January 1993

Today's 49 meter Canadians offer a hint of what that country's shortwave history was like. Here we feature a couple of the early Canadians.

At the top are the front and back of a 1933 veri from VE9GW, which, as can be seen, transmitted from Bowmanville, Ontario with 200 watts on 6095 kHz. (as well as 11810 and 24380). Frank Macedo was lucky to get this veri--it is dated January 13, 1933, and bears a notation that the station would cease operation two days later (which It did). VE9GW carried the programs of MWer CKGW, whose undated veri is shown at bottom left. That's an EKKO stamp on the card, engraved with a picture of a beaver (Canadian EKKO stamps pictured a beaver, American EKKO's an eagle).

The veri at the bottom right is from old faithful CFRX, which was on 6070 kHz as long ago as 1938. Above it is an interesting 1929 QSL from the station's MW parent, CFRB. It was then owned by Standard Radio Manufacturing Corp. Ltd., producers of "Rogers Batteryless Radio Receiving Sets." Radios had operated on batteries during most of the 20's. Note the slogans at the bottom of the card: "No batteries, no chemicals, no aerial--Just plug in, then tune in."