My father was a ham radio operator back in the 1940s, 50, and 60s. He was also a brilliant electrical engineer. He invented special equipment for the AM broadcast industry. He also invented equipment for amateur bands and Citizen band radio. When I was five years old, I went into my dad's workshop. He was working, intensely on a project. I asked my dad, "What's ya working on, dad?" Knowing that I was as stupid s a five-year-old. De answered, " I'm making a gesmo for a thing-a- ma'jig.". So, when he went to patent the thing he was working on. (A small but effective beam antenna) He gave it the name of the " Gesmotichy Beam". That was in 1966. The FCC used that beam antenna for several years until something better came along. He never made much money on it.
stanleydenning
Dear Ringway. Another great video. Forget those carping, pedantic critics. Your videos are quality. As an aside I do hope that all modern listening stations have fountains in the grounds. Something to relieve the monotony of listening to radio broadcasts.
philsharp
I remember the 70s-90s Canadian FCC vehicles. A brown ford Crown Victoria, with a few antennas on the roof. They looked like police cars, or better known as ghost cars, but they stood out. Nothing on the road had that many antennas. I had one come and visit me in the late 70s. Then again in the early 90s.
SocialistDistancing
1:48 The antenna on the car is a loop antenna from an aircraft "MDF", or manual direction finder navigation radio. With an MDF, you turned the loop antenna until you got the maximum strength of the signal, and the bearing that you had the antenna pointed was the bearing to the station. In modern aircraft, this has been replaced with the Automatic Direction Finder, or ADF, which usually uses two antennae: a loop (nowadays usually enclosed in a fiberglass "blister" on the belly), and a long wire sense antenna, which extends from the fuselage roof to the front of the rudder tip.
brentboswell
When I was a child in South Carolina USA over 50 years ago, my friends and I built a 30 ft. wire antenna in a tree, then taped it to the antenna of one of our little children's walkie talkies. It increased transmission distance several blocks which was pretty cool. Then a helicopter from our nearby air force base flew over and we were convinced that the Feds had discovered our "illegal transmitter" and were coming after us so we ran inside a friend's home and hid for several hours, convinced we were doomed to life in prison. After waiting a prudent amount of time, we went back outside to play... but we never used the antenna again. Stock footage is fine with me. Anyone who criticizes you for using it. clearly doesn't understand what you're trying to accomplish. Keep up the great work!
RevMikeBlack
Good work as usual Lewis. It's a shame that it was necessary to make the statement at the end but sometimes you have to state the obvious! Don't be put off, your work is both educational and entertaining. Thanks for your channel.
acestudioscouk-Ace-GACE
I got a chuckle out of what was considered 'mobile radio' in those days! Here in the US we refer to old sets like that as 'boat anchors '!
richintalent
Back in the early 1970's I talked my parents into getting CB radios. Since I was under 18, the license was in my dad's name. (Yes, we had to have a license back then but it covered the entire family.) One day my dad received a letter from the FCC. It was a warning of illegal use of callsign. It included a transcript of the conversation. My mom had been talking to a friend and she used the callsign at the beginning and end of that conversation. Another friend said hi to her after she cleared. She briefly replied to him and ended the conversation with the callsign. The problem was she hadn't used the callsign at the beginning of the second conversation. The FCC monitoring station was over a hundred miles away. (They may have had a local monitoring station but they didn't include that in the warning.)
blankreganon
Great video Lewis ... We don't expect you to find 4K video footage from past events ... We expect a detailed re-enactment from you and Andy 😅
Nitrrous
I noticed that was a UK vehicle when I watched the CB video. I'm sure the FCC used something similar. And even if they didn't it was neat to see. You labeled what it was. It wasn't like you were trying to misrepresent it. Keep up the good work. I find your videos very interesting.
gibbywankenobi
0:56 Missed opportunity to insert a Holy Grail slide of the king and the young prince.
lohphat
Lewis - it's the story and delivery that is important. You excel in both areas!
Absolutely no negative comments from me at all. I always enjoy your content.
rjy
5:09 - The bird has something caught in its mouth.
bloodyl_uk
Thank you, I really enjoyed that. I also love to photograph antennas (aerials). My picture of the antenna farm on Mt. Wilson, made the cover of Popular Communications, or Monitoring Times in about 1990. I can't remember, but I still have the magazine somewhere. 📡
radiorob
Thanks again Lewis. I actually really like your home made stock footage. Video is always better than a photo, even when your filming a stationary object.
They all look very professional. And I know you've made them because I recognise half of the locations you record 😄
Eon
Very interesting how one of the monitoring stations was in Grand Island, Nebraska, as I have family near there.
bwc
I enjoy your videos. Not being British or American, I am learning a lot about ham radio history in other countries. I would not have learnt some of your history otherwise.
flipster
I visited the Allegan, MI station many years ago. They were very friendly and showed me around. That station today is a private residence. The towers and antennas are long gone alhough the foundations are there.
thom
Your videos are fascinating informative and I look forward eagerly to each one. I feel your visual content is interesting without detracting from your excellent narrative. Please stay with your chosen format it’s completely riveting watching. Thank you for all your great effort
dubliner
This is a fascinating video. Thank you very much indeed!
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