In the immediate years following World War-II, our Nation witnessed an avalanche of new radio communications ideas and concepts born of war’s necessity. For Ham Radio that meant the introduction and refinement of new communications modes such as Radio Teletype, Facsimile, Slow-Scan Television, Fast-Scan TV, Moon-Bounce, and a most important one — Single Sideband.
Wes Schum, W9DYV – a young Chicago-bred radio communications expert – saw immediate potential in amateur SSB and made it his mission to make this important technology affordable while educating Hams on the How’s and Why’s of Single Sideband. His Company, Central Electronics, fast became a commercial leader in that field where his small team of engineers developed technology that left others scratching their heads in amazement: The first no-tune/all band amplifier, the 600L; the first all-mode/no-tune 100watt amateur transmitter, the 100V; and a series of low-cost single sideband equipment that encouraged experimentation with the new voice mode.
Fast-forward 70+ years and Single Sideband continues to be a relevant and spectrally efficient voice communications technique. Those early experimenters called it right.
The W9DYV Radio Symposium, in conjunction with Winterfest 2023, keeps Schum’s innovative spirit alive by educating Today’s Hams on the hobby’s rich technological history, encouragement of at-home experimentation, and by providing grass roots introductions to latest-generation communications techniques. No matter your particular Ham Radio Interest, Winterfest’s excellent array of Symposium forums, commercial vendors and bone-yard treats will relegate Covid to the rear-view mirror, bring smiles to your faces – and more rigs and accessories to the shack!