Amateur Radio Trivia in Americus
Over the Past 45 years
by: K4VBH-jim poole
Amateur
Radio helped with the communications in the early years of the Andersonville
Fair. Communications was via 2 mtrs. A beam antenna on the country store was
used. Also note compact size of HT's back then in pic #3. Icom rig shown in
pic was Stanley Burton's WA4WTL(with hat on) and was one of very few synthized
rigs (didn't have to buy crystals for each frequency) Early two meter rigs all
came with sockets for sets of crystals for each transmit and receive frequency.
You could plan on about $10 for a pair.....got sorta expensive if you wanted
to use a lot of frequencies. That HT that Bob Sumner WA4QVM is holding was an
early HT that used crystals as well. All repeaters had a special call issued
& the call for the Americus repeater was WR4AQH. Stanley was probably in
his 80's in this picture. He was a retired Southern Bell person and had served
several terms on the city council. He had been licensed back in the 1930's and
was one of two hams in Americus back then. For some reason he let his license
expire and was off the air for 40+ years. He took his Tech test in '77 and got
back on two meters....only you would never hear him unless someone called him.
Then he would respond! That sign above my head was printed up by my schoolteacher
wife and used in various radioclub projects. It came compete with top &
side duct tape for all situations !
