|
April 1962 Popular Electronics
 Table of Contents
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles
from
Popular Electronics,
published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.
|
David Moore's 1962 poem
"CQ DX 11" which appeared in Popular Electronics magazine, captures the
vibrant culture of amateur radio operation during CB radio's golden age. The poem
meticulously documents the technical jargon and operational procedures of ham radio
enthusiasts like "Gus," celebrating homemade equipment, signal reports, and international
contacts ("DX hauls"). The final stanza's twist reveals regulatory intervention
- "The FCC has seen to that" - hinting at growing government oversight that would
eventually constrain the freewheeling CB community. This work perfectly encapsulates
the early 1960s amateur radio scene when citizens band radio represented cutting-edge
communication technology and a genuine subculture. The poem serves as both technical
documentation and cultural artifact, preserving the specific vernacular and practices
of radio operators before excessive regulation and later technological innovations
diminished this grassroots communications movement. Moore's closing appeal - "only
YOU can save CB" - reflects the community's awareness of its fragile position between
technological freedom and government control.
BTW, "CQ DX 11" roughly translates to: "Calling all distant stations on the
11-meter band."
CQ DX 11 Poem
•
CQ DX 11, by David Moore
• Power
Supply, by Eileen Corridan
• Ravin, by Meyer Dolinko
• Pre-Radio,
by Simpson Sasserath
• A Radioman's
Nightmare, by Editor, QST
• The Day Before
Christmas, by
•
Unpopular Electronics, by Saunder Harris
•
More "Tower" to You, by David Moore
• Sonnet of a Ham,
by Ewell G. Pigg
• Ode to a New Rig,
by Mrs. W8ETH
• Requiem, by Lt. Comdr.
Robert D. Bass
• What Is It?, by
Frank E. Judd
 CQ DX 11
By David Moore
"Okay, fine," said the CB fan.
"Thanks a lot for the call, of man.
Real
good signal; S-9 plus;
And by the way, the handle's Gus.
"The QTH is Maplewood,
And the elevation's pretty good.
The height's
just right for long-range calls,
And our logbook shows some DX hauls.
"The entire station here's home-brew,
With VOX, and key, and a phone patch,
too!
Certainly think this band is swell,
And by the way, please QSL.
"Well, guess I'll turn it back to you.
Please tie the ribbons on this chew.
It's 1800 GMT,
And I have a sked with a VE 3 ...."
So the QSO finished here.
Gus comes out some time next year.
No more
will ol' Gus chew the fat -
The FCC has seen to that.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only YOU can save CB.
|
