[AMRadio] Re: Your comments about AM

[peter markavage]

Oh man, you're really testing my memory here.
You might want to research Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) to get a
answer. AMPS can on the scene in the 70's but wasn't introduced as an
AT&T product until after divestiture, I think sometime around 1984. I
believe Motorola was the manufacturer of the products right from the
beginning. I also believe the AMPS group became a separate subsidiary of
AT&T, up to around 1984, to dance around the FCC rules. One divestiture
was finalized, I believe AMPS came back directly under AT&T's wing. All
this is cloudy to me since it wasn't high on my list of things to know
and remember. During the late 70's and early 80's, I was on the
management team trying to make Merlin a viable product offering.

On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 16:27:04 -0600 "Jim Wilhite" <w5jo at brightok.net>
writes:
> That's interesting Pete, but as I was told by someone at Motorola in 
> the 
> early 70s that ATT was prevented from manufacturing the equipment 
> and 
> selling it by the FCC because ATT provided the service.  In those 
> days, the 
> FCC was death on monopolies.
> 
> At this point I am not sure, but believe they formed some sort of 
> deal with 
> Motorola to manufacture the equipment.  It was also my understanding 
> that 
> the first system was installed in Chicago for testing purposes, the 
> NYC 
> system and Washington DC followed.  DC of course to impress 
> lawmakers.  Is 
> this a form of lobbying?
> 
> 73  Jim
> W5JO
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "peter markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
> To: <amradio at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 4:09 PM
> Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Re: Your comments about AM
> 
> 
> > Cell Phone History - 2 meters isn't mentioned:
> > http://www.cellular4.com/phone/history.htm
> > Briefly:
> > "AT&T's research arm, Bell Laboratories, introduced the idea of 
> cellular
> > communications in 1947. But Motorola and Bell Labs in the sixties 
> and
> > early seventies were in a race to incorporate the technology into
> > portable devices.
> >
> > Martin Cooper, known by many as the father of the cellular phone. 
> Hired
> > by Motorola in 1954, Mr. Cooper worked on developing portable 
> products,
> > including the first portable handheld police radios, made for the 
> Chicago
> > police department in 1967. He then led Motorola's cellular 
> research.
> >
> > On April 3, 1973, at a public demonstration and using a heavy 
> 30-ounce
> > phone, Martin Cooper placed the first cell phone call to his rival 
> at
> > AT&T's Bell Labs from the streets of New York City. Mr. Cooper 
> commented,
> > "As I walked down the street while talking on the phone, 
> sophisticated
> > New Yorkers gaped at the sight of someone actually moving around 
> while
> > making a phone call. Remember that in 1973, there weren't 
> cordless
> > telephones, let alone cellular phones. I made numerous calls, 
> including
> > one where I crossed the street while talking to a New York radio 
> reporter
> > - probably one of the more dangerous things I have ever done in my 
> life."
> >
> >
> > Lots more info on cell phone history; just google it.
> >
> > Pete, wa2cwa
> >
> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> From: "Jim Isbell, W5JAI" <jim.isbell at gmail.com>
> >> To: <bcarling at cfl.rr.com>; "Discussion of AM Radio"
> >> <amradio at mailman.qth.net>
> >> Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2006 20:28 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Re: Your comments about AM
> >>
> >>
> >> > Well, the concept of cellular phones was taken from the 2 
> meter
> >> ham
> >> > community.  I remember having a keypad on my 2 meter hand held 
> and
> >> an
> >> > autodial capability in the repeater long before cell phones 
> were
> >> even
> >> > heard of.  It used to amaze my non ham friends that I could 
> call
> >> home
> >> > while driving down the highway....not so impressive anymore.
> >> >
> >> > On 1/15/06, Brian Carling <bcarling at cfl.rr.com> wrote:
> >> > > Maybe I missed something...
> >> > > OK name something recent that was an innovation that
> >> > > radio amateur came up with that advanced the radio art.
> >> > >
> >> > > On 13 Jan 2006 at 16:32, Grant Youngman wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > > > NO ONE in amateur radio "advances the technological art"
> >> > > > > these days. They haven't done so for many years.
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Maybe you're just not paying attention?
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Grant/NQ5T