Frank Gilliland wrote:
On Sat, 31 Dec 2005 15:23:07 -0800, Frank Gilliland
wrote in
:

snip

BTW, I found the FCC regs the 1940 ARRL handbook. The only significant
difference between Class A and Classes B & C was that Class A had the
additional privilege of using A3 on 3.9-4.0 and 14.150-14.250 MHz.
That's about it.

That's right.

But you have to understand "the rest of the story"...

In 1940, the HF/MF amateur bands in the US were 160, 80/75, 40, 20 and
10 meters.

30, 17, 15, and 12 meters were not allocated to amateurs.

On top of that, the 40 meter band was all-Morse Code. No 'phone allowed
at all.

So a Class B or C amateur's 'phone options were 160 meters, 10 meters,
and
VHF/UHF (5 meters, 2-1/2 meters, 1-1/4 meters....)

Classes B & C were identical in priveliges; the only
distinction was that Class C had looser requirements for testing
purposes to accomodate military or CCC personel, people with
disabilities or living in remote geographic locations, etc.

Yep - a Class C was just a Class B given by mail. A volunteer examiner
gave the code test and proctored the written test (but FCC marked the
written test).

However, again there's "the rest of the story":

Class C was issued conditionally. If the holder of a Class C license
moved
to within the required distance of an FCC exam point, left the military
or CCC,
or recovered from the disability, s/he had 90 days to be retested by
FCC - or
lose the license.

Class A testing was only available from an FCC examiner or certain
specially-designated FCC representatives.

Class A also required at least one year experience as a Class B or C

If a Class C ham went for the Class A license, s/he first had to retake
and pass the Class B exam (code and written) at an FCC exam session
before being allowed to try the Class A.

---

The "ABC" system was in place from 1933 to 1951, including WW2.
(Although
FCC suspended all amateur station licenses during WW2, they still
conducted
operator license test sessions, and you could get an amateur radio
license all
through the war. There just weren't any legal amateur radio stations
for you to
operate).

--

A piece of amateur radio history that few recall nowadays is how the
ABC
system came to be replaced by the
Novice/Technician/General/Conditional/Advanced/Extra
system in 1951. That 1951 multiclass system is the basis of the current
license system.

Oh yeah..... if anyone wants a scan of an ad for the Hallicrafter's
"Skyrider Diversity" let me know. Awesome looking radio!

Awesome price, too!