[HCARC] QST April Fools Articles

[SARA SANDSTROM]

The first April Fools item was on the front cover, "Advancing the Art and Science of Radio S ince 1914".  The only thing the ARRL has advanced in recent years is its wealth.  It has been a long long time since QST had articles that were breakthroughs such as some of the receiver design articles of the 50's and 60's and earlier or the VHF propagation articles before and after WWII.  

As far as Larsen E. Rapp goes, many of his articles as well as the April Fools advertisements pointed out issues that others were unwilling to discuss.  One of my favorites from the 60's was the ads for original cartons for selling old radios.  How many things on E-bay and QRZ.com swap listings come with their original shipping cartons even though the equipment is 20 or more years old.  Who is kidding whom?  

Another of my favor ites is the ad for rare DX QSL cards appropriately filled out.  I don't know if that is actually going on now, but, unfortunately,  it wouldn't surprise me. 

Many of the W6ISQ stories were similar in that they pointed out directions we were headed that were not good for ham radio. 

So, Yes, many of the April F ools do have a point that people seem unwilling to make in a more direct manner. 

By the way,  Larsen E. Rapp's call was W1OU and I think he lived at Kippering on the Charles.  He was not the only author of those articles but he was the most infamous! 

73, 

Kerry