[Boatanchors] Heath CA-1 Conelrad Alarm

[Glen Zook]

There definitely was a requirement back in the 1950s
that an amateur station had to be compliant with
Conelrad.  The easiest way to comply with this was to
monitor a broadcast station since they were notified
by the FCC whenever there was a Conelrad alert.  When
the broadcast station went off the air as an amateur
you were required to go off the air!

Now, the law did NOT specify that you HAD to monitor a
broadcast station.  But, in a practical sense that was
the only way for an amateur to comply with the FCC
regulations. The FCC had determined that listening to
a broadcast station would put the amateur station in
compliance with Conelrad.

Conelrad was an outgrowth of the nuclear "scare" of
the 1950s.  You know, the "atomic bomb" drills at
school where you got beneath your desk and covered
your eyes.

Since I was a high school freshman with a brand new
novice license, I was VERY much afraid of crossing the
FCC and thus did whatever was necessary to comply with
the law.  Besides, I lived about 60 miles from the FCC
office in Chicago and I just "knew" that the FCC was
watching me! 

The latest magazine in which I found an advertisement
for the Heath CA-1 was on page 93 of the February 1959
issue of QST.  Now, there are many holes in my
collection of magazines so there could be a later
date.  But, the advertisement for the CA-1 could have
appeared in a later date.  The February 1959 is just
the latest date that I immediately was able to find.

Glen, K9STH 

--- Kenneth Hickman <n5cm@rtconline.com> wrote:

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!!!!!


=====
Glen, K9STH

Web sites

http://home.attbi.com/~k9sth
http://home.attbi.com/~zcomco

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