| "Hello!" Was the very first word every broadcast over | | | | Six months after the first ever voice transmission over |
| the radio. Few folks that are not entrenched in Ham | | | | the air waves a surprise transmission to ships on the |
| Operation know the history of the radio. | | | | day before Christmas in nineteen six. |
| Who Is Reginald Fessenden? | | | | As his wife and employees as co-conspirator's he |
| Reginald Fessenden invented the radio! Canadian | | | | prepared a special Christmas program On ship |
| Reginald Fessenden adopted his love of transmission | | | | operators were told to tune in to receive a special |
| when he was a mere lad. After Alexander Graham | | | | Christmas message on December 24th at 9:00 pm. |
| Bell invented the telephone young Reginald has been | | | | Radio operators sat stunned when 9:00 pm rolled |
| quoted as saying to a family member "Why do they | | | | around and a voice came over the air calling out "CQ, |
| have to have wires?" This was the first step in a life | | | | CQ". |
| long journey to answer that very question. | | | | This was the first "radio" program. Ships across the |
| Like all great inventions, the earliest attempts were | | | | North Atlantic were treated to Handel's "Largo" played |
| miserable failed attempts. His theories earned him a | | | | on a Victrola and "O, Holy Night" played for "the |
| government contract, Fessenden, and his assistant | | | | audience" by Fessenden on his violin. |
| Thiessen, worked diligently to meet the challenge until | | | | The Rest Is History |
| they were able to meet with success. | | | | This new technology called Radio set the world on fire. |
| Fruit and The Radio | | | | Hobbyist and early day techies could not get enough |
| Fessenden founded the National Electric Signaling | | | | of this device and loved the idea of talking to people |
| Company (NESCO) with money invested by two | | | | may miles away without being tied to a cord. They |
| wealthy fruit company owners once he had fulfilled his | | | | were, and are still, called "amateur" radio operators. |
| contractual obligations to the government, because of | | | | Long before commercial broadcasting was on the |
| his failed attempts the government opted not to renew | | | | radar "amateur" radio operators filled the airwaves. |
| funding. As part of the United Fruit Company he | | | | Official laws were first instituted in 1912 by congress. A |
| worked to figure out a way for their ships at sea could | | | | newly formed agency was put in place by the federal |
| communicate with the folks back in Pittsburgh. | | | | government in nineteen twenty seven that was |
| The money that his backers invested bought high | | | | responsible for regulating radio usage including ham |
| powered transmitters and antenna systems. In June of | | | | radio operations. |
| 1906 the first ever voice transmission was sent and | | | | Amateur radio operators have been on the cutting |
| received successfully a total of 12 miles away. | | | | edge of communication since the inception of the radio. |
| Fessenden continued to plug away at improvements | | | | They were the first to use cell phones and the first to |
| until he reached the point where he knew his invention | | | | use FM broadcast. |
| was a success. | | | | The inventor did not know the impact he would have |
| Merry Christmas | | | | on the world. |