In ham radio, we frequently use Handie-Talkie or HT to explain a compact, handheld transceiver. My first publicity to the time period Handie-Talkie was once I first turned a licensed radio novice in 1977. Whereas I used to be a scholar at Purdue College (W9YB), absolutely the coolest VHF radio to have was the Motorola HT-220. Even a used one commanded a excessive worth in order that they had been out of my worth vary and I by no means owned one. These had been 6-channel crystal-controlled transceivers…again then you definitely needed to arrange the radio with the actual 2m frequencies you needed to make use of. As a result of it was such an iconic radio, there are various HT-220 lovers nonetheless round with web sites with tons of helpful data. See the HT-220 Web page.
Motorola trademarked the title Handie-Talkie and used that nomenclature for a few years with its line of moveable radios. Nonetheless, this trademark has expired, so now Handie-Talkie is a generic time period.
The First Handie-Talkie
However the HT-220 was not the primary Handie-Talkie, so I began poking round to learn the way this title originated. Again in World Struggle II, the SCR-536 was a conveyable “hand-held” transceiver developed in 1940 by Galvin Manufacturing (later Motorola, Inc.) I put “hand-held” in quotes as a result of, by right now’s requirements, it was a Hand FULL. However most individuals take into account the SCR-536 to be the primary trendy, self-contained HT transceivers. The Wikipedia article for the SCR-536 describes the radio fairly properly. The radio put out about 360 mW of RF energy on 3.5 and 6.0 MHz (Oops, I imply 3500 to 6000 kilocycles) utilizing Amplitude Modulation (AM). The circuitry relied on smallish vacuum tubes, creating fairly a design problem. Motorola has a web page on its web site that talks in regards to the origins of the radio. IEEE Spectrum additionally revealed a wonderful article: The SCR-536 Handie-Talkie Was the Trendy Walkie-Talkie’s Finicky Ancestor. The January 2005 situation of QST has an fascinating article by Gil McElroy, VE3PKD, A Quick Historical past of the Handheld Transceiver. It supplies extra historical past and perception to this enjoyable matter.
The First Walkie-Talkie
A number of years later (1942), a backpack moveable radio was launched, referred to as the SCR-300. I at all times assumed that the backpack-style radio would have come first and the extra compact radio SCR-536 could be later. (Truly, there have been earlier backpack radios, such because the SCR-194). This new backpack-style radio was known as a Walkie-Talkie. In line with the guide, the SCR-300 was “primarily meant as a walkie-talkie for foot fight troops”. I suppose the emphasis was on how one can stroll and speak, with a radio in your again.
This text: SCR-300 WW2 Radio Backpack: The “Walkie Talkie” That Formed the Struggle describes this radio as a game-changer for frontline troops. The radio weighed a heavy 35 kilos, and used Frequency Modulation (FM) on 40 to 48 Megacycles.
After all, with know-how growth, there may be at all times the query of “who was first”? The SCR-194 that predated the SCR-300 may be thought-about the primary walkie-talkie. Nonetheless, the SCR-300 and the SCR-536 appear to get the entire glory, most likely because of their affect on the battle effort. Nonetheless, have a look right here if you wish to dig deeper: TALK the WALK or WALK the TALK: Who really developed the primary Walkie-Talkie?
This text describes the event and use of the SCR-300 and mentions a few of the limitations of the SCR-194: SCR-300 Historical past Growth Employment and Particulars Remaining Draft This can be a massive file with many photographs however price studying if in case you have the time.
Immediately’s Terminology
Quick ahead to right now and we see that the HT and Handie-Talkie nomenclature is frequent within the novice radio world. The photograph to the left reveals a contemporary 2m/70cm HT, the Yaesu FT-4X.
The time period “walkie-talkie” has morphed to one thing fairly totally different and is used generically to explain a handheld radio. This time period covers a variety of radios, from low-cost Household Radio Service (FRS) radios to higher-quality skilled radios. That is fairly totally different from the unique Walkie-Talkie, a backpack radio weighing 35 kilos.
The navy has progressed with improved communication know-how, nonetheless utilizing backpack-style radios, now known as manpack radios. These are wonderful radios that pack in depth functionality into a comparatively small bundle. The AN/PR-158 proven under covers 30 to 2500 MHz in frequency, satellite tv for pc comms, superior encryption, narrowband and wideband modes: AM, ASK, FM, FSK, PSK, CPM, GMSK, and many extra. This radio weighs 12.7 kilos with the battery put in, so quite a bit lighter than the previous SCR-300.
In order that’s a fast tour by way of some radio terminology together with a little bit of historic perspective. I found there may be an infinite provide of knowledge on the market on the historical past and know-how of navy radios. If you wish to dig deeper, go for it!
73 Bob K0NR
