[TowerTalk] Nostalgia continued, July 1952 QST: Looking back, plus some conclusions

[Rob Atkinson, K5UJ]

QST is in the old National Geographic size, 40 cents and in black, white and 
red.  The huge art deco "Amateur Radio," as in, "Devoted entirely to..." is 
there.
The art of Phil Gildersleeve (Gil) is on the cover with what can only be the 
Podunk Hollow Radio Club out in the field but the XYLs are doing all of the 
operating while the OMs hang up clothes, wash dishes and change diapers.  
What's also noteworthy is all the feedlines in Gil's cover are open wire.   
Am I the only one who still misses Gil's artwork on the column headings 
today?  A.L. Budlong, W1BUD, is editor.  Also on staff:  Don Mix W1TS, Byron 
Goodman W1DX, Ed Tilton W1HDQ, Rod Newkirk W1VMW (later W9BRD), and Eleanor 
Wilson W1QON and others.  L.A. Moxon G6XN writes on 2 element driven arrays. 
  There's an excellent article for novices by Richard M. Smith, W1FTX on 
"Getting the Most Into Your Antenna" with beautifully drafted drawings of E 
and I curves on open wire line and center and end fed (zepp) wire antennas.  
  In How's DX? the unforgettable Rod Newkirk predicts (humorously of course) 
how things will be in 1975 and 2002:  We'll be working dxpeditions on 
Neptune, XF1A and KV4AA (remember Dick?) will have their QSL files on 
microfilm, W1FH has color tv DXCC, and W1DX needs Jupiter for WAP (that's 
Worked All Planets).  A youthful Noel Eaton, VE3CJ is shown on one of the 
Cayman Is. for the '52 DX Test.

Ads:

Why all this JUNK?...When you can have a HARVEY - WELLS   B A N D M A S T E 
R?

ARRL Licence Manual 50 cents

Amphenol folded dipole twin-lead amateur antennas.  New models available 
shortly for 10, 20 and 40 meters.

Self Supporting Steel Towers for rotary beams, FM, TV.  Attractive--no guy 
wires!  4 post construction for greater strength!  Galvanized steel--will 
last a lifetime!  SAFE--ladder to top of platform...easy monthly payments; 
up to 12 months to pay.  Width at base = 1/5 of height.
22' $94.75, 33' $135.75, 50' $217.75, 61' $279.75, 100' $1060.00.  Vesto 
Co., Inc., North Kansas City, Mo.

Towers by Trylon
Amateur radio types, guyed towers for FM/TV antennas, vertical radiators, 
microwave towers, commercial communication towers, transmission line 
supports, etc.  Completely fabricated by the most modern methods by 20 year 
tower specialists, Trylon towers offer top value for any 
installation--commercial or amateur, Made only by Wind Turbine Company, West 
Chester, Pa.

Easy to learn Code
Instructograph Company, 4709 Sheridan Road, Chicago 40, Illinois

When you plan your civil defense nets, You'll get longer range with Premax 
Antennas.
Premax Products, 5202 Highland Ave., Niagara Falls, N.Y.

Some Ham Ads
Wanted: Late model Globe King.  Best offer takes a large, used, unconverted 
prop-pitch motor.  H.F. Cushing, W1EUS, 16 Preston Drive, Manchester, Conn.

10 and 20 meter beams, $23.25 up.  Aluminum tubing, etc.  Willard Radcliff, 
Fostoria, Ohio.

5 element 2 meter beams.  Riverside Tool Co., Box 87, Riverside, Ill.

Announcing Chicago Hamfesters Radio Club Eighteenth Annual picnic at 
Frankfort Grove, Ill., Aug. 10th, 1952.  Donations $1.50.

-----------
I have drawn a few conclusions from looking back at yesterday's old QST ads 
with 25 years of hindsight that I think can be applied today and I thought 
I'd briefly pass them on:

1.  If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
There are ads in old magazine issues selling antennas that promise great 
performance out of packages that look, shall we say, doubtful.  If these 
antennas were so great, I think their manufacturers would be around today 
and their products would be in use everywhere.  Instead they are on the 
scrapheap of history.

2.  It pays in the long run to buy quality.
There are KLMs, Hy-Gains, Mosleys...20 years old and still in use.  There 
are ads for budget antennas in those old magazines.  I never work anyone 
using them today.

3.  Resist the temptation to be the first kid on your block with the latest 
whiz-bang rig.  25 or so years ago, the first all solid state transceivers 
were beginning to appear.  How many of them are in use today?  Not that 
many.  That's because many weren't really ready for prime-time.  But there 
are plenty of TS520s, FT101s, Collins, TR4s etc. bought back then that are 
still in operation, collected and venerated as classics.   Unless you want 
to be a beta tester, do yourself a favor and buy a rig that's been out for a 
few years on a shakeout and uses technology that's simmered in the pot for a 
bit.
Hope we can do this again someday.

73,

Rob Atkinson
K5UJ

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