The (good) old days.

In the early twenties it was illegal in Denmark to own and use any kind of radio apparatus. In 1923 the law was changed – partly by pressure of radio clubs – so it was allowed to use a radio receiver. But not until 1926 could the radio amateur use his transmitter without breaking the law. But despite of this, many youngsters experimented with transmitting equipment as early as 1922 – 23. One of them was James Steffensen, ex. OZ2Q, who wrote anonymously about his experiments in the British journal Experimental Wireless & The Wireless Engineer in 1924:

The Copenhagen experimental station 7QF is one of the newer arrivals in the fascinating pastime of brass-pounding, as the power has only lately been increased sufficiently to reach outside Denmark. The first A.C.C.W. transmitter was made in June, 1923, a small Philips' power valve being used with the 220-volt 50-cycle A.C. mains as H.T. supply. With this transmitter 7ZM, 20 miles away, was often worked on 330 meters, the aerial current being .1 amp. with a water-pipe earth. The first improvement effected was the raising of the twin-wire T aerial from an average height of 20 ft. to a flat top height of 35 ft., an aerial series condenser being put in at the same time. This brought the wavelength down to 220 meters and the radiation up to .15 amp. Several attempts to reach England at this time were made, but without success. In the beginning of December a twin-wire counterpoise was erected, which increased my radiation to .2 on 195 meters and at once resulted in my being reported by Mr. Geo. Rogers, of Ashford, Middlesex. I next tried rectification of my H.T. A "Ferrix" transformer having two secondaries giving 4 volts each and one secondary giving 200 volts was purchased, the 200 volts being put in series with the mains to give 420 volts A.C. A 20-watt Philips' power valve was them bought, as was also a German 50-watt neon rectifier tube, the latter in conjunction with two paper-insulated 2-mfd. condensers and a Ford coil being used for rectifying the 420 volts. With this I really did get C.W., though only on low power (.1 radiation). Then, at long last, I worked with a foreign station (G5US) on December 30 at 1550 G.M.T. (before sundown in England,. Hi!). I have often since wondered how I did it, since my radiation was only .2. After this I called CQ for many weary hours without avail, until I one day thought of trying to go down to 125 meters. I moved the aerial clip from turn No. 18 to turn No. 3 on the A.T.I, and removed 32 of the 40 turns on my grid coil (I have always used. the standard direct-coupled reaction set with tuned grid coil). My radiation was still .2, but my wave was now 120 meters, and the very next morning, early, I worked. 2KF. From then till the beginning of March I worked about a dozen stations of various nationalities. Then my bottle went west. I put in a hard receiving valve instead and got exactly the same radiation! (True, this with 5 volts instead of 3.8 on the filament.) With this valve I worked until it burst, and then closed down for a thorough overhauling of the station. Towards the end of April I started work again, but could not reach England any more. Instead, I had a daylight test with Sald (Lund, Sweden, 30 miles from here). He was using four R valves in parallel with 300 volts on the plates, his radiation being .3 on 170 meters, using the electric bell-wires as a counterpoise system (Hi!). He also tried 'phone, which I received O.K. on one valve, every word being readable. Transmission has been permitted in Sweden for some time, but they are only just beginning to allot call signs, so by the time this appears in print SALD will probably be SALD no longer*. The call signs being allotted are horrid— thus there is one in Stockholm called SMZZ. I have now closed down my transmitter, at any rate for the summer, as I believe the authorities are beginning to wake up and start searching for us; I consider it the best policy to stop before being caught. However, my interest in " DX" is undiminished, and I still listen on short waves and send reports to the stations heard - I have 400 reporting cards in stock! My present receiver is an ordinary one-valve set with loose-coupled tuner; the valve is of Danish manufacture and contains a slight amount of residual neon gas. It uses 3-5 volts .4 amps. filament current, and about 30 volts H.T. (critical). This valve is very sensitive, I have heard 2IJ several times when his radiation was only .1. WGY's carrier on 107 meters comes in R8, but speech is so distorted as to be quite illegible. The B.B.C. stations come through O.K., though I seldom listen for them because of trams, ships and arc-hash (OXE, 8 miles away, 40 kw. input). Most of the listening is done on 600 meters; on this wave SUH, FFA, GMH, etc., and hosts of ships can be heard any evening. I wonder why so few people listen on 600 meters; surely it is the most fascinating wave of all. On 200 meters and under I have heard 225 stations since April last year; on 125 meters, 15 Yanks.

In conclusion, let me state that I am always delighted to undertake special distance tests with low-power stations, and anybody wishing to test has only to drop me a line via this paper.

*The call is now SMZV, and the address is : Fil. Dr. G. Alb. Nilsson, Skolgatan 5, Lund, Sweden. He would be pleased to hear from English amateurs desiring to test with him; He generally works on Saturday evenings; pure C.W. on 200 meters.

The station OXE, James complained about, was the Danish coast radio station Lyngby Radio.

It was not that easy being a radio amateur at this time. Components was few and very expensive. Many of them you had to make yourself, because you could not just go down the corner an buy a resistor. A resistor could be made by a pencil or maybe two wires in a glass of water. A coil was easy and a capacitor was not that difficult to make. But the tubes you had to buy. And they were very expensive. So they were used to the last electron.
The magazine QST was one of the only sources of knowledge and ideas. So it was common for a Danish radio amateur to be a member of The American Radio Relay League, ARRL.

James Steffensen did a great work in legitimize the radio amateur. As a member of   ARRL he received help in making the Danish authorities change their mind. If it had any influence on the mind of the Danish authorities one don't know. But some of the documents are preserved and it is interesting reading:

First a letter to James from ARRL and then two letters addressed to the Danish FCC.

Mr. James Steffensen
Ehlersvej 8
Hellerup
Denmark

Dear OM:

The attached carbon copies are self explanatory. They are in answer to your suggestions that we do this and I hope very much that they may carry some weight with your government. Will advise you if and when a reply is received.

Yours sincerely,

C.A. Service, Jr.,
Assistant Secretary

CAS:JH
Enc.

October 25, 1924

Generaldirektoratet for Telegrafvoesenet
Vesterbrogade 40 – 42
Kobenhavn, V
Denmark

Gentlemen:

May we be permitted, to extend the good offices of our association on behalf of the radio amateurs of Denmark and present a few facts for your consideration? The American Radio Relay League is a national, non-commercial organization of over 17,000 radio amateurs and experimenters in the United States and throughout foreign countries, interested in the exchange of friendly messages, the advancement of the radio arts, and the orderly Iaw-arbiding operation of amateur transmitting stations. We hesitate to inject our-selves into a delicate situation involving the policy of a foreign government with respect to its radio amateurs and hasten to assure you it is not our wish to Interfere with, criticize or correct such policy but merely to be of assistance in bringing to your attention certain arguments that may lead to the extension of greater leniency and privileges to your amateurs.

We believe the amateur is a national asset in providing a trained corps of technicians and operators for government and commercial radio stations; in forming a subsidiary link of communication in time of flood, storm or other emergency; in stimulating valuable study and research in technical branches of the art. He is a commercial asset as a purchaser of radio apparatus and a source of technical advice to those interested in reception of radiophone entertainment.

England, France and other countries of Europe now permit the operation of amateur transmitting stations under proper regulations and restrictions and although there are a great many amateur stations operating, no interference with commercial, government or broadcast services is experienced. We feel that as a large majority of your amateurs understand and speak the English language, their contact with other English-speaking races by radio would increase existing friendly relations generally.

Scientific bodies end associations have bees formed from the ranks of the amateur for the study of ratio phenomena and the solution of technical problems, the Bureau of Standards of our country has several times called upon the amateurs of the United States to cooperate in scientific testes; the French government is now carrying on tests on short wavelengths, in which French and U.S. amateurs are acting as observers, wherever amateurs have been allowed the privilege of operating transmitters as well as receivers they have added to the knowledge of the art.

Messages are exchanged nightly between amateurs of all lands and continents purely on a friendly, non-commercial basis for experimental and fraternal reasons. We believe that permission for the free operation of citizen radio and the exchange of ideas between individuals of different countries is one of greatest forces looking toward the cause of international peace and amity that is available to the world today. Recently the President of this organization met in Paris with prominent amateurs and scientists representing the leading radio societies of England, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Luxembourg, Canada and the United States, on which occasion the great strides of amateur radio were recognized and the International Amateur RadioUnion was formed for the purpose of further promoting the existing friendly feeling between amateurs of all countries, for dealing with various technical and operating problems in a more unified manner, and for obtaining recognition of the amateur in international radiotelegraphic conferences.

We are convinced that the extension of privileges to amateurs of Denmark similar to those now enjoyed by amateurs elsewhere would result in great benefit to your young men of scientific aspirations and increase closer international relationship. Again, we wish to assure you of our desire to be of whatever assistance possible and hope most earnestly this may receive favorable consideration at your hands. Our position, as previously stated, is one of interest and co-operation and is not prompted for a desire to meddle in the affairs or convictions of another government.

Assuring you of our esteem and hoping we may be accorded the favor of a reply, we are
Yours very truly,

THE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE, INC
C. A. Service, Jr,   
Assistant Secretary.

CAS:JH
BCC:
M.r. James Steffensen

October 25, 1924

Generaldirektoratet for Telegrafvoesenet
Vesterbrogade 40 – 42
Kobenhavn, V
Denmark.

Gentlemen:

We respectfully address you as follows on behalf of our brothers, The Radio Amateurs of Denmark:--

AMERICA

In America, radio amateurs have enjoyed radio liberty since radio was invented, and the United States has today over 18,000 licensed amateur radio transmitting stations, owned and operated by private citizens, and which communicate freely by radio with each other all over the United States and over almost all parts of the North American Continent. Amateur two-way radio communications is fifteen year 8 old in America. For ten years American amateur radio affairs have been administered by the amateur organization known as The American Radio Relay League.

CANADA

In Canada, the same radio liberty is enjoyed by Canadians as is enjoyed by Americans in the United States. Canadian and American amateurs are exactly as one. All ideas of a frontier and international boundary line disappeared long ago. The American Radio Relay League is the governing amateur body the same as it is in America. A Canadian represents Canada en the Board of Directors of The American Radio Relay League. Amateur messages traveling across either Country by radio relay pass back and forth across the boundary as though no boundary existed. Americans and Canadians have transmitted as many as 100,000 amateur radio messages in a single month.

GREAT BRITAIN

In Great Britain radio amateurs have been granted transmitting liberties and British amateurs are now communicating across the Atlantic Ocean with American and Canadian amateurs, and also to European amateurs in nearly all the Countries of western Europe. The advantages in the way of technical improvements, the demand for radio supplies and apparatus, the development of technique of short wave two-way communication, and the development of international friendships are too obvious to mention.

FRANCE

In France, the rapid advance of two-way, short wave amateur radio has induced the French government to grant liberties to French amateurs, and there are now many French amateur transmitting stations working two-way communication across the Ocean to America, and also to Great Britain, and all western European Countries. The French Government sends out the communications to American and French amateurs from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

BELGIUM

So much for Amateur Radio conditions in Europe. Recently one of the best amateur stations in Europe was ordered by his government to stop operating. This amateur lived in Holland, and it was the Government of Holland which removed him from the international atmosphere. We believe that our brother in Holland performed a great service for his Country in showing the world at large that Holland was to be counted upon in efficient radio communication. We also believe it is to the interest of Denmark to encourage rather than discourage amateur radio. Therefore, we appeal to you on behalf of the Radio Amateurs of Denmark, and respectfully suggest to you that you consider giving them such radio liberties as you believe proper so that we may number the citizens of Denmark among the International Radio Family.

If there is any additional information which we can give to you, we shall feel honored to be called upon by you for this information, and will supply it most cheerfully.

Respectfully,

THE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE, INC.

President

HPM:JH
BCC:
Mr. James Steffensen
Ehlersvej 8
Hellerup
Denmark.

In one of the letters the International Amateur Radio Union was mentioned. This organization was official formed April 17, 1925. One Danish representative was invited but had to decline. We don't know who it was. I will make a guess of James because of his international contacts but there are many other good candidates. The HAMs who may remember anything from that time are probably dead by old age now and the early files at ARRL was destroyed by a flood. So if anyone have more detailed information about the formation of IARU, than can be read in QST, you are most welcome to send me a mail.

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