Vintage Amateur Radio HAM MEMORIES 1960s-1970 History
For over 100 years, wireless radio communication and later voice technology has been a fascinating and valuable hobby for nearly all ages. As a brief introduction to the world of HAM radio, we have carefully restored this 1970 film originally produced by the ARRL (National Amateur Radio association), which presents a fascinating look into this world as it looked in the mid to late 1960’s. For review and discussion, we also provide Appendix A which provides a glimpse of HAM systems from the 1940’s up to 1990s, focusing on the earlier years. Some early electronic equipment is mentioned with prices of the time period to put them in historical perspective. Hammarlund, Collins, Drake, National, Yaesu, Icom are just a few of the popular names that are mentioned in original advertisements, along with related equipment. The ads help show the evolution of this technology. (Restoration Note: a minute or two of background music at the beginning and end of the film were flagged by YouTube as copyrighted by a third party music company, so replacement music was used in this version. Otherwise, all elements are the same as the original film.)
Appendix B shows a 1944 HAM operator using a vintage Hallicrafters set of that era. References are provided at the end and below. We hope you enjoy this historical walk down memory lane of early HAM radio technologies. Comments are welcome! ~ Thank you. CHAP (Computer History Archives Project)
Digital scanning and restoration Courtesy of Speakeasy Archives https://www.laserfilmlab.com
2k and 4k Stock Footage of original film available from Periscope Film http://www.periscopefilm.com
RECOMMENDED REFERENCES: American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the National Association for Amateur Radio, connecting HAMS around the U.S. with news, information and resources http://www.arrl.org/
HAM Radio Glossary and Terms (ARRL): https://www.arrl.org/ham-radio-glossary https://www.arrl.org/files/file/EC-01
Electric Radio Magazine: For those interested in vintage radio communications equipment and the history of radio https://www.ermag.com/
eHam.net A well organized community web site for HAM radio operators around the world https://www.eham.net/
World Radio History, a vast informative database of publications https://www.worldradiohistory.com/index.htm
The Museum of Yesteryear (wireless, radio, and more) http://www.museumofyesterday.org/museum
Additional Background: Amateur radio has a rich history dating back to the late 19th century, when early experiments with wireless telegraphy began. While the term “amateur radio” didn’t emerge until later, the practice of individuals using radio technology for non-commercial purposes has been around for well over a century. The development of amateur radio was significantly advanced during the early 20th century as vacuum tube technology and electronics technologies became more refined for use in Radar, emergency and commercial broadcasting, early television and related fields.
Over the past four or five decades, computers have revolutionized amateur radio, transforming the way HAMs communicate and engage with the hobby. One of the most significant advancements has been the development of computer-based radio transceivers. These devices combine the functionality of traditional radios with powerful computing capabilities, allowing HAMs to access and transmit signals across a wide range of frequencies with greater precision and control. Moreover, computers have enabled the creation of specialized software applications that enhance the amateur radio experience.
This educational presentation presents an visual look back at some of the early developments in HAM equipment, focusing mainly on the 1960’s through the carefully restored film “This is HAM RADIO” originally made in 1970. That film shows the many uses of HAM radio through the narration of a young teenage HAM operator. Followed by Appendix A which provides a glimpse of HAM systems from the 1940’s up to 1990s, again, focusing on the earlier years.