Did Wally Byam (airstream orginator) have a ham radio license

[WA6CDE]

I Just asked if Wally had a ham radio license as some of the pictures showed him talking on what looks like a home made radio set.... We got this back from the group...

Hi…
I have been asking some of our historians about this and we don’t believe so. Here is a reply for Dale Schwamborn:

The answer is no. Make a distinction between ham radio and two-way car radios. Wally did have a two-way in Africa. I just realized that he had one, as did a few other African Caravanners.

There may also be a misunderstanding about Wally's Zenith Trans-Oceanic radio, which he used on Caravans. His sleeping habits were snooze, wake-up do work or listen to broadband broadcasts like VOA and BBC. This Zenith was not a ham radio.

At his home I never saw the towering antennas required for hamming and definitely never on any of his Airstreams.

Our historian is also digging into the topic. If I learn of anything different, I will let you know.

Have a great day!

Lori Plummer
Corporate Manager
WBCCI, Wally Byam Airstream Club
803 E. Pike Street
Jackson Center, OH 45334
937-596-5211

[email protected]

Not that I've ever heard - but I seriously doubt he was.

Jim, Past President
WBCCI Amateur Radio Club - RVSVCnet
N5RTG

[Radio]

All that lovely ground plane and no ham radio.

What a shame.

[WA6CDE]

Ahhhh well we just got a 31 ft AS... and have started to install the ham gear in it. We did it back in 1973... and probably will improve on the design so as to be able to use the 5BTV for a flag pole as well as a inverted V... if room allows... I found back then that you could drive the vert with 1kw... when on shore power.. and it did a respectable job... also made the old Merc vapor light do a little on off thing to the people next to us... which is fun to watch...

So should be enjoying camping as well as the ham radio.. when away from the docking station...