Loud & Clear
"Welcome To The Machine"
:scratch2:Ahhh Hamateur radio... Those were the day's. I sure do miss them. I believe it was 1976ish. I was so into Ham Radio, I didn't know anything else existed. It was time for me to get my drivers licence. Everbody was studying the manuals. Me to, except it was the novice ham radio licence manual. My fellow high school student thought I was an Idiot. I told them, "I would rather get the ham licence than the driving permit". I was fortunate enough to get both.
WB7QDU was my tag. I had a heath reciever, and two transmitters. One was heath, and one was an EF Johnson Viking something. I've forgotten the model #'s but they were all tube units. I had coax running out the basement door, and up a tree. I was lucky enough to have two trees, and on telephone pole on the side yard. I cut my enameled wire lengths, and had all the insulators I would need. I went up the center tree, hooked onto a W2AU Balun, Split off to 40 & 80 meter dipoles (wire lengths). I was playing around with trees here, and the wind does blow. So I hooked up some springs on the wire antenna end insulators. The wind would blow, and I would have no problems. What a bunch of fun. I remember working Japan, and collecting the Q-cards. I even still have the EF Johnson rig out in my shed. I seem to have lost my Q-cards though. I still have some old manuals, and some sheets of paper, with some of my CW conversation. It was code then for the Novice. Still remember my tag, .-- -... --... --.- -.. ..-
I was looking at the Heathkit section on ebay. All of a sudden all this radio gear started showing up on the screen. I started feeling the old magic. Then I realized how small the world has gotten, and I can reach into my pocket, and dial Japan on my cell phone. I was a little sad. The world is just to small now. I've still got the magic tucked away in my memories though. I was a much simpler time "those days"...:tears:
WB7QDU was my tag. I had a heath reciever, and two transmitters. One was heath, and one was an EF Johnson Viking something. I've forgotten the model #'s but they were all tube units. I had coax running out the basement door, and up a tree. I was lucky enough to have two trees, and on telephone pole on the side yard. I cut my enameled wire lengths, and had all the insulators I would need. I went up the center tree, hooked onto a W2AU Balun, Split off to 40 & 80 meter dipoles (wire lengths). I was playing around with trees here, and the wind does blow. So I hooked up some springs on the wire antenna end insulators. The wind would blow, and I would have no problems. What a bunch of fun. I remember working Japan, and collecting the Q-cards. I even still have the EF Johnson rig out in my shed. I seem to have lost my Q-cards though. I still have some old manuals, and some sheets of paper, with some of my CW conversation. It was code then for the Novice. Still remember my tag, .-- -... --... --.- -.. ..-
I was looking at the Heathkit section on ebay. All of a sudden all this radio gear started showing up on the screen. I started feeling the old magic. Then I realized how small the world has gotten, and I can reach into my pocket, and dial Japan on my cell phone. I was a little sad. The world is just to small now. I've still got the magic tucked away in my memories though. I was a much simpler time "those days"...:tears:
