[TowerTalk] dumbing down

[Tod - ID]

> Here I am, acting very codger-like at the ripe old age of 45, fully 
> recognizing that I'm sure people in 1955 were griping about 
> those funny sounding idiots using sideband, and how pretty 
> soon nobody would know how to adjust a modulator any more.


As one of those who started using Sideband in 1955 I want to assure you that
the complainers did more than just talk about SSB guys. For a long time SSB
guys on 75 meters were only allowed to operate 'in peace' (without what
might have appeared to be deliberate interference) if they used 3995-4000
kHz. That was OK because there were so few of us we all wanted to be in the
same round table. [A term I don't hear much anymore].

If things really got tough we SSB guys could simply zero beat some AM
'codger' and then use that frequency. When you had 10 watts of SSB it was
about the same audio power as a guy running 50-75 watts on AM (significant
power at the time). Ten watts of SSB was hard won using 6AG7's and the like.


Tod, KØTO