January 1933 QST
Table
of Contents
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles
from
QST, published December 1915 - present (visit ARRL
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Hams
are a lot like most other dedicated hobbyists in that when it comes
to enthusiasm in their chosen pastimes, there are no international
barriers. Such is evident by this 1933 article in QST magazine reporting
on a Hamfest in Japan. The world was a much larger place back then
with propeller-driven airplanes making multiple stops on their way
around the globe, transcontinental telephone was a service reserved
mostly for the wealthy, and postal mail could (and often did) took
weeks or months to be delivered from Iowa to Tokyo. The first television
broadcasts were only a few years old so other than visiting far
off lands, movies and photos were the only exposure the vast majority
of people had to foreign cultures. Amateur radio operators of all
social and economic standings were more cosmopolitan than most corporate
managers in 1933.A Japanese Hamfest
By W.S. Upson, Ex-W6IP
It's
been a long time since I grabbed the old mill to shoot anything
through to HQ, but this is so darned good it's about time something
was done about it. So little has been said about foreign hamfests
and so much about our own affairs that I hope this will even things
up a little. Just by way of explaining how I happen to know
anything about Japanese hamfests, let it be known that KDNV, sometimes
known by the uninitiated as the President Pierce, would have a hard
time behaving herself if it weren't for the juice pumped into her
5-kw. pot and her l-kw. tube. I'm de guy wot does de pumpin'. Well,
we hit Yokohama and Kobe twice each trip and get enough time there
to make us want a little more. In good plain English, we like it
a lot. This time we arrived at Yokohama with twelve long
hours ahead with nothing to do. We decided to call up Mr. Tsuto
Ishii (J1EM), who is one of the engineers at the Yokohama telephone
repeater station. We got a rickshaw boy to haul us to "California
Frank's" where we hoisted a few. And then from there we sent the
boy to Ishii-San with a note. Dunno what Ishii-San told him, but
in nothing flat he was back running as if all the demons in China
were riding his 'shaw. He herded us into his and another and took
us to the telephone office. Oh yes, as part of the introduction,
let me say the famous W6ASH, one time high-class ham traffic handler
for the Eastbay Section, is now our gallant kid third op and, in
case anyone should ask, tell 'em I'm ex-W6IP, but please don't spread
it around the water-front. Ishii-San was waiting for us,
all smiles and bows and with three women (old ones), waiting for
us with trays of tea and cakes. That's one good thing about Japan.
If you're hungry, call on a friend. You're sure to get a cup of
tea, and it sure hits the spot sometimes. For about a year, J1EO,
Mr. Shima of Tokyo and myself have been trying to click. Either
he has been QRL or I have. This time we got through to him on the
phone from Ishii-San's office and, wonderful, he was home. He said
he'd wait for us to get there and, although we were not dressed
for any fancy calling, or high-class receptions, we had no time
to change, so off we went. On the way to the Yokohama station, we
picked up Mr. Seiichi Nozaki, also of Yoko, who has as yet no transmitting
license but only a permit to receive. He expects to be on the air
soon, however. We got on the train finally and, about forty minutes
later, dropped off at Tokyo. Here Shima-San, J1EO, was waiting.
Hot Dawg, you should have seen the bowing and scraping that went
on. Poor "Ash" hadn't ever met any Japanese people before and didn't
know how to bow or say anything. He is only a kid and blushes like
a school girl. Of course I broke out my two words of Japanese greeting
and then forgot the third. Oh well, we all have our little difficulties.
Up
the hill we started toward Shima-San's home, and, believe me, you've
only lived half your life until the time you walk up a narrow little
lane in some Japanese town, lined on both sides with hedges or fences
just high enough so one can get tantalizing glimpses of what's going
on inside. And every home has its garden, and the odors of the flowers
- aw well, come and see it yourself. Just pick up any magazine and
learn to be a first-class commercial operator in twelve easy lessons.
We reached his home after walking half a mile or so and, after being
greeted in the Japanese manner by a pretty little Japanese maid
and removing our shoes, we entered. His home is beautiful to say
the least, but this ain't a discussion on arch - well, homes, then,
so we went upstairs to the shack. The gang was there, boy, and how!
J1CP, J1DI, JIED and others whose calls I've forgotten. Greetings?
Mister, that ain't the half of it, and what was even better, a nice
ice cold drink of strawberry juice (unfermented). Of course the
set was the first thing we wanted to see. Thirty watts output, crystal
control and he's R5 to 6 QSA 4, any morning in the States on a haywire
receiver, worked all continents and darned near all countries. But
when you see the workmanship in that, and all other Japanese ham
sets, you begin to realize how they can do it. The walls of Shima-San's
shack are lined on all sides with charts, graphs, and prints. He
is a student of the University of Tokyo, already holds one degree,
has invented a new "mic" that's a wow, and designed and installed
the public address system used in conjunction with the Far East
Olympic Games held in Japan a year or so ago. He's not the only
one, either. J3CT of Osaka uses a single 210 and gets across to
the States as one of the four loudest "J" stations, and it is seldom
his input exceeds forty watts. Poor "Ash," he was sure up in the
air. He had expected to see power, and lots of it, and that little
aluminum can was a sad disappointment. He was trying to juggle a
cup of tea, eat a tea cake and take in receiver and transmitter
at the same time. It nearly proved too much for my sense of dignity
and decorum, but I managed to hang on.
After
we'd seen all the sets and equipment, Shima-San invited us to chow,
the universally understood word in the ham language and the most
appreciated. We went to another room where the table was set just
one foot above the floor level, where the chairs were cushions,
and the plates lacquered wooden dishes. The chow was strictly Japanese,
served by two very pretty little Japanese maids. (Too darn much
QRM in Nippon to make eating altogether a pleasure.) Rice and fish,
cooked in the little lacquered dish, seaweed soup and a sauce. Believe
me, if you want good chow, come to Japan - but take those twenty
easy lessons first. After finishing up everything in sight, Shima-San
invited us to take a look at the view from the window of this room.
He is way up on a hillside and, looking out, one sees Fuji, Japan's
sacred mountain, in the distance, beautiful Tokyo and its environs
in the foreground and, immediately below, Shima-San's own garden
with his little brother and sister playing. In a few moments
we were asked to seat ourselves again and finish our meal with strawberry
juice and Japanese watermelon. During the meal a very learned discussion
on the relative merits of Japanese and American YL's was held, which
only goes to prove that hams are hams the world over and, anyway,
you should see some of these Japanese YL's. Finally it was all over
and, with a sigh of pure contentment, we arose; that is, all but
"Ash." He was so cramped from sitting cross-legged on a cushion
that it took three men and the ship's cook to get his legs straightened
out.
Well we only get twelve hours in Yokohama and I had a heavy date
in Kobe, so we had to leave. Say, you want to take a ride in a Japanese
train if you want a real thrill. I've been in China coast typhoons,
in Tahantapec gales and Hatteras blows, but never have been seasick
except on a Japanese train. Wham!! go, say, the only thing that
makes 'em slow down is a red signal, and they only show them on
the first day of May and next week at two o'clock. We hung on to
straps, stanchions, bags, hats and the ladies' hair and finally
reached Yoko right side up and undamaged. The whole gang was with
us. I lost count after a while, but I think there were ten of them
all wanting to see the ship's s.w. set and to bid these two great
hulking noisy foreigners bon voyage. The Quartermaster at the gangway
thought it was an invasion and I had to promise him beaucoup trinkets
before he'd let us aboard. The gang thought the ship's layout hot
stuff and sure had a swell time looking over the ship, my room,
including many photos on the bulkheads and the shack. We left Yoko
finally to a chorus of banzais and sayonaras from this great gang
of chaps on the dock. The whole thing took me back to the
old days when a feller walking down the street of a strange town
and seeing an antenna, especially if it had four wires and a white
pole, immediately went up and punched the front doorbell and asked
to see the op. Them days is gone forever in the States, but you
still are sure of a welcome if you pull it over here. Talk about
friendship; say, I'm going to need a third op one of these days,
and you want to come over. I'll guarantee you all a heck of a good
time and a copy of the JARL Mag.
Posted 3/27/2013
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