In article , Mike Coslo
writes:

I wonder how many of the priveliges we enjoy - and many take for
granted - in the ARS, would be around if not for the ARRL.

None of them, I'd say.

Yes, ham radio was shut down during WW1 and there was a strong contingent that
did not want to allow hams back on the air after the Armistice. But there were
several other severe threats. Here's just a few:

- in the 1920s there were at least three radio international conferences where
the very existence of amateur radio hung in the balance. At that time there was
a strong opinion outside of the USA and a few other countries that the airwaves
whould be reserved for government and commercial use *only*. Some countries
with significant amateur populations (like Great Britain) proposed restrictions
that would have essentially killed amateur radio (ten watts and dummy antennas
only, for example).

The very concept of allowing "regular people" to simply set up their own
stations and communicate was alien to the mindset of many government officials.
ARRL folks like Maxim, Warner and Stewart had the unenviable job of changing
their minds. (Mrs. Maxim played a very important role as translator at the
Paris conferences, btw). Indeed, amateur radio did not gain international
treaty recognition as a separate radio service until 1927.

- The WW2 shutdown and reactivation went much more smoothly than the WW1
experience, in part because of ARRL leadership in dealing with FCC.

- Interference to radio broadcasting was a serious problem before WW2, due in
part to lack of BC receiver selectivity. It reached the point where hams in
many areas had to observe "quiet hours" and were not allowed to transmit during
much of the evening and weekend. This situation reoccurred with TV in the 1950s
to the point that a "traveling TVI roadshow" was put on by ARRL Hq. W1ICP and
others traversed the country with cars full of equipment to demonstrate that
TV and amateur radio could coexist without interference.

And now we have BPL.

73 es HNY de Jim, N2EY



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