Yeah, I've definitely read about multiple origin stories for 'ham', but the original point of the sidetrack was that it isn't an acronym :).
To me, H.A.M stands for "Have Another Meal", and you don't call us "Late
For Dinner". :)
On one of the nets I run, the Digital D-Star Food Net, one ham told of
his wife marianting pork chops in the InstaPot with Coca-Cola (you can get them at Wal-Mart, and other placees). She then cooked them that way, and
he said "they were the best pork chops he ever tasted".
After he unkeyed, another ham asked "What's your address?? I'll be there
in 5 minutes". <G>
Seriously, from a file on my BBS, here's some history on the term "Ham":
**
Ham
"Ham: a poor operator. A 'plug.'"
That's the definition of the word given in G. M. Dodge's "The Telegraph Instructor" even before radio. The definition has never changed in wire telegraphy. The first wireless operators were landline telegraphers who
left their offices to go to sea, or to man the coastal stations. They
brought with them their language, and much of the tradition of their
older profession.
In those early days, spark was king, and every station occupied the same wavelength-or, more accurately perhaps, every station occupied the whole spectrum with its broad spark signal. Government stations, ships, coastal stations, and the increasingly numerous amateur operators all competed
for time and signal supremacy in each other's receivers. Many of the
amateur stations were very powerful. Two amateurs, working each other
across town, could effectively jam all the other operations in the area.
When this happened, frustrated commercial operators would call the ship
whose weaker signals had been blotted out by amateurs and say "SRI OM
THOSE #&$!@ HAMS ARE JAMMING YOU."
Amateurs, possibly unfamiliar with the real meaning of the term, picked
it up and applied it to themselves in true "Yankee Doodle" fashion, and
wore it with pride. As the years advanced, the original meaning has
completely disappeared.
-Louise Ramsey Moreau W3WRE/WB6BBO
Another possible source of of the term "ham" is from an article that was originally written by Gerry Crenshaw, WD4BIS, Garland, Texas.
Have you ever wondered why we radio amateurs are called "HAMS"?? Well, according to the Northern Ohio Radio Society, it goes like this...
The word "Ham" was applied in 1908, and was the call letters of one of
the first Amateur Wireless Stations operated by some members of the
Harvard Radio Club. There were Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy, and Peggie
Murray. At first, they called their station Hyman-Almy-Murray. Tapping
out such a long name in Morse Code soon called for revision...and they
changed it to HY-AL-MU, using the first two letters of each name.
Early in 1909, some confusion resulted between signals from amateur
wireless HYALMU, and a Mexican ship named HYALMO...so, they decided to
use only the first letter of each name, and the call became HAM.
In the early pioneer unregulated days of radio, Amateur operators
picked their own frequency and call letters. Then, as now...some Amateurs
had better signals than some commercial stations. The resulting
interference finally came to the attention on Congressional committees
in Washington...and they gave much time to proposed legislation designed
to critically limit Amateur Activity.
In 1911, Albert Hyman chose the controversial Wireless Regulation Bill
as the top for his thesis at Harvard. His instructor insisted that a copy
be sent to Senator David I. Walsh...a member of one of the committees
hearing the bill. The Senator was so impressed, he sent for Hyman to
appear before the committee. He was put on the stand, and described how
the little Amateur Station was built. He almost cried when he told the
crowded committee room that if the bill went through, they would have to
close up the station, because they could not afford the license fees, and
all the other requirements that were set up in the bill.
The debate started, and the little station HAM became a symbol of all the little Amateur stations in the country crying out to be saved from menace
and greed of the big commerical stations who did not want them around.
Finally, the bill got to the floor of Congress, and every speaker talked
about the poor little station "HAM".
That's how it all got started. You will find the whole story in the Congressional Record. Nationwide end of time, in radio, an Amateur
is a HAM.
GL and 73's de Gerry, WD4BIS
**
Daryl, WX4QZ
... I CQ. Therefore, I HAM. -- DE WX4QZ
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