The Development of the HF Transceiver by Bob Harris

The period from about 1970 to 1985 saw significant changes in the design and construction of high-frequency (HF) radio transceivers. Whilst the talk will focus on amateur radio transceivers, the developments and changes also applied to commercial transceivers for the maritime and land mobile markets.
The talk will cover the changes and set them in the context of the wider development of transmitters and receivers from Marconi onwards. The development of the technology, the circuit design and the construction practices will all be examined and supported by relevant theory.
The reasons for the rise to dominance of the Japanese brands such as Icom, Kenwood and Vertex will be discussed.

Bob Harris has held an amateur radio licence since 1971 and has gradually built up a collection of old radio transceivers. These are from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s, this period being one of significant technical change and innovation.
Professionally, he has an MSc in Modern Electronics and a BEng in Electronic Engineering. After initially working in the steel industry, he moved into teaching in further education. Latterly, he taught electronics and telecommunications at Sheffield Hallam University for some 30 years until his retirement