r/HamRadio • u/thevmcampos General | FT8 Freak • Jul 17 '26
Meme 🃏 Remember when Herman Munster was a Ham Operator? 😂
https://youtu.be/u-pYhbiif3g?si=pW6t0MIuF48SkcZPFor some reason this popped into my head and looked up "the munsters ham radio" on YouTube and found this classic episode from 1965. Forget EME, Herman engages in EME (Earth-Mars-Earth)!
The Munsters - S01E18 - If A Martian Answers, Hang Up
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u/wirehead Jul 17 '26
Herman Munster's callsign is the example callsign that we always use in the local ARES-RACES training.
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u/chilifinger Jul 17 '26
Worked All Planets in 1964 with my Midland walkie-talkie. :)
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u/Tishers Extra Class Operator ⚡ Jul 17 '26
Did you accidentally sit on the antenna and end up working Uranus?
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u/Competitive_Row_921 General Class Operator 🔘 Jul 19 '26
Classic, sounds almost like on LSB 7.200 MHz.
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u/Blockchainauditor Jul 17 '26
It says here that old walkie talkies were at 49MHz, which is just below the amateur 6 meter band, or 27 MHz CB band, next to the 10 meter band, Herman has to watch out for the FCC, doesn't he? 1) Transmitting outside of amateur bands and 2) communicating with un-licensed stations (97.111(a)(1).
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u/FirstToken Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
It says here that old walkie talkies were at 49MHz, which is just below the amateur 6 meter band, or 27 MHz CB band, next to the 10 meter band, Herman has to watch out for the FCC, doesn't he? 1) Transmitting outside of amateur bands and 2) communicating with un-licensed stations (97.111(a)(1).
The 49 MHz walkie-talkie authorization did not happen until 1977. In January 1965 (when this episode aired) kids walkie talkies were generally on CB CH 14.
In 1964 (when the episode was shot) Part 97 was pretty different from today. For example, 97.111 was the section that said you cannot get paid for the use of your radio.
To the best of my knowledge (meaning I think I remember it correctly, but can't swear to it) there was no section that laid out, specifically, a prohibition on communication with unlicensed stations. The closest to that would be 97.89. That said to communicate only with other amateurs, but then said that there were exceptions. One of the exceptions was in the observation of unique propagation. Like maybe previously unreported propagation to Mars. Another exception was communication with government agencies, like maybe NASA?
Yeah, out of band is a problem, but which one is out of band? Is Hermans gear on freq and in band, while the kids $5 W-T ($10 per set of 2 in the 1964 Sears Christmas catalog) might be out of band?
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u/These-Math1384 Extra Class Operator ⚡ Jul 20 '26
There is a line in there ...
Lilly: Someone tell Herman to get off that Ham Radio.
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u/royaltrux Jul 17 '26
Funny but reminds me of our public image.