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Reference, Study, and Training

American Radio Relay League

American Radio Relay League

American Radio Relay League

http://www.arrl.org/

 

ARRL's Mission Statement: To advance the art, science, and enjoyment of Amateur Radio.

 A bona fide interest in Amateur Radio is the only essential qualification of membership; an Amateur Radio license is not a prerequisite, although full voting membership is granted only to licensed radio amateurs in the US. 

eHam.net

American Radio Relay League

American Radio Relay League

 eHam.net is a community site designed and operated by and run for active Amateur Radio operators (hams). 

HamStudy.org

American Radio Relay League

HamStudy.org

 HamStudy.org is dedicated to improving and modernizing ham radio license instruction and examination processes by providing modern, easy, and free tools. 

DXNews.com

The DXZone

HamStudy.org

DXNews is a 100% free resource of popular Amateur Radio DX news.  

The DXNews.com website does not carry commercial advertisements of any kind. 

DXnews is a preferred source of breaking news and provides a rich source of information for DX'ers and other web and email based DX news publications. 

QRZ.com

The DXZone

The DXZone

 QRZ.com is an amateur radio callsign website, which houses almost every callsign in the world. Founded by Fred L Lloyd in 1992, a huge amount of effort was put in to work with the FCC database, to create a CD-ROM with all call signs issued. The company now runs a website and the CD-ROM is carried on board the International Space Station, and was aboard the Russian Mir space station during its life. It is one of the most recognized websites for amateur radio enthusiasts. Information is pulled directly from the FCC database, and from databases of other nations if these databases are online. In addition to the information pulled from government databases, users are allowed to edit entries for accuracy and currency.

The DXZone

The DXZone

The DXZone

 The DXZone is the largest human created and maintained library of web sites dedicated to Amateur Radio, currently lists 20.000+ links organized into 600+ categories and subcategories. Ham Radio operators review new sites every day since 1998, for potential inclusion in the Directory, and to evaluate the best place to list them. 

AMSAT

AMSAT

AMSAT

  AMSAT’s goal is to foster Amateur Radio’s participation in space research and communication. The Organization was founded to continue the efforts, begun in 1961, by Project OSCAR, a west coast USA-based group which built and launched the very first Amateur Radio satellite, OSCAR, on December 12, 1961, barely four years after the launch of Russia’s first Sputnik.

Today, the “home-brew” flavor of these early Amateur Radio satellites lives on, as most of the hardware and software now flying on even the most advanced AMSAT satellites is still largely the product of volunteer effort and donated resources. Though we are fond of traditions our designs and technology continue to push the outside of the envelope. . 

CWops

AMSAT

AMSAT

Welcome to CWops!  We bring together and support amateur radio operators who enjoy communicating by Morse Code (CW). We offer free CW training to those who want to learn this special skill that reaches back to the very beginning of ham radio and remains vital today. Learning and operating CW is fun and you can do it!

QTH

AMSAT

QTH

QTH has a really nice classified site to buy and sell equipment.  They are also a web hosting company.  

The History of the Car Radio

Thanks to Dylan and his teacher Kelly Ackford for this informative article written by Carly Hallman

 

It’s an almost universal experience: People get in the car and turn on their favorite music. But the first car radio wasn’t sold until Chevrolet offered one as an option in 1922. And at first, radios in cars weren’t a popular feature. In 1930, laws were proposed in Massachusetts and Missouri that would ban automobile radios, and a poll in 1934 found that 56% of people thought car radios were a dangerous distraction. Motorola kept refining the idea, though, and designed a more attractive and better-functioning radio. By 1946, around nine million cars had a radio installed in them. The technology improved over time, and by 1963, more than half of all cars driven in America had a radio in them.

  • The History of Car Radios

Using Their Heads

A head unit is like the motherboard of a car’s audio system. Originally, head units only controlled the radio, but over time, they were used to control everything from 8-tracks to CDs. Today’s head units incorporate touchscreens and smartphone integration. The size of the head unit is dictated by the size and design of the car’s console and the size of the front faceplate of the stereo system. Most head units are a size 1DIN or 2DIN; DIN is an acronym for a German company, Deutsches Institut fur Normung.

  • A History of the Car Head Unit

American Ingenuity

Lee de Forest invented the vacuum tube, which made radios possible. In 1904, he gave a demonstration of his invention at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, and afterward, he was nicknamed the “Father of Radio.” It wasn’t until 1922 when Chevrolet put a Westinghouse radio into a car. But the first successful commercial automobile radio is considered by most experts to be the Motorola 5T71, which was released in 1930.

  • History of Obsolete Car Audio, Part 1: Early Radio
  • The First Motorola Car Radio
  • The Evolution of Car Radio Through the Years

Radio on the Go

The radio was first invented for the military, and its purpose was to allow for short, simple, person-to-person messages. Even these very simple radios were large and bulky at the beginning. The first radios meant to play music were even larger and bulkier, and they don’t at all resemble what most modern people would consider a portable radio or music player. Early radios were housed in a large box, which was accompanied by a second box for the speaker. They featured several large batteries and an antenna consisting of a long piece of wire. All of these elements would be put into what amounted to a large wooden suitcase to make the radio portable.

  • Portable Music

Form and Function

Early car radios of the 1920s and 1930s looked different from what most people today consider automobile radios. There was a tin box with:

  • A speaker
  • An audio receiver
  • A tuning mechanism
  • Sometimes (but not always) batteries

The car’s battery would heat the radio’s tubes, and the radio needed a separate box for its anodes. All of this equipment actually blocked the radio from getting clear reception from radio towers. The invention of the vacuum tube solved a lot of problems for car radios, making them more user-friendly as well as improving the quality of the audio.

When Mass Manufacturing Got Rolling

On Sept. 26, 1928, the Galvin Manufacturing Corporation, located in Chicago, IL, began production. In 1930. the company would introduce its Motorola car radio, the very first mass-produced automobile radio offered for sale. The name “Motorola” comes from combing “motor” with Victrola.

  • Philco Auto Radios

Car Audio Timeline: A Century of Progress

The 1920s

The 1920s marked the birth of large-scale radio broadcasting. Radio soon became a major source of entertainment, news, and information for a lot of people. Suddenly, masses of people could experience breaking news or sports events as they happened. Many Americans were making good money in the 1920s, and this was coupled with an increase in available credit that helped people to afford radios for their homes. Soon, inventors and marketers realized these people might also enjoy listening to their radios in the car.

The 1930s

The Roaring ’20s ended by throwing the United States into a deep economic depression. Suddenly, large numbers of people were experiencing job loss and poverty. However, those with money continued buying radios and expressing interest in car radios. Radios were an expensive option: Adding a Motorola radio to a brand new Model-T made the price jump 20%. Some people pushed back against radios in cars, but continued technological advancement and the introduction of features like push-button tuning made radios more popular than ever. This was also the decade when FM radio was invented, improving sound quality.

  • The Tragic Birth of FM Radio

The 1940s

Nine million automobiles had built-in radios by the beginning of the post-war period. Head units became smaller and better designed. Many started to take on Art Deco styling to match the interiors of the cars of the moment.

  • Road Tunes: How Car Audio Systems Have Evolved

The 1950s

AM radio ruled the airwaves at the beginning of the 1950s, but the first automobile radio with an FM receiver was put on the market in 1952. One year later, the first radio with a fully capable automatic station-search feature was introduced. Chrysler also decided to experiment by selling cars with record players installed as a part of the in-car entertainment system.

  • Cars Once Had Record Players, But it Didn’t Last Long

The 1960s

Two major technological advances had a great impact on car radios in the 1960s. General Motors and Ford teamed up with Motorola to create the Super 8 (better known as the 8-track) cassette and began putting 8-track players in their cars. At almost the same time, in 1964, Philips introduced the compact cassette. Even from the beginning, compact cassettes offered better sound quality than 8-tracks. But thanks to the involvement of two automotive powerhouses, 8-track players continued to be installed in cars into the 1970s.

  • Collector’s Corner: The History of the 8-Track Tape

The 1970s

Cassette players took over the market in the 1970s. The ’70s were a time of great advancement in the field of automotive audio systems. Vacuum-based amplifiers, which were bulky, were replaced with smaller models with better sound quality. Pioneer began selling car systems that provided almost the same sound quality as at-home stereo systems. The Supertuner, for example, offered a cassette player and FM radio tuner with excellent reception.

The 1980s

Pioneer once more led in-car stereo innovation when they introduced the first automotive compact disc (CD) player in 1984. The sound quality was much, much better than that offered by cassettes, but in-car CD players didn’t achieve widespread popularity until the 1990s.

The 1980s also saw rapid advancement in speaker technology and sound. Systems with at least six speakers became popular. High-end automotive audio setups rivaled the best at-home systems. General Motor’s Delco division paired up with Bose to make a high-end system for people buying luxury GM products, which at the time included Corvette, Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and Buick customers.

  • History of the CD: 40 Years of the Compact Disc

The 1990s

One reason the popularity of in-car CD players skyrocketed in the 1990s was that CD changers, capable of being loaded with up to 18 CDs, hit the market. Suddenly, drivers could truly curate their listening experience, even on very long drives. Sony attempted to compete with the rising popularity of the CD when it released the Minidisc in 1992, but the smaller format never caught on with customers.

The 2000s

Two huge new technological advancements ushered car audio systems into the new millennium. The first was GPS technology, which allowed for navigation systems to be added to car entertainment systems. Navigation systems meant larger screens, and soon, infotainment systems became a larger part of a car’s dashboard. The other major advancement was Bluetooth. This technology allowed drivers to make and accept hands-free calls through their audio systems. At the same time, portable digital music players hit the market. Soon, people were using a variety of adapters to connect their music players to their car’s audio system, but Bluetooth would go on to make this a seamless experience.

  • How to Connect Your iPod to a Car Stereo

2020 and Beyond

The increase in people working from home coupled with people viewing their smartphones as their primary source of information has changed what people listen to in their cars and how they listen to it. The popularity of radio stations dwindles each year. Now, people are more likely to listen to podcasts or music streaming services as they drive.

  • As Podcasts Continue to Grow in Popularity, Ad Dollars Follow

The Next Leap for In-Car Technology

Car entertainment systems continue to make technological advancements. Many cars are now ready to let users control the infotainment systems using smartphone apps, and some will allow apps to guide even more of the functions of the car. Built-in screens with multiple uses also continue to increase in popularity, integrating with telematics systems to help drivers monitor vehicle diagnostics.

DIY

Even as infotainment systems become increasingly complex, aftermarket stereo shops and DIY systems continue to flourish. People often upgrade older cars with new infotainment technology, including Bluetooth-enabled stereos with backup cameras and touchscreens.

  • Build This DIY Touchscreen Music Player for Your Car

Additional Reading on Early Radio

  • The Golden Age of Radio
  • The Development of Radio
  • The Evolution of Radio Broadcasting
  • 1890s-1930s: Radio
  • History of Commercial Radio
  • 100 Years of Radio
  • Golden Age of Black Radio
  • Radio Activity: The 100th Anniversary of Public Broadcasting
  • The Creation and Following of Public Opinion: A History of Music Choice in Radio Programming
  • The First Black Radio Show in America Debuts
  • Soap Operas During the Golden Age of Radio

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Hamfest Update 3-30-23

We have been made aware that there is going to be some road construction in the immediate vicinity of the event.  We are monitoring the situation.  The talkin repeater is 145.310 -PL 167.9 -.60.  Our staff will be relaying updates and offering alternate routes to bypass the construction.