[Hallicrafters] Re: [Boatanchors] Re Old "WPE" SWCallsFromPopular Electronics

Wed May 28 19:02:43 EDT 2008

Hi Pete,

Back in 1961 the United States mints in Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver 
(D) and proof coins from San Francisco (S) were still stamping out dimes, 
quarters and half dollars in .90% Silver. Right now those dimes, even though 
heavily worn from being in a lot of pocketbooks, change purses, piggy banks 
and pants pockets are worth about $.55 for their Silver content!

A four cent stamp? Wow! I had a friend look at the postage stamps on my 
international SW QSL cards from 1961-1965 and even par avon was cheap, by 
todays bloated standards.

What is even more surprising is that the postal rates did not change often 
or by very much! It was after the government deregulated everything, 
including the postal system about 1972+/-1, that the postal pigeon got a 
hernia from carrying his paycheck back to the nest! Especially after the 
United States finally joined the rest of the countries on this planet and 
allowed its previously "fixed" price for a Troy ounce of Gold to rise to the 
world value. I think it was about $44 per Troy ounce in the USA in 1974, but 
much higher everywhere else. So we bid good-bye to the Gold and Silver 
standard.

The what? The Gold and Silver standard meant that the United States Treasury 
had to have Gold and Silver in reserve equal to the value of the coins 
struck for any year. You may recall the paper money that siad "silver 
Certificate"? We had to have an equal amount of Silver on deposit to the 
value of the paper money the Treasury could print. Once our government 
abandoned the Gold and Silver standard we went to the GNP and other such 
'non-tangible entities" And the rest is known as the national debt!

If any of you have QSL cards from the seventies and back, get them out and 
take a look at the postal rates. It is a real rush.

What is even more incredible, is how many of those SW QSL cards we sent 
reception reports for with addresses like Radio Station JJY, Tokyo, Japan 
actually got there! I never had a single one returned for an insufficient 
address and not a single one ever came back as undeliverable! I just got one 
back from Canada last week with a sticker right over the address I had a 
friend write on the envelope. I had missed one number in the street address! 
The name was right, the street was correct, the city, province, country and 
mail code was right. Just one digit was missing and the Canadian postal 
system could not deliver it.

However, I am 'not' picking on the Canadian postal system, as ours is worse! 
The people who made the bold claim several years ago, that as long as the 
zip code was there, the mial would get delivered! Yea, right! I sent two QSL 
cards to a friend in TX who changed his address and niether card reached him 
and niether were returned to me either!

I still believe that the best value in America was, and is, the pay toilet! 
Now where else can you feel so good for so little?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
To: <dfischer at usol.com>
Cc: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>; <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 9:13 PM
Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Re: [Boatanchors] Re Old "WPE" 
SWCallsFromPopular Electronics

> In the U. S., include 10 cent coin along with a SASE and 4 cents postage
> per August 1961 PE Column.
>
> Pete, wa2cwa
> http://www.manualman.com
>
>
> On Fri, 9 May 2008 21:08:36 -0400 "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
> <dfischer at usol.com> writes:
>> Hi John,
>>
>> Do you happen to recall how much money we had to include with our
>> application?
>>
>> Well somewhere between when I got mine in September of 1961 and when
>> you got
>> yours, Hank Bennet, or whomever, switched from letting us fill in
>> everything
>> but the call sign to typing it in. It would be interesting to narrow
>> that
>> transition date down.
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "John Pelham" <john at radiophile.com>
>> To: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>; <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 7:46 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Re: [Boatanchors] Re Old "WPE"
>> SWCallsFromPopular Electronics
>>
>>
>> >I just checked my certificate, which I still have, in good shape.
>> It was
>> >issued in Nov. 1968, has my name and location typed in (came that
>> way) and
>> >my call sign, WPE1HOX, is stamped in the box.  Certificate is
>> signed by
>> >Ferrell and Bennett.
>> >
>> > I recall that it took many, many months to get it after sending
>> away for
>> > it. Long enough for me to study for my Novice ticket, pass the
>> test, get
>> > my ticket and be on the air for 6 months.  I guess that means
>> about a
>> > year.
>> >
>> > 73,
>> > John W1JA
>> >
>> > Web site   http://www.radiophile.com
>> >
>> > ----- Original Message ----- 
>> > From: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>
>> > To: <dfischer at usol.com>
>> > Cc: <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>;
>> <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
>> > Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 5:56 PM
>> > Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Re: [Boatanchors] Re Old "WPE" SW
>> > CallsFromPopular Electronics
>> >
>> >
>> >> Actually, there were probably four certificates for this over
>> all
>> >> program.
>> >> The initial one "WR0" certificates from the guy in Ohio,
>> (Morris)
>> >> The first batch from Popular Electronics signed by Kneitel and
>> editor
>> >> Oliver Read.
>> >> The next batch from Popular Electronics signed by Bennett and
>> editor
>> >> Oliver Ferrell.
>> >> The last batch after Bennett left Popular Electronics and started
>> the
>> >> "WDX" certificates.
>> >>
>> >> Pete, wa2cwa
>> >> http://www.manualman.com
>> >>
>> >> On Fri, 9 May 2008 18:04:37 -0400 "Duane Fischer, W8DBF"
>> >> <dfischer at usol.com> writes:
>> >>> For what it is worth Glen, mine is dated September 15, 1961 and
>> it is
>> >>>
>> >>> handwritten using a ball point pen by myself. The call sign was
>> >>> printed on
>> >>> the certificate. However, I have been told that three different
>> >>> certificates
>> >>> were issued by PE. How they varied I have no idea.
>> >>>
>> >>> There were three issued, but one by the man in Ohio who started
>> it,
>> >>> the one
>> >>> by PE who acquired it from this man and the one Hank Bennet
>> printed,
>> >>> "WDX"
>> >>> after he left PE. So whether there are three PE or those three,
>> who
>> >>> knows?
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> >>> From: "Glen Zook" <gzook at yahoo.com>
>> >>> To: "Peter Markavage" <manualman at juno.com>;
>> >>> <boatanchors at mailman.qth.net>
>> >>> Cc: <hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
>> >>> Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 4:08 PM
>> >>> Subject: [Hallicrafters] Re: [Boatanchors] Re Old "WPE" SW
>> Calls
>> >>> FromPopular
>> >>> Electronics
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> > The call sign on mine may have been already printed, I
>> >>> > am trying to remember back over 50 years.  However,
>> >>> > the name definitely was not printed on mine when I got
>> >>> > it.  I had to "fill in" the information.  I did locate
>> >>> > my original certificate a while back (it has become
>> >>> > lost again) and the information was filled in with
>> >>> > ball point pen by myself.
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Now I have seen examples where a typewriter was used
>> >>> > to fill in the details.  I do not know if it was done
>> >>> > by Kneitel or by the person who received the
>> >>> > certificate.  But, I definitely know that I filled in
>> >>> > the name and location on my certificate.  Frankly, my
>> >>> > handwriting wasn't so good back then!
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Glen, K9STH
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> > --- Peter Markavage <manualman at juno.com> wrote:
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Actually the "original" or first ones sent out, the
>> >>> > WPE call was already printed on the certificate.
>> >>> > Kneitel filled in your name, city, state, and the date
>> >>> > of issue.
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Glen, K9STH
>> >>> >
>> >>> > Website:  http://k9sth.com
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>>
>> >>
>>
> _________________________________________________________________________
>> >> ___________
>> >>> > Be a better friend, newshound, and
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>> >>> >
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>> > -- 
>> >>> > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
>> >>> > Checked by AVG.
>> >>> > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.8/1412 - Release
>> Date:
>> >>> 5/2/2008
>> >>> > 4:34 PM
>> >>> >
>> >>> >
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > -- 
>> > Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
>> > Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.8/1412 -
>> Release
>> > Date: 5/2/2008 4:34 PM
>> >
>> >
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.15/1426 - Release Date: 
> 5/10/2008 11:12 AM
> 