[Elecraft] Titanic radio traffic link

[Pete Smith N4ZR]

I just found my copy of "Two Hundred Meters and Down."  According to 
DeSoto, the Congressional effort to suppress amateur radio predated the 
Titanic by at least 3 years, and a series of bills were proposed in 
Congress during the years leading up to 1912, when one was finally 
passed.  DeSoto describes this as principally an effort by United 
Wireless and the Navy to avoid having to invest in more selective 
equipment; he says that Marconi already had such equipment, wanted the 
Navy to buy their equipment, and consequently allied themselves with the 
amateurs.

At least from this account, interference with maritime communications 
was the principal problem the Congress ostensibly wanted to deal with, 
but the underlying cause was competing commercial interests.  The book 
doesn't mention the Titanic in this or any other context I could find on 
a quick search of that period.  Since the Titanic was the latest and 
greatest, and Marconi provided its communications, perhaps the 
interference with its emergency comms is folklore?

73, Pete N4ZR
The World Contest Station Database, updated daily at www.conteststations.com
The Reverse Beacon Network at http://reversebeacon.net, blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com,
spots at telnet.reversebeacon.net, port 7000 and
arcluster.reversebeacon.net, port 7000


On 4/12/2012 10:51 PM, Nate Bargmann wrote:
> * On 2012 12 Apr 20:20 -0500, kevinr wrote:
>> Too bad Pete Hoover is no longer with us.  He could describe how his
>> grandfather helped form amateur radio service in those days after the
>> Titanic sank.
> It has been some time since I read it, but isn't a lot of Herbert
> Hoover's actions with regard to amateur radio as Commerce Secretary
> recounted in '200 Meters and Down'?  No question, the radio amateurs of
> the early days had a great friend and asset in the person of Mr. Hoover.
>
> 73, de Nate, N0NB>>
>