1983-1985

1983

• Premiere issue, January/February. Phil Cook [Phil is now sales manager for our sister publication RF Design] is our first publisher at Weisner Publishing.
• In one of several changes for E.F. Johnson over the next 15 years, it merges with Western Union.
• Kenwood announces that it is entering the land mobile market.
• Mass marketing of a fully programmable, off-the-shelf mobile radio is forecast, based on the new E^2PROM technology.
• Novatel comes into existence through a joint venture by Nova of Calgary, and Alberta Government Telephone, of Edmonton. James L. Green is appointed as the first president.
• Shirley Bonifasi is elected president of NMRA.
• Radio Club of America celebrates its 75th birthday.
• Jack Daniel heads the newly created Decibel western regional office.
• Hertz is the first rental car company to install cellular phones in rental cars.
• Motorola supplies two-way communications equipment for the 1984 Olympic winter games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
• Mal Gurion is named president of OKI Advanced Communications.

1984

• Regency Communications, a subsidiary of Regency Electronics, and Wilson Electronics merge to form Regency Land Mobile.
• SIRSA turns 30 and elects Rocco A. Eramo as chairman.
• Phil Cook, MRT's publisher, leaves to move to sunny, southern California.
• Mercy Contreras soon takes over as publisher of MRT.
• Robert Foosaner is chief of the FCC's Private Radio Bureau.
• Motorola puts the first Dynatac non-wireline, cellular radio-telephone system in operation in the Washington/Baltimore area.
• Vestra acquires 2-Tel Interconnect Systems.
• Antenna Specialists acquires Sheatron and moves operations to Cleveland.
• Ten duplex channel pairs in the 46MHz-49MHz frequency band are allocated for cordless telephones as an amendment to Part 15 of the FCC rules (and 15 years later, the technology still sucks).
• Robert E. "Bob" Tall leaves Industrial Communications and becomes executive director of APCO.
• King Radio, a traditional aircraft communications manufacturer, enters the two-way radio market.
• NABER initiates a technician certification program.
• California puts its first cellular telephone system on-line, in Los Angeles.
• Nynex introduces "Priority-one" cellular mobile service in Buffalo, NY. Phones cost about $2,500 and rates run from 20 cents to 35 cents per minute, with access fee ranging to $49 per month.
• Astronet is formed by Mitsubishi and Stromberg-Carlson to manufacture cellular telephone systems.
• Philadelphia/Delaware cellular service comes on line.
• Tandy makes its debut in the cellular product market.
• The rules that govern FCC technician licenses expire. They are replaced by industry association and private educational institution certificates.
• The Cellular Communications Industry Association (CCIA) forms.
• General Signal acquires Sideband Technology.
• NABER conducts its first series of technician certification exams.
• Industry veteran Fred Link celebrates his 80th birthday.

1985

• King Radio is acquired by Allied's Bendix Aerospace Sector.
• Communications Specialists of California installs its first fax machine (Hey-it was big news then!)
• The FCC rules that you can't use cellular telephones while airborne.
• "Technical Tips," a monthly column designed to address wireless product technical problems, debuts in the February issue of MRT.
• E.F. Johnson is for sale-again.
• Two cellular trade associations, CCIA and the Cellular Radio Communications Association (CRCA) merge. CCIA is the surviving designation.
• Kustom Electronics is 20 years old.
• The Salt Lake City area comes on line with its cellular service.
• Modifications are made to the FCC rules Parts 22, 73, 81 and 90 to reflect uniform HAAT guidelines.
• The FCC authorizes narrowband modes in the VHF band from 150MHz to 170MHz.
• Cellular radio is promoted as the "greatest investment opportunity of the 20th century" according to Robert Ringer, author of Looking Out for #1 and Winning Through Intimidation.(Was he on target, or what?)
• Cellular telephone prices drop dramatically-to about $1,500.
• A battle over frequency coordination brews among ASMR, NABER and NMRA over specialized mobile radio (SMR).
• The spring Land Mobile Expo is now too big for Denver. It moves to Las Vegas.
• NABER celebrates its 20th anniversary.
• CCIA now becomes CTIA.
• McCaw Communications purchases Mobilephone Services (MSI).
• OKI Advanced Communications changes its name to OKI Telecom.
• The battle to be the controlling frequency advisory committee (FAC) authority continues to gain more visibility. In the fray are ASMR, NABER, NMRA, IAFC, APCO, IMSA, AASHTO, FCCA and ASNA. (Whew!)
• Mobile Data International, the leading mobile data terminal manufacturer, whose equipment is widely deployed in law enforcement, is seeing its terminals move into public services (taxis) and the utility companies. (Could we safely say that the age of ubiquitous mobile data is here?)
• Celwave buys Antenna, Inc.
• Cellular pay phones show up on Seattle metro buses, and San Diego taxis offer their riders cellular telephone services.
• Glenayre Electronics acquires WR Communications.