Beginnings

Back in the dawn of time, I decided that I wanted to become a ham radio operator. I think I must have been around 16 or 17 (I’m nearly 65 as of this writing). I really don’t remember why I wanted to do so, but for some reason I did. I made a trip to Cain Electronics, the local electronics supplier, who had some ham equipment and books, and purchased the Novice study manual. I studied and studied and finally had the book learning down pat, but I was still sweating blood over the 5wpm code.

When I thought I had the code learned, I made a trip to the FCC office for the written and code tests. I aced the written test, but I guess a bad case of the nerves did me in on the code test. So, back to the code tapes. Not magnetic tapes back then … I had rented a code practice machine via mail order that used punched paper tape.

After another month, I was back at the FCC to try it again. Once again, I passed the written test (no certificates for passing previously in those days). I copied the code as best I could (still very nervous), and handed my paper to the examiner. I really didn’t feel good about my copy. Amazingly, I passed! I walked out and started my wait for the license in the mail from the FCC. Several weeks later, it arrived! I had my license!

I got on the air as soon as I could get the equipment together. I had ordered a Heathkit DX-100B CW/AM transmitter from AES in Milwaukee, and had a Lafayette receiver, and a dipole antenna. The DX-100B was a huge boat anchor, and used a crystal for frequency control. It would put out 100 watts. I only had two crystals for the Novice bands, so if QRM was bad, I didn’t have many places to run!

My first QSO was with another WN4 whose call is lost in the mists of time. Suffice it to say, I was a bit nervous. As it turned out, it was only his second QSO, and I still don’t know how we managed to send any readable code to each other!

I kept up with my hamming for a year, but eventually other things that matter more to a young man pushed it aside (girls, jobs, cars, school, work, etc.). I let my license lapse. Back in those days, the Novice licence was good for 1 year and was not renewable. You either upgraded or went QRT. I didn’t take up the hobby again until I had done a tour in the Navy and started working for a contractor in the Seychelles Islands (VQ9). More on that later!