Ham Radio on TV, in Movies, & Documentaries

Videos for Engineers

The first video below is my favorite. It is a one-minute clip from a 1960s episode of "The Twilight Zone" television show. It is an outrageous slam on amateur radio operators by a family whose radio and TV shows are being interrupted by interference. Dad (a young Denver Pyle, aka Uncle Jesse from "The Dukes of Hazzard") looks out the window and sees what are actually television antennas on the guy's roof and when Mom asks if there is anything they can do about the neighbor, he walks toward the telephone saying he can at least check to find out whether neighbor man has a license to operate. Mom then says, "Do you think you should, Stu? Those men seem kind of...threatening somehow." Those d**n evil Hams! As you might expect if your are familiar with the series, it turned out to be aliens making contact with Earthlings. In "Nancy Drew Detective," Ted (Ned in the book series) is a Ham radio operator. He tells his fellow Ham that he has experienced "local QRM," which is Nancy Drew's sudden entry into the shack. Later in the movie, he uses an old spark gap x-ray machine to signal an SOS and the location where they're being held captive.

There are lots of videos in addition to those embedded below that include Amateur Radio either as a primary theme or in bit parts. Try not to lose track of time as you indulge ;-)

Here are a couple other shows I have mentioned: Highway Patrol TV Show: "Radioactive," Hazel TV Show: "Stop Rockin' Our Reception," Ham Radio on TV, in Movies, & Documentaries

"The Twilight Zone" - Ham Radio Neighbor Blamed for Interference

Black Leather Jackets (s5 e18, 1/31/1964)

"The Twilight Zone" - Ham Radio Neighbor Accused of Building Strange Radio in Basement

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (s1 e22, 3/4/1960)

Nancy Drew Detective (starts 19:54, c1938)

"The Munsters" - - Herman Munster "Calling CQ" to Kids on Walkie Talkies

If a Martian Answers, Hang Up (s1 e18, 1/21/1965)

"This is HAM Radio" by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL, c1970)

Intended to inspire kids to become interested in amateur radio.

"Radio at War" by Radio Corporation of America (RCA, c1944)

Ham Radio and Military Radio Communications During World War II

Ham Radio in Japan (c1962)

Posted March 30, 2020