From the turn of the century enthusiastic young men who built
their own items of electrical and wireless apparatus were known as
"Wireless Experimenters". Many of them were later granted licences
for the use of "Wireless Telegraphy for experimental purposes" (in the
United Kingdom) by the Postmaster General under the terms of the 1904
Wireless Telegraphy Act. In his report to Parliament for the years
1905-1906 the P.M.G. stated that it was his wish "to promote
experimental investigations in this promising field".
In a book published in 1908 by R.P.Howgrave-Graham entitled
"Wireless Telegraphy for Amateurs" the word amateur seems to have been
used for the first time.
During the 1914-1918 war all wireless apparatus in the possession
of licensed amateurs was closed down under the Defence of the Realm
Act of 1914. Experimental transmission licences numbered 1,600.
After the end of the war an Inter-Departmental Committee was set
up and in its report to the Postmaster General dated April 1919 it
stated: "We are of the opinion that the number of stations existing in
July 1914 was excessive from the point of view of government control
in case of emergency and the necessity of preventing interference with
government and commercial working; further there was no justification
for it from the point of view of the encouragement of research or
development of industry".
But there was a magnanimous relaxation in the Defence Regulations
when the Post Office notified manufacturers of electrical apparatus
that restriction on the sale of buzzers had been removed. Buzzers
could now be sold without enquiry as to the use to which the purchaser
proposed to put them!!!
During 1919 many issues of WIRELESS WORLD considered "the amateur
position", and a leading article in the March issue began with a
quotation attributed to Marconi:
"I consider that the existence of a body of independent
and often enthusiastic amateurs constitutes a valuable
asset towards the further development of wireless
telegraphy."
In a subsequent letter to the Editor Marconi wrote:
"In my opinion it would be a mistaken policy to
introduce legislation to prevent amateurs experimenting
with wireless telegraphy (which the authorities were
contemplating). Had it not been for amateurs, wireless
telegraphy as a great world-fact might not have existed at
all. A great deal of the development and progress of
wireless telegraphy is due to the efforts of amateurs."
John Ambrose Fleming, the inventor of the diode valve, also wrote
to the Editor of W.W. as follows:
"It is a matter of common knowledge that a large part
of the important inventions in connection with wireless
telegraphy have been the work of amateurs and private
research and not the outcome of official brains or the
handiwork of military or naval organisations. In fact we
may say that wireless telegraphy itself in its inception
was an amateur product. Numerous important inventions such
as the crystal detector, the oscillating valve, the triode
valve--have been due to private or amateur work. If full
opportunities for such non-official research work are not
restored, the progress of the art of radio telegraphy and
radio telephony will be greatly hindered."
Professor W.H. Eccles wrote:
"Improvements and invention must be stimulated to the
utmost. It is not impossible to devise laws to impose
restrictions upon the emission of wireless waves as will
preclude interference with the public radio service of the
future (R.F.I. & T.V.I.?!!) and yet allow liberal
opportunities for the experimental study of wireless
telegraphy."
NOTE. The above passages are taken from WORLD AT THEIR FINGERTIPS
by John Clarricoats, O.B.E., G6CL, published by the R.S.G.B. in 1968.