[Boatanchors] The First Receivers

[Duane Fischer, W8DBF]

Hi All,

I am currently trying to proof edit the hand typed original transcript of 
the speech given by former Hallicrafters Chief Engineer/Worldwide Marketing 
wizard Fritz Franke at the Hamvention in Dayton, Ohio in 1983. It is 
certainly much easier to listen to the original audio of said speech!

I am proof editing it because it contains many facts not published anywhere 
else, at least that I have come across anyhow. Because Fritz Franke was 
there when the events actually took place, this speech adds previously 
forgotten or neglected or perhaps intentionally overlooked facts to the 
history of World War #2. As well as numerous other events of Ham, American 
and worldwide history. Hence, I think it is worth my time and effort to 
clean her up, dust her off, iron out some wrinkles in names - places - dates 
and make available to all on the HHI web site.

Perhaps some of you wizards of all things wire can help me out with some 
information that looms somewhere between the dawn of Morse Code and KDKA 
discovering how to pay the rent with something called a "commercial". Oh 
yes, what radio station really did air the first commercial radio 
advertising commercial, what product and what year?

What was the receiver used by most Hams prior to 1916? From 1916 - 1920? 
>From 1920 - 1929?

The same time frames, but for a transmitter? How many watts? The most common 
antenna?

It is said that Marconi sent/received CW from an upper floor of a NYC 
building with the ships beyond the twelve mile limit established in 1912 
after the Titantic sunk. True or not? Further, it is also said that Bill 
Halligan, Sr. exchanged CW QSO's with Marconi from his parents home in south 
Boston. True or not?

There are several assertations as to who issued Amateur Radio call signs 
prior to the creation of the FCC. Who was it, or who were they? When was the 
first Amateur Radio license issued? Do we know to whom? Was there a written 
or oral exam, or both? A CW exam?

When was the FCC created? When did it first start to issue Amateur Radio 
licenses? How was testing done then?

Supposedly the term "HAM" came to exist because three members of a local 
radio group used their initials to form the term "HAM". True or imaginary? 
If not true, where did the term "Ham" come from?

Additionally, from whence came the term Amateur Radio?

Thank you very much for your wisdom and assistance.

May the 'farce' be with ya. "Farce" = the state of the economy!

Duane Fischer, W8DBF - WPE8CXO
E-Mail: dfischer at usol.com
Hallicrafters web site: www.w9wze.net
HHRP web site: hhrp.w9wze.net