Vintage amateur radio
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Vintage amateur radio is a subset of the amateur radio hobby, considered a form of nostalgia much like antique car collecting, where enthusiasts collect, restore, preserve, build, and operate amateur radio equipment from bygone years, most notably those using vacuum tube technology.
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[edit] Appeal
Vintage radio enthusiasts contend that while modern, state-of-the-art, microprocessor based amateur radios are extremely good at what they are designed to do, they lack the aesthetic appeal and "soul" of amateur electronic gear from the vacuum tube era. Additionally, many find satisfaction in taking commercially-made amateur equipment from the 1930s - 1970s (affectionately called "boatanchors" because of their relatively large size and weight) and carefully restoring it back to health.
Like cars of the era, boatanchor radios evoke a time when American manufacturing boomed and craftsmanship flourished. The roomy electrical and mechanical layouts are more easily worked on, modified, and tinkered with than their modern Japanese counterparts. In an age where fixing a transceiver is accomplished by boxing it up to send to the manufacturer for a custom VLSI chip replacement, many think of boatanchors as "real radio". According to these hobbyists, a hot soldering iron is almost a requirement for operating a vintage station. Others claim that boatanchors sound better than their silicon descendants, citing that the tube audio from vintage gear is "warmer" and more aesthetically pleasing than the audio produced by the typical modern transceiver.[1] Some see vintage radio operation as a valuable asset to help preserve the history and heritage of radio for future generations.
[edit] AM activity
Amplitude Modulation (AM) is a mode and an activity that is enjoying increased status as a nostalgic specialty on the shortwave ham bands. The unique sound and visual appeal of vintage radio operation are often powerful lures, and have drawn a wide range of amateur radio enthusiasts from rock star Joe Walsh, WB6ACU, to Federal Communications Commission attorney Riley Hollingsworth, K4ZDH. AM is “Angel Music” to those who enjoy this special mode of modulation.
A majority of "AM'ers" stations consist of vintage transmitters and receivers housed in separate cabinets. Some operators have even obtained retired AM broadcast transmitters, donated or sold cheaply to hobbyists by radio stations with no further need for them. Others build their equipment from scratch (called "homebrewing") using combinations of modern and vintage-era parts.
Shortwave HF frequencies (in mHz) on which amateur radio AM activity can be found include 1.885, 1.930, 1.985, 3.870--3.885, 7.285, 14.286, 21.425, and 29.010, and sometimes feature "special event" stations using unique call signs.
Conversations (QSO's in ham slang) are typically configured as "roundtables" where several participants take turns developing and presenting their thoughts in a storytelling fashion. Many find this style of communicating more satisfying than the contemporary rapid-fire style of operating that can seem rushed and shallow by comparison.
Often the conversation revolves around do-it-yourself experimentation, repairs, and restoration of vintage vacuum-tube equipment, which has been rising in value because of nostalgic demand. Interested newcomers are usually encouraged to switch their modern transceivers to AM mode, introduce themselves, and join the conversation.
[edit] Classic gear
Vintage operating activity is not limited to the AM mode. Many devotees use their "classic" amateur gear from vintage-era American manufacturers like EF Johnson, National, Hammarlund, Swan, Drake, Collins, and Hallicrafters, to make CW, SSB, FM and RTTY two-way contacts. Although 1930s through 1970s gear is considered "vintage", collectors may differ on the cutoff dates.
Some even sub-specialize in military radio collecting and undertake to restore and operate surplus communications equipment, much of it dating back to World War II, from the ubiquitous US Signal Corps SCR-300 and SCR-536 "walkie talkies" to exotic gear like the British "Paraset", a small espionage transceiver supplied to Resistance forces in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
[edit] Glowbugs
"Glowbugs" are a related aspect of vintage radio and harken back to the early days of amateur radio, when the majority of hams hand-crafted their own equipment. Relatively smaller in size than "boatanchors", glowbugs are simple home-made tube-type radio sets, reminiscent of the shortwave radio-building craze of the 1920s and 30s. Classic glowbug designs from that era include the famous twin triode Doerle regenerative receiver and single-tube Hartley, TNT and TPTG transmitters. "Glow" refers to the glow of the vacuum tubes and "bug" to the gear's relatively diminutive size. Generally, any small, home-built tube-type transmitter or receiver may be referred to as a glowbug. The majority of glowbug transmitters are designed to be used in the CW radiotelegraphy mode.
As late as the 1960s, glowbugs were part of many beginner ham stations, and the ARRL Radio Amateur Handbook for those years exhibited a number of such simple, tube-based designs. Today, glowbugs are enjoying a resurgence of interest among QRP enthusiasts and others with a penchant for constructing their own equipment. A growing number of hams are "getting back to their roots" by assembling glowbugs on steel chassis, tin cakepans, and wooden boards, and putting them on the air. Amateur radio glowbug enthusiasts can often be heard communicating on the shortwave bands via CW using Morse code. A popular frequency to hear glowbug contacts is 3.579.5 mHz.
[edit] Clubs, events, and publications
Many vintage radio clubs sponsor special events and contests, such as the AM QSO Party sponsored by the Antique Wireless Association, the Heavy Metal Rally sponsored by Electric Radio Magazine, and the Classic Radio Exchange [2]. Such operating events are not traditional ham radio contests inasmuch as they are a night of friendly QSO’s using home-built, restored commercial ham, broadcast or military equipment.
The Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society and The AM Radio Network's[3] Expedition to Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in Chesapeake Bay, MD honored the heritage of lighthouses. The call sign K3L was issued by the Federal Communications Commission for a vintage special event station that helped commemorate the 100 year anniversary of radio's first voice communications mode, AM.[4]
Perhaps in response to interest in vintage radio, the ARRL publishes Vintage Radio, a collection of articles from QST magazine describing vintage equipment and restoration, and CQ magazine releases a yearly Classic Radio Calendar featuring full-color vintage radio images.
[edit] Safety
Those accustomed to making repairs on solid state equipment are cautioned that vacuum tube gear contain lethal voltages. The practice of discharging power-supply capacitors before powering up and keeping one hand in your pocket when working on powered-up gear are essential safety measures. Also, many older radios, such as vintage receivers, are not safety-fused. Restorers generally replace the AC line cord with a more modern 3 wire plug and install an in-line or chassis mount fuseholder. The use of a common station ground connection to all equipment is encouraged.
[edit] Audio samples
- "AM'er" N3WWL on the air (file info) — play in browser (beta)
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Wikimedia files are in Ogg Vorbis format
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.virhistory.com/ham/rrab.faq.htm
- ^ http://qsl.asti.com/CX/
- ^ http://amfone.net/amradionetwork/index.htm
- ^ http://amfone.net/K3L/
