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A Brief History of Amateur
Radio in the UK - John Edwards GM7NVA
Amateur Radio has been the interest of experimenters and hobbyists alike since the late nineteenth century, when scientists discovered that the effect of a spark, made by electricity on the invisible ether, that surrounds us all, could be received many miles away by another piece of apparatus. In fact, during the early 1900's the distance covered by this basic phenomenon rapidly grew and grew as more experimenters began to indulge. Eventually, the method of spark broadcasting was refined and the invention of Morse code allowed complex messages to be sent, which in turn was followed by the development and use of 'AM 'and 'SSB' (Speech). Today there are many variations on the methods in use but all use the same vehicle to convey information, that being the invisible ether that carries the electricity sent out from the aerial of the transmitter and picked up at the other end by the aerial of the station that wishes to receive the signal.
These days we don't think twice about global communication. We casually pick up our mobile phones and effortlessly send data via our computers. The world has become a tiny place with millions of people and machines sending and receiving all sorts of information around the planet and into outer space every second of every day.
A great deal of this activity would not be possible had it not been for the early pioneers of radio. The list of discoveries, inventions and developments involving the work of Radio Amateurs, which now influence our daily lives, is enormous.
Radio gave us broadcasting via radio and television and eventually satellite television (entertainment). Shipping and aircraft now use emergency communications systems (saving lives). Almost half of the world has the use of mobile phones which use radio technology. Radar became a major contributor to winning the Second World War and now allows us to safely fly around the world. A radio amateur in America developed the microprocessor that brought about the computer revolution and eventually the internet. These are only a few of the major technology developments that Radio Amateurs have been involved in.
It all began toward the end of the nineteenth century when various experimenters like Heinrich Hertz, D.E. Hughes discovered that it was possible to send a signal without the use of connecting wires between to pieces of apparatus which were separated by a few hundred yards. The equipment was basic and made from whatever was to hand. The Science Museum in London has many examples of early radio equipment.
Things really took off around the turn of the last century when an Italian experimenter called Guglielmo Marconi (off site link) came on the scene followed during the early 1900's by hundreds of others and the seeds of Amateur radio were sewn.
The first signs that things were starting to become organised in the UK was when the then Postmaster General, Lord Stanley, introduced the Wireless Telegraphy Act in 1904. This allowed experimenters to apply for a permit to transmit from their stations, workshops or homes. The method of transmitting was still very basic and consisted of spark emissions. The first recorded permit or experimental licence was issued in 1905 and by 1906 there were almost 100 and by 1912 it rose to almost 1000.
Strictly speaking this was still not actual amateur radio, since most of the people involved were experimenters and scientists. Around this time some of the very first articles on experimental radio started to appear in a regular journal called The English Mechanic and World of Science another publication called The Model Engineer and shortly after the most important and influential of then all, Wireless World, began to cover the growing activity.
Around the middle of 1910 it was decided that each British licensed operator should start all transmissions with an identifying call signal or call sign. This was to be three letters. In 1913 the first ever directory of licensed stations was published and contained the details of nearly 700 individuals. Around this time the first Radio Clubs began forming around the country. On July 5th 1913 a group of enthusiasts met at a house in London to form what was then known as the "London Wireless Club" a club which was later to become the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). The Radio Society of Great Britain (off site link) is an organisation which has represented the interests of licensed amateur radio enthusiasts in the UK for almost a century.
Following the founding of these clubs the radio community began
to expand at a rapid pace with a short lull during the First World
War when experimental work was banned for security reasons and
the possession of powerful equipment became an offence. Experimenters
were eventually required to surrender equipment to the then Post
Office who controlled licensing. Some operators were arrested,
fined or jailed for up to six months for failing to comply. A
similar situation existed in the 1940's during the Second World
War but this time the government had a change of heart and many
radio amateurs were asked to join up or help the war effort as
volunteers. These volunteers manned radio monitoring stations
listening for enemy communications. As a result of this activity
many important developments in code
breaking (off site link) contributed
to saving thousands of lives on air, sea and land.
Restrictions began to relax after the end of the first war but it wasn't until 1920 that amateurs were again allowed to transmit and the first proper call signs began to appear, the first being 2AA and later a G prefix letter was added to identify the station as being British. By now stations were mainly using Morse code to communicate and eventually speech. Around this time many distance records were being broken and although Marconi amongst others made the first Trans Atlantic one way contacts, it was radio hams that really began the two way communications race. Most of these contacts were on very long waves or low frequencies between 1000 and 180 meters (long and medium wave bands).
In 1921 a challenge was issued by USA amateurs to UK amateurs, to receive radio contacts from across the Atlantic (known as a DX or Long Distance contacts). These transmissions were called tests and many American stations were heard and logged in the UK. The first UK amateur to be heard in the USA was 5WS in December 1922.In the early hours of November 28th 1923 a French station F8AB completed the first ever two way contact across the Atlantic with U1MO in America and launched the beginnings of international amateur radio. The first two way contact between the UK and USA was during the early hours of December the 8th 1923 between Jack Partridge G2KF in London and U1MO in West Hartford USA using Morse code.
During the years that followed many more firsts were achieved, like the first UK to New Zealand contact on October 16th 1924 between Cecil Goyder G2SZ and Frank Bell ZL4AAA. Amateur radio has now grown and developed into a world wide community and now has operators, clubs and organisations worldwide.
Today radio still, plays an important roll around the world. Most recently, throughout the catastrophic events of 2005, Radio Amateurs were involved in emergency communications during the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean and the Hurricane that destroyed much of New Orleans. Amateurs are still involved in many areas of RF (Radio Frequency) technology. The use of radio now extends out into space with satellite communications, radio astronomy and deep space exploration. Down on earth there remains many distance challenges unclaimed. For example a Trans Atlantic two way contact on 2 meters (144 Mhz) has, at the time of writing, yet to be made!
John Edwards GM7NVA
Ref - World At Their Fingertips by John
Clarricoats G6CL - RSGB
Ref - Signor Marconi's Magic Box by Gavin Weightman - Harper Collins