The History dates Amateur Radio
Amateur Radio has entered the 21st Century. It is remarkable when you realize that in less
than 100 years amateur communication has evolved from crude spark-gap technology to digital (DSP) signal processing!
Early Amateur equipment
US Early Radio History
Amateur Radio after WWI
Where hams once had to choose between voice and CW, we now enjoy a broad range of
communication choices from television (slow and fast scan) to spread spectrum. Where we
were once limited to frequencies below 1500 kHz, we now communicate on bands from medium
waves to microwaves.
1898-First amateur radio station in
the world.
1904-WT Act passed requiring radio
stations to be licensed.
1910-Wireless Institute of Australia
founded- the first national society.
1914-ARRL founded. All licences
suspended for First World War (Sept.)
1920-New transmitting licences issued
as amateur radio commenced after WW1.
1921-First amateur signals to span the
Atlantic (signals from anateur radio stations in the US were heard in Britain and other
European countries).
1922-440 m band introduced.
1924-International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU) founded in Paris. First amateur radio contact with antipodes (Britain and New
Zealand)
1925- First amateur radio station
(R1FL) in Russia.
1926-Bands used 23, 45, 150/200 and old
440m (all with 10 W power limit).
1927-First woman licensed,Barbara Dunn
G6YL . Passed requiring radio stations to be licensed in Russia. International Radio
Telegraphic Conference proposed harmonically related bands 1.7 -- 56 MHz.
1928-Washington
conference,granted 1.7-- 56 MHz for international use. Each nation's
telecommunications authority allowed to fix input power to PA. System of callsigns
allocated by ITU.
1933-First
contact from aircraft on 56 MHz.
1934-First
amateur TV licences issued. RST reports introduced.
1935-Use
of /P for portable stations. FM demonstrated in USA.
1936-First
international contest on 28 MHz. First international contact on 56 MHz.
1937-DXCC
introduced.
1938-International
Radio Conference Cairo.
1939-All
amateur activity closed down. WW 2 broke out, all equipment confiscated (Sept.).
1945-WW
2 ends. 28-29MHz and 56-60MHz released. DXCC re-introduced.
1946-
1.8-2.0 MHz and 29-30 MHz bands released (March), 7.13-7.3 MHz and 14.1-14.3 MHz
bands released (May), 3.5-3.8 MHz bands released (Sept).
1947-World
Telecommunications Conference in Atlantic City allocated amateur bands world wide, added
2m, 70cms ,23cms and microwave bands (all harmonically related). First transistor made.
1948-
145-146 MHz, 420-450 MHz, 2.350 MHz released. Use of FM on amateur frequencies. Start of
amateur radio development of single sideband.
1949-144-145
MHz, 1.215 MHz, 5.650 MHz, 10.000 MHz bands released. Use of SSB on amateur frequencies.
1950-IARU
conference in Paris, 21MHz band proposed.
1951-FM
permitted on 144.5-145.5 MHz. SSB equipment displayed.
1952-21-21.45
MHz CW operation allowed.
1954-Telephony
permitted on 21 MHz.
1956-First
RSGB 21/28 MHz.
1957-First
Sputnik launched (hear on 21 MHz).
1959-World
Radio Conference Geneva,loss of 7.1-7.15 MHz. First CQWW contest. RTTY to be
permitted.
1960-First
amateur radio moonbounce contact.
1961-Official
recognition of use of RTTY in all bands except 160m.
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