not dying at all, just changing with the times.

[@w8lvradio]

Finally, you might like an earlier video about ham radio-- entitled "Radio Hams" its located (of course at www.archive.org) direct link here: archive.org/details/RadioHams

[@kq6up]

What year was this produced?

[@amuzulo]

Chris Maness I’d also like to know what year this is from. Does anyone know?!

[@MauofMiami]

1975

[@225rc]

I talk on cb but after watching this I want to get my ticket if I could but I can't.if I could get help I sure would get it.

[@jayrogers8255]

Why can't you get your ticket?

[@JohnCrawfordSchoolOfMusic]

It is easier than you think to get your license. The only thing that will stop you are the inability to study the material which is freely available even here on KZbin and a group of volunteer examiners. Are you having trouble finding examiners? As far as the material goes look up the callsign Ke0og here on KZbin. This guy has a bunch of the information you need to get your technician license. His general class stuff is dicey but his extra stuff is really good too. Also look for an app called ham prep. It costs five dollars in the app store and get help me go from technician two extra in eight months. Good luck and hope to meet you on the air

[@MauofMiami]

225rc what help do you need? look me up KB4MBU 73s

[@mark6831]

nice!

[@Adamdaj]

I sure I got my license sooner then I did. The CW requirement was an issue back in the early 90s, but I know could have over come that obstacle and learned CW. Then an CB wasn't too bad, even though CB is restricted to 40 channels. The down fall to CB is there a lot nonsense with individuals using profanity and using excessive power that is way above the legal 4 watts. Yep, I'm glad I got my license, because I can send my voice or thoughts around world with out leaving home. 73 DE K3JCP

[@RobBob555]

same in EVERY country sadly.

[@624radicalham]

Profanity and excessive power? That's going on on 7200khz right now bro

[@dunstun365]

Ahh the days before cell phones

[@MauofMiami]

Tony Dunn even with cell phones ham radio is still strong :)

[@mike54101527]

Back in those days, the world was purple.

[@RobBob555]

much like my Bellend.

[@DE2TRF]

mega cool video 73 de DE2TRF

[@crazystuffproduction]

W6AQ USA SILENT KEY QSL: SK May 13, 2016