Operating an Amateur Radio Station

Publication 4 of the Radio Amateur's Library

The early editions unnumbered entitled "Rules and Regulations ..." may be precursers to publication number 4.  The oldest issue actually bearing the publication number I have so far is the 16th edition, published in 1931.  In the 1940's then the publication adopted a consistent look, even to the most recent one known (1989).  Other later publications, including the Operating Guide (Radio Amateur's Library No. 29) eventually replaced this publication.  In 1954, the publication contained 19 pages, with sections covering operating practice, emergency communications, activities and awards, ARRL field organization, message handling, networking, abbreviations and prefixes, FCC regulations, and miscellaneous (including the Amateur's Code).  Although the topics remained connsistent through the years, the content expanded to almost 50 pages by 1974.  Although the cover price was 25 cents (in 1954), the publication was available free to ARRL members.    (Click image for larger view)

7th ed. - 1925	16th ed. - 1931	22nd ed. - 1939	25th ed. - 1946
27th ed. - 1949 28th ed. - 1950 29th ed. - 1950 31st ed. - 1952 33rd ed. - 1953 34th ed. - 1954		35th ed. - 1954 36th ed. - 1955 37th ed. - 1956 38th ed. - 1957 39th ed. - 1958 40th ed. - 1958 41st ed. - 1959 42nd ed. - 1960 43rd ed. - 1961 44th ed. - 1961
45th ed. - 1962 46th ed. - 1963 47th ed. - 1963 48th ed. - 1964		49th ed. - 1965	50th ed. - 1966
51st ed. - 1968 52nd ed. - 1969	53th ed. - 1971 54th ed. - 1973	55th ed. - 1974 56th ed. - 1975 57th ed. - 1976	59th ed. - 1980 60th ed. - 1981
61st ed. - 1983	63rd ed. - 1989