‰ NOW 35 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM JULY 2015 QST PAGE 99 ‰ VINTAGE RADIO ATLAS RADIO PART 1 OF A TWO PART SERIES ABOUT THE RISE AND FALL OF A LEGENDARY AMATEUR RADIO COMPANY. JOE VERAS, K9OCO K9OCO ARRL. NET IN ART DERIVED FROM GREEK MYTHOLOGY, ATLAS IS SHOWN BEARING THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS. HERB JOHNSON, W6QKI, ATLAS RADIOS FOUNDER, LIKELY EXPERIENCED THAT FEELING DURING HIS COMPANYS FINAL DAYS. IN THE BETTER, BRIGHTER TIMES BEFORE THOSE FATEFUL DAYS, HOWEVER, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF AMATEURS TOOK TO THE AIRWAVES WITH ONE OF JOHNSONS RIGS. BORN NOVEMBER 10, 1920 IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, JOHNSON GREW UP IN ASHTABULA, OHIO. HE RECEIVED HIS AMATEUR LICENSE, W8QKI, AT AGE 15. IN 1956, JOHNSON CO AUTHORED A VHF HANDBOOK WITH BILL ORR, W6SAI. HE ENTERED THE AMATEUR EQUIPMENT MARKET IN 1961 WHEN HE STARTED SWAN ENGINEERING IN HIS BENSON, ARIZONA GARAGE. HE HAND BUILT THE FIRST 10 SWAN TRANSCEIVERS THERE BEFORE RELOCATING TO OCEANSIDE, CALIFORNIA IN 1962. JOHNSON MERGED THE COMPANY WITH CUBIC COMMUNICATIONS IN 1967, STAYING ON AS MANAGER OF THE SWAN PRODUCT LINE UNTIL 1972. THE ATLAS 180 TRANSCEIVER JOHNSON LEFT SWAN TO START ATLAS RADIO, SETTING UP SHOP IN CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA BEFORE MOVING TO LARGER QUARTERS IN OCEANSIDE. THE ATLAS 180 TRANSCEIVER ARRIVED IN 1974. ADS DESCRIBED IT AS A FIRST COUSIN TO THE SOUTHCOM AN/URC 87 SC 130, A MAN PACK MILITARY RADIO DESIGNED BY LES EARNSHAW, EX ZL1AAX. A LICENSE ‰ END OF 35 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ