[Boatanchors] Heath CA-1 Conelrad Alarm
Heinz und Hannelore Breuer
[email protected]
Fri, 21 Mar 2003 15:48:13 +0100
As I understood the requirements, during the early years of the cold war
it was feared that an enemy missile would home in on the transmitted
signal. All commercial transmitters would shut down if an incoming
missile had been detected and you wouldn't want it to home in on you
calling CQ.
I guess the rule was changed when the enemy proved that there were other
means to navigate the missile.
73
Heinz DH2FA, KM5VT
"Ray V." wrote:
>
> Sorry Ken,
>
> But we are going to have to turn you in! ;-)
>
> CONELRAD monitoring became a requirement on 2 JAN 1957. It was covered
> under sections 12.190 thru 12.196 of the FCC rules at that time as follows:
>
> 12.192 Reception of Radio Alert
> (a) The licensee of a station in the Amateur Radio Service is required
> to provide a means for reception of the CONELRAD RADIO ALERT or a means
> of determination that such an ALERT is in force.
> (b) All operators of stations in the Amateur Radio Service will be
> rsponsible for the reception of the CONELRAD RADIO ALERT or indication
> that such alert is in force by: ...............
>
> The rule goes on with a list of methods the ham may use such as monitor
> TV, FM or AM broadcast stations, use devices (such as the Heath CA-1,
> not mentioned by name of course) and other means in order to be in
> compliance. There were many devices made for this, not only by Heath but
> other manufacturers as well.
>
> The initial CONELRAD implmentation was announced in the JAN 1956 issue
> of QST among other sources. This gave us a year to get ready for the new
> rule. There were many articles in QST over the years for novel ways of
> making devices for monitoring the broadcast bands for a CONELRAD alert.
> I built one from a QST article way back when and it may even be
> somewhere around here in a junque box somewhere. I probably should get
> it back out and hook it up to go along with my BA station
> "http://www.w2ec.com/W2EC.html".
>
> If you missed all of these, sounds like you missed a whole segment of
> Ham Radio from JAN 1956 thur JUL 1962 when the rule for Amateur
> Radio Operators was rescinded. :-)
>
> 73, Ray W2EC / NNN0JUK
>
> Also old time 1st class/RT/Radar endorsement
>
> Kenneth Hickman wrote:
>
> > Hi Glen & Group,
> >
> > I know I have gotten somewhat more forgetful than I was
> > back in the period 1950 to 1960, but Radio Amateurs being
> > required to monitor a broadcast station???????
> >
> > No such requirement!!!!!
> >
> > I have been licensed since 1938 both Ham and Commercial
> > Raditelegraph and except for WW2 period I was very active
> > on mostly 80 meters, CW and SSB....
> >
> > Was I and my Ham friends violating an FCC rule or an
> > International Radio Law by not monitoring a broadcast stn?
> >
> > There was a rule requiring AM broadcast stations to monitor
> > 500 Kcs. because their transmitters would overide ships
> > signals. The ship's main receiver was mostly regenerative types
> > and could not reject strong AM broadcast signals....This
> > was discontinued sometime before I started studying for my
> > commercial telegraph license....I remember going aboard a
> > Cuban ship while in port in New Orleans and met the two
> > operators....The strongest AM bcst station in New Orleans
> > at that time was WWL, 10,000 Watts and it blanked out
> > anything else on their low frequency receiver on or near 500
> Kcs....
> >
> > FWIW, Ken....N5CM....NNN0FKQ....
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Glen Zook" <[email protected]>
> > To: <[email protected]>
> > Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 4:38 PM
> > Subject: [Boatanchors] Heath CA-1 Conelrad Alarm
> >
> >
> >
> >>I am "sorta" looking for a Heath model CA-1. This is
> >>the "Automatic" Conelrad Monitor manfactured during
> >>the late 1950s into the 1960s for use by amateur radio
> >>operators.
> >>
> >>Back during that period of time, every amateur had to
> >>continuously monitor a broadcast station. If a
> >>Conelrad alert was issued, the broadcast station would
> >>go off the air and everyone was instructed to "tune to
> >>640 or 1240 on your radio dial for more instructions".
> >> That is why there are the little "CD" emblems at 640
> >>and 1240 KHz on the dials of many AM broadcast radios
> >>made during the 1950s and into the 1960s.
> >>
> >>You either had to have some sort of "automatic" alarm
> >>attached to a radio or else have it turned down to a
> >>level that you could hear the station but the audio
> >>wouldn't be picked up by your microphone if you were
> >>working "phone".
> >>
> >>The CA-1 hooked to a tube-type AM broadcast receiver
> >>and when the station to which the radio was tuned went
> >>off the air, the CA-1 removed the AC from the
> >>transmitter and turned on a red light.
> >>
> >>Anyway, it depends on what someone wants for one of
> >>these. I would rather trade if possible since I am
> >>still fighting with Hartford Insurance Company over
> >>long-term disability benefits!
> >>
> >>Glen, K9STH
> >>
> >>=====
> >>Glen, K9STH
> >>
> >>Web sites
> >>
> >>http://home.attbi.com/~k9sth
> >>http://home.attbi.com/~zcomco
> >>
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