[CQ-Contest] ARRL SS SSB

[Bob Shohet, KQ2M]

The late 50’s early 60’s was the first major wave of leaving the cities for the suburbs in the newly constructed development homes by Levitt and other builder – they were the WW2 generation – after they had come home, gotten their degrees, advanced in their careers and could begin to afford to buy small homes and have kids.  

It was also at a time when Junior High and High schools began to have “shops” like Wood shop, Metal shop, Auto shop and Electric Shop and many of those Electric shops had small amateur radio stations.  I got my start in 1973 with thousands of other new hams that their first exposure to radio this way BEFORE the CB Boom.

In 1975 the Vietnam War ended (1975) and tens of thousands soldiers, military personnel and support staff came home that were exposed to and/or used HF radio communications equipment during the war.  Many thousands had also been the recipient of “phone patches” to talk to loved ones over HF during the war.  It was very common in the early 70’s on any given day, to hear dozens of phone patches talking place simultaneously on 15 and 20, propagation permitting.

In 1976 – 1977 – the CB craze was at it’s peak with Movies like “Convoy”, “Breaker Breaker” and others.  Some of the CB’ers eventually became hams, especially when 10 meters began to open and amps began to be legally sold with the ability to be used on 10 - many of these newly licensed hams were baby Boomers who already had parents that were hams.

Then the 3rd major wave of homebuilding (1982 – 1985 – as interest rates and mortgage plummeted) and home-buying that took place as older baby boomers began buying newly constructed home development homes on what were newly cleared forests in the Northeast and elsewhere.  

The late 80’s was the peak of sunspot cycle – good for spurring new licensees but this was tempered by the rise of the condo and coop developments (which were VERY anti-ham), HOA’s and restrictive zoning.

73

Bob  KQ2M


From: rjairam at gmail.com 
Sent: Saturday, April 07, 2018 9:50 AM
To: Joe 
Cc: cq-contest at contesting.com 
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] ARRL SS SSB

My general feeling is that ham radio peaked in several periods and the
interest was retained among those who were there during the peaks. Others
just fell off.

So your survey of checks reflects that.

73
Ria
N2RJ

On Sat, Apr 7, 2018 at 9:17 AM Joe <nss at mwt.net> wrote:

> Kind of looking at the log from last november antuicipating the results
> any day now. But something I noticed was interesting on the CK Numbers
> we worked. And how many,, Check this out.
>
> Sweepstakes Checks
> Check  QSOs    Pct
> ----------------------
>    00     9     1.6
>    01     2     0.4
>    02     6     1.1
>    03     4     0.7
>    04     3     0.5
>    05     2     0.4
>    06     2     0.4
>    07     3     0.5
>    08     4     0.7
>    09     3     0.5
>    10     2     0.4
>    11     3     0.5
>    12     4     0.7
>    13     7     1.2
>    14     5     0.9
>    15     8     1.4
>    16     9     1.6
>    17     6     1.1
>    18     0     0.0
>    19     0     0.0
>    20     0     0.0
>    21     0     0.0
>    22     0     0.0
>    23     0     0.0
>    24     1     0.2
>    25     0     0.0
>    26     0     0.0
>    27     0     0.0
>    28     0     0.0
>    29     0     0.0
>    30     1     0.2
>    31     2     0.4
>    32     1     0.2
>    33     1     0.2
>    34     0     0.0
>    35     0     0.0
>    36     0     0.0
>    37     0     0.0
>    38     0     0.0
>    39     0     0.0
>    40     1     0.2
>    41     0     0.0
>    42     0     0.0
>    43     0     0.0
>    44     0     0.0
>    45     0     0.0
>    46     0     0.0
>    47     2     0.4
>    48     3     0.5
>    49     1     0.2
>    50     0     0.0
>    51     1     0.2
>    52     6     1.1
>    53     4     0.7
>    54     7     1.2
>    55     7     1.2
>    56     6     1.1
>    57     9     1.6
>    58     8     1.4
>    59    20     3.5
>    60    16     2.8
>    61    19     3.4
>    62    20     3.5
>    63    19     3.4
>    64    12     2.1
>    65    13     2.3
>    66    12     2.1
>    67    16     2.8
>    68    12     2.1
>    69    17     3.0
>    70    13     2.3
>    71    11     1.9
>    72    10     1.8
>    73    13     2.3
>    74     9     1.6
>    75    11     1.9
>    76    24     4.2
>    77    16     2.8
>    78     9     1.6
>    79    11     1.9
>    80     4     0.7
>    81     5     0.9
>    82     3     0.5
>    83     8     1.4
>    84     4     0.7
>    85     4     0.7
>    86     6     1.1
>    87     7     1.2
>    88     2     0.4
>    89    11     1.9
>    90     7     1.2
>    91    15     2.7
>    92     7     1.2
>    93     6     1.1
>    94     4     0.7
>    95     5     0.9
>    96     8     1.4
>    97     4     0.7
>    98     5     0.9
>    99     5     0.9
>
> Everything is in the single digits till 1958/59 What happened then? WOW!
> and then in 1980 it fell apart again.
>
> what changed on those dates?
>
> Joe WB9SBD