A Dirty Secret: We Had It Easier In The Old Days

[WA4BRL]

Even into the 70's things were easier than now. You could buy mono-band beams from Gotham on the cheap -- $23 I think for my 3-element 15 meter beam. They had quality aluminum elements and steel booms, but the hardware was really cheap. A trip to the hardware store with a few bucks netted you much better hardware with which to assemble the thing. A few lengths of galvanized pipe and some guy wires got you some altitude and 24.95 bought a new CDE AR-22 rotor. Scrounge two lengths of lamp cord (for the four rotor conductors and use the coax from the 80 meter dipole that blew down last March and I'm golden. For under 60 bucks I had a great new antenna for 15 and was finally able to choose what signals I wanted with some F/B and F/S discrimination.

Life was so good for this high school kid at the time!

[WB2WIK]

Even into the 70's things were easier than now. You could buy mono-band beams from Gotham on the cheap -- $23 I think for my 3-element 15 meter beam. They had quality aluminum elements and steel booms, but the hardware was really cheap. A trip to the hardware store with a few bucks netted you much better hardware with which to assemble the thing. A few lengths of galvanized pipe and some guy wires got you some altitude and 24.95 bought a new CDE AR-22 rotor. Scrounge two lengths of lamp cord (for the four rotor conductors and use the coax from the 80 meter dipole that blew down last March and I'm golden. For under 60 bucks I had a great new antenna for 15 and was finally able to choose what signals I wanted with some F/B and F/S discrimination.

Life was so good for this high school kid at the time!

Another difference: That time was the "CB boom." I experienced it even in the mid-60s. Every kid wanted walkie-talkies, which could lead two ways: To CB radio, or to ham radio. Or of course, it might lead to nothing at all when the walkie talkies broke.

Many took the "easy way out" and got on CB, which I think peaked in popularity probably in the 70s sometime (although it was very popular in the mid-60s when I first became a ham). But those more technically inclined became hams, since that wasn't much harder, you just had to pass two tests and neither were difficult.

It was they heydey of hobby radio. FRS/GMRS/MURS didn't exist, so it was either ham radio or CB, and we know where the good guys went.

[N2EY]

Another difference: That time was the "CB boom." I experienced it even in the mid-60s. Every kid wanted walkie-talkies, which could lead two ways: To CB radio, or to ham radio. Or of course, it might lead to nothing at all when the walkie talkies broke.

Many took the "easy way out" and got on CB, which I think peaked in popularity probably in the 70s sometime (although it was very popular in the mid-60s when I first became a ham). But those more technically inclined became hams, since that wasn't much harder, you just had to pass two tests and neither were difficult.

It was they heydey of hobby radio. FRS/GMRS/MURS didn't exist, so it was either ham radio or CB, and we know where the good guys went.

Sort of.

I remember many folks who would have made good hams being ruined by CB. Also, a lot of hams got blamed for TVI and other problems caused by CB folks. I knew hams who stopped operating mobile because their cars had been broken into by folks thinking they had a CB set.

Worst of all was being an Extra and having people ask "what's your handle?"

73 de jim, N2EY

[2E0OZI]

Corrent answer Jim "What - do I look like a teapot?"

[AB1QP]

I used to run my station with pinball machine relays - antenna selector, muting, T-R. They ran on 24 volts, which I provided from my slot-car power supply.
Running CW, the shack sounded like the inside of a pinball machine :-)

In Philadelphia, there was Radio Row - Arch Street around 11th, with great surplus places.
Plus RESCO, Kass Electronics, etc.

Yep.TWTD.

AB1QP

[W9PSK]

LOL! I find it amusing that the OP had to jump through all those hoops to get on the air and he actually thinks that was easier than simply picking one of today's modern rigs and an antenna. This is like to trying argue that driving a car was easier back when they used point ignitions, oil filled air breathers, manual brakes, and the automatic transmission hadn't been invented. Still, I am sure many of you old school hams had a lot of fun back in the day. Just don't try to convince me that it was easier, OK?

[KB3LAZ]

LOL! I find it amusing that the OP had to jump through all those hoops to get on the air and he actually thinks that was easier than simply picking one of today's modern rigs and an antenna. This is like to trying argue that driving a car was easier back when they used point ignitions, oil filled air breathers, manual brakes, and the automatic transmission hadn't been invented. Still, I am sure many of you old school hams had a lot of fun back in the day. Just don't try to convince me that it was easier, OK?

Automatic transmission? Not in this lifetime!

[W9PSK]

Automatic transmission? Not in this lifetime!

Did I mention hydraulic clutches?

[W4HAY]

Another advantage was the average Novice who was willing to follow instructions in a kit or The Handbook could build a two-tube, crystal controlled transmitter that put out about 20-30 Watts, enough power to really get out and do something. When he passed his General, an easily-built VFO kit or ARC-5 conversion allowed him to move around within the bands.

Most of the true starter-level transmitter kits these days are 1-5 Watts, pretty rough on a beginner.

[KB3LAZ]

Did I mention hydraulic clutches?

Depends on which car I am driving.