Doug wrote in message . ..
On 1 Jul 2004 06:42:36 -0700, (N2EY) wrote:
"No Spam " No wrote in message news:ifgU75G3LLdo-pn2-6dc5RepOHFeN@localhost...
On Wed, 30 Jun 2004 16:31:34 UTC, (Michael
Black) wrote:
(big snip)
Thanks Jim,
Your response was well written.
Thanks!
Here's two more factors:
Sometime in the very early 1960s, SSB became the dominant HF 'phone
mode, replacing AM. The trend had started in the very late 1940s with
ham SSB homebrewing became common and just kept going. One factor that
really sparked the SSB boom was the introduction of the SSB
transceiver, starting with the Collins KWM-1 and KWM-2, and the
Cosmophone 35.
These were "stations in a box" that needed only antenna, power supply,
mike and speaker to go on the air. Their cost and size was less than a
comparable transmitter-receiver pair, and the headache of zerobeating
was eliminated - just tune in the other guy right, and you are
automatically on his freq. HF SSB transceivers became popular very
quickly, to the point that they rapidly replaced all "separates"
except those that were matched-pair transceive capable, like the Drake
4 line and the S line.
Before transceivers, there were several ham mfrs. who specialized in
receivers or transmitters, or were best known for one or the other.
E.F. Johnson made transmitters, National, Hammarlund and Hallicrafters
primarily made receivers, etc. Those who made the transition to
transceivers survived longer than those who didn't. Johnson, for
example, developed the Avenger transceiver, which was way ahead of its
time. Dual VFOs, all solid state except the finals and driver,
compact, high performance - and it cost more to make than the list
price of a KWM-2. A dozen or so prototypes were made, and a few
survive.
The main market for "separates" were Novices, who were limited to
crystal control and 75W input until the mid 1970s.
Some new mfrs. like Swan and SBE, started out making SSB transceivers
from Day One.
The shift to SSB and transceivers from AM and separates had a bunch of
effects:
- Homebrewing, steadily declining with increasing affluence and
complexity of ham gear, took a big nosedive with the advent of the SSB
transceiver. Few hams could homebrew the equivalent of an NCX-3 or
SB-100 in their basements for less than the cost of those rigs, let
alone the time.
- The space and cost required for a ham shack shrank dramatically.
This was particularly true if you wanted to operate high power 'phone.
Look at the price and size of an SB-100/200 combo - for about $600 and
the kitbuilding time you could have a 1200W PEP tabletop SSB/CW
station. Compare that to, say, a Viking 500/NC-300 combo...
- Old gear that could not do SSB transceive was sometimes kept, and
other times rapidly unloaded as its resale value dropped. The value
drop was driven by the limited market for such gear.
- The number of new hams recruited from the SWL ranks dropped
dramatically. In the AM days, folks with SW receivers would come
across hams on AM. This would lead many SWLs to become hams. But most
SWL receivers don't receive SSB well, if at all, and completely
different tuning skills are needed. So most SWLs just tuned past the
unintelligible ham SSB garble.
This last was part of a much larger trend. From the reopening of US
ham radio to about 1963, the number of US hams grew from about 60,000
on VJ day to about 250,000 in 1963 - quadrupling in just 17 years.
Then the growth stalled and didn't pick up again until the early
1970s.
This loss of growth happened fully 5 years before "incentive
licensing", and it was only after the new rules were in place that the
numbers picked up again, so IL can't be the cause. What *did* cause it
we
- changeover to SSB
- competition from 27 MHz cb
- drastic reduction of the places where a Conditional license could be
issued
- license and test fees
- changes in society, particularly young people. Ham radio has always
been kind of a "square" activity, and in the '60s such perceptions
"turned off" a lot of young people.
Wayne Green has gotten too much credit - mainly from his own self
promotion.
The rooster taking credit for the dawn. JA has had nocodetest ham
licenses since 1952. They were on a rebuilding/industrial boom. They
were investing in development and new tooling at a furious rate while
US companies weren't. Favorable tax and exchange rates. Etc.
Incentive licensing hardly killed off Amatuer radio or the
manufactorers of the time.
Agreed.
Increased competition from the Japanese probably was the largest
factor in the die off of the old American companies.
Yep.
I've got a Swan/Cubic Astro-150A.
It's totally synthesized, solid state using military construction,
with plug in pcb's, full QSK, built in CW filter, etc, etc.
Its design date from around 1978.
Yet, they were only able to sell less than 1000 of them.
Why?
It cost $999 at a time when the Yaesu FT101 listed at only $699.
And a TS-520S was even less IIRC.
In my opinion, the Astro-150 is a much better rig, but at the time
Amateurs voted with their wallets.
When the Drake TR7 was introduced, it was a $1400 rig that didn't
include things like a speech processor or standard noise blanker when
equivalent rigs from the Japanese makers were available for less than
$1000.
There's also the "line" aspect. Most US manufacturers of the time made
just one "line" of ham gear - Drake had the 4 line, Collins had the
S-line, Heath had the SB line, etc. Many did not offer VHF/UHF gear,
or the offerings were limited. But very early on the Japanese produced
multiple lines, such as the TS-520S and TS-820S, and a whole line of
VHF/UHF stuff. A ham could have an "all-Kenwood" (or Yaesu, or Icom)
station that covered 160 through 440. Few US manufacturers offered
such variety.
The story of ham radio makes is no different than the story of U.S. TV
makers. There are no TV's being made in the USA by companies that are
based in the USA. Likewise, no VCR's, no CD players etc, etc are being
made by USA owned companies.
Sadly true.
At least in ham gear we have a choice: Ten Tec and Elecraft, to name
just two.
73 de Jim, N2EY