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eHam.net Survey
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Survey Question
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How did you "Discover" Ham Radio?
Posted: Aug 26, 2007
(2517 votes, 165 comments)
by VK5LA
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Survey Results
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My Dad was a Ham...
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8% (196)
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I'm a former CB'er...
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17% (417)
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From short wave listening...
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24% (592)
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At School...
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6% (149)
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Saw it displayed/demonstrated...
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5% (116)
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Just always been fascinated by Radio
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30% (749)
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Other - Tell us!
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12% (298)
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Survey Comments
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Home brewing is far from dead
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I used to pass by a car on my way home from elementary school in 1960. I finally got to ask the owner what the antenna and the "Gonset" boxes in his car were all about. He told me that he could chat with his brother in Florida from here in Michigan while driving his car. I was HOOKED ! I asked if I could do that too he said sure when you get old enough to get a drivers license. In the meantime I could get a ham license and talk to people all over the world from my basement. Good enough. John , K8KMX became my Elmer and taught me a lot about home brewing gear. Great times for sure.
Contrary to popular (mis)proclaimations, home brewing of ham gear is still quite alive and very well indeed. Class E and D transmitters are extremely efficient both in size and energy consumption. The K7DYY transmitter is but the size of a cigar box, weighs about 5 pounds including the power supply and puts out a beautiful near legal limit signal !
Posted by
KB8QEN
on September 23, 2009
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Discovering ham?
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When I was in my 20's, I went for my radio-telephone license test in NYC. I had so much coffee that morning, I had to leave the test un-finished, to relieve myself. They did not let me back in. So 20 years later, my YL and I were attending a computer fest. When we arrived at the site, there was a group of hams and a beautiful satellite tranceiver on the table. I asked about the radio, and within 2 hours, I had taken the class and walked out of there with my CSCE in hand. I had completely forgotten why I was there for in the first place. Anyway, after all those years, I was finally going to be getting on the air! I was actually one of those people I used to listen to. Now, to 'pay it forward', I became a VE! My YL and 4 out of my 5 kids, (so far), are now hams too. I learned that it is never too late to become what you otherwise might've been.
Posted by
NJ5R
on June 24, 2008
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Ham
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I was always interested and tinkering as a kid with radio and electronic's which led me to join the British Army (Royal Signals), an obvious choice for me - as a Radio Telegraphist, HF/VHF/UHF high power TX with CW, RTTY (Teleprinter) and voice, so I regard my Professional Qualifications as the backbone for my Amatuer Licence.
2e0aiv
UK Station.
Posted by
2E0AIV
on April 4, 2008
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My boss said, "Get this license"
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I was working as an instructor in a bioterrorism/disaster preparedness department of a university hospital, when my boss got a multimillion dollar grant and handed me an ARRL study guide and said "get this ham license; the test is 3 days from now." I was always interested in electronics and radio, and this was a great incentive. I passed, and my boss bought >$100K in equipment.
The project fizzled (grants are fickle) but it was fun while it lasted.
Posted by
KB3MRU
on March 2, 2008
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other
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My grandfather was a ham and I went on a trip with him to meet some of his ham buddies. then in turn I became a ham.
Posted by
KB3LAZ
on February 4, 2008
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KS4XN
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My good friend John posted a note about me helping him get started in ham radio. Well, after doing the CB thing, etc, John just took off, and I think he had his Extra ticket in a year.
I actually got interested in Ham radio as an adult. Maybe some of you remember the particularily brutal student murders in Gainesville Fl a few years back. I wanted to keep track of the police activity and bought a new police scanner. Lo and behold, I heard guys talking FM on 2 meters and started to look into how they did that. Got my tech ticket a few months later.
73
Chuck KE4GRP
Posted by
KE4GRP
on November 28, 2007
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I saw my Granpa's old GRUNDIG SW RCVR when I was 4. Then I got interested in ham radio because...
ch14 super-regen h-ts when I was 5 I was into electronics anyway Saw that Munsters 1966 episode.Ya know the episode where Herman Munster just gets a ham ticket and gets spooked by a bunch of kids on a CB H-T. I guess that means Herman was "free banding". Hermans rig was a bunch of tubes with a old record player speaker. Guess "Grampa Munster" had an excellent junk box in his lab/dungeon!
Posted by
WA2JJH
on November 10, 2007
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Mom...
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My Mom made me look it up one day after hearing about it . She had it confused with CB radio, So i found it interesting thought about it and forgot . Then i found my other hobby of Antique Radio collecting thats when i learned more and decided to get my ticket.My Dad is a electrician and got me interested in electronics and electricity. So i blame my parents!
Posted by
VO1GXG
on September 30, 2007
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a little of each
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My dad was a ham, but I didn't get my ticket until my late 30s party to reclaim my late father's call sign, partly as a back up communication option on offroad trips (inspired after being "rescued" by a Ham one trip). Now I do it just for fun.
Posted by
WA4DQS
on September 25, 2007
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The "Radio Boys"
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In the mid 1950's, I was a student in a Catholic high school. The school library was minimalist and the books were already antiques. I found several books of the "Radio Boys" series, circa 1920's. They were a great influence, in spite of already being thirty-years old.
In fact, I have a half dozen originals picked up from several book dealers over the years.
These are 1920's, pre-comic book vintage. The grammer and vocabulary were adult in content though the audience was mean't to be young fellows between thirteen and seventeen years of age.
I wonder if the vast majority of, say, today's fifteen year-olds, would have difficulty following the text.
Posted by
W2RDD
on September 20, 2007
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Other: Sears Catalog
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I was 13 years old and saw the Hallicrafters SX140 and HT40 pair advertised in the 1962 or 1963 Sears Roebuck catalog. My dad (who was not a ham) said that if I passed the test, he would buy them for me. I passed my test in June of 1964, but my dad never held to his promise (I guess he never thought I could do it).
Posted by
WB6SSW
on September 20, 2007
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How I discovered Ham radio
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In the summer of 1982 I read a newspaper article in the Detroit Free Press about the Russian Woodpecker, the over the horizon radar that was interfearing with the ham bands (I still have the article). That article piqued my interest so I checked out some books on ham radio at the library in my hometown of Romeo Michigan and recieved my Novice license that fall while attending Southern Illinois Univ. at Carbondale.
N7OAY
Phoenix, AZ
Posted by
N7OAY
on September 20, 2007
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KE4GRP
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I worked with a guy, Chuck, Ke4grp, who first wanted me to dig out my old mobile cb radio and talk to him. But I talk to you all day at work...ok, did that. next he got his Ham license and kept talking to me about it. I was about 44 yrs old and nodding my head, uh huh, uh huh. But once I started reading and checking things out I was hooked and owe hime a big debt of gratitude.
73 de John, ks4xn
Posted by
KS4XN
on September 20, 2007
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other
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As a ten year old kid I wanted to talk to my neighbor across a well traveled road. I got a schematic at the library and went to a local tv/radio shop for help and the owner and all the employees were hams. They taught me the code.
stan ak0b
Posted by
AK0B
on September 19, 2007
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Discovering Ham Radio
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Back in 1968, I was about 11 years old, and my sister was in the Peace Corps stationed in Colombia S.A. My father had a friend who was a ham; W8NBK, Arkie Reichman. Arkie invited us out to his house one Sunday, and we watched him find an HK3 station in Bogota, Colombia. That ham luckily had a phone patch and was able to call my sister on the land line. We got to speak to her that day for free. (International telephone reates in those days were quite expensive) Anyway, the whole experience fascinated me, and with Arkie's and a few others' assistance, I got my Novice ticket about two years later. Oh the memories!
Posted by
W8KF
on September 19, 2007
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started young
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I was just learning to read when I chekced a book out of my elementary school library that was called " Fun Time Radio Building." From that I built my first "Fox Hole" receiver from a razorblade, a cardboard TP tube and some wire. I think I was 6 years old at the time. The book also had plans for a 1 tube trasmitter and a regenerative receiver.
Posted by
W2DLC
on September 19, 2007
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Yard Sale Bonus
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I was 12, and already an avid SWL when I came across a collection of ancient ARRL guides and QST magazines at a neighbor's yard sale. This led to finding out that my uncle had been an amateur since the 1940s, and that he, his wife, and several of his kids were also hams. They were more than happy to help me out with code and theory tapes, and even sent me a communications receiver to assist in my learning CW. It took about a year for me to get my novice, and to develop a great love for radio in general.
During my first summer as a ham, I built a 15 meter dipole, which I carried around and rebuilt throughout many years. It was connected to my HW 8, which I picked up at a Hamfest in Tampa FL in 1977. While away in Wisconsin at school during my Freshman year in HS, I had that antenna on the roof and kept that radio in a utility closet to pull out and use when I could get some free time. Imagine my surprise to find that one of the Brothers at the seminary was a ham, and that he was one of several members of a family of hams with stations all over the US and South America.
I lost touch with the hobby during my late 20s through work and marriage, and was away for a while before picking up again in 2001 and finally going through the upgrade to Tech and then to General a few weeks later. It has been a great experience to come back to radio and find so many people that have the same love for it that I once had. Sometimes I miss my HW8 and straight key that got me through many years at different home addresses, but were it not for that yard sale, I would most likely have missed out on something that has been with me through more of my life than anything else.
Posted by
K2TJO
on September 18, 2007
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Computer Clubs
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Back in the 80s, we had these things called computer users' groups. They were a bizarre mix of kids, retirees, and middle aged hams. I was one of the kids, but was fascinated by what the hams were doing and would listen to them on the scanner. 20 years later I finally got of my butt and got my license.
Posted by
KI4WAF
on September 18, 2007
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Other..
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I think I was shocked into this hobby. My fledgling experimentation with electricity at around age 8 came to a peak when I hooked my Lionel train transformer to a Ford ignition coil and then stuck a nail in the high voltage socket. Did you know that you can actually throw a 16 penny nail hard enough to stick solidly in a roof if you do this? The next was Cub Scouts, where I built an audio amp from plans in Boy's Life Magazine. This transformerless 120 VAC powered project today would probably be considered felony child abuse or at least endangerment. A long list of projects, fueled by discarded TV sets, finally getting a ham ticket over 38 years ago, and teaching me a skill that lead into steady employment has kept me occupied for a long time. Have several other interests that take precedent now, mostly metal work, but hamming has always be the bedrock interest.
Charlie, W4MEC in NC
Posted by
W4MEC
on September 18, 2007
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Boy Scouts
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Signalling was a requirement for 2nd class in Boy Scouts (circa 1970). You had a choice of sending and receiving a message with either Morse Code (5 WPM) or semaphore. My scoutmaster was a ham and encouraged all of us to select the Morse Code option and then use what we learned to get our Novice tickets.
Posted by
N9GL
on September 18, 2007
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Kenny Bakhaus-K8PAO
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I want to correct my 30Aug07 note. Kenny Bakhaus/K8PAO is the reason I am a hammy radio operator today. I work Kenny from time to time... even last field day! Kenny now lives in Stanwood Michigan. Thankyou Kenny Bakhaus! 73 es God bless, murf/WV4R.
Posted by
WV4R
on September 17, 2007
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Bootlegging on old TV parts
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In 1972, when I was 15 years old, a buddy and I pooled our money and bought a dozen defunct TV's from a repair shop that was closing. We built our stereos and lots of other gear from that treasure trove of tubes, transformers and parts that were clipped out.
My buddy and I each made an AM transmitter out of those junk parts. They were crystal controlled and operated on random frequencies using surplus crystals. We just picked a frequency that seemed clear enough to avoid interference and also far enough away from the receive frequency that we could run full "duplex", key down all night while we chatted across the three blocks between our houses.
We both had heard about ham radio but never managed to hook up with anyone who could help us along. I learned code with the help of a record from Radio Shack and listening to 40 meters on an surplus ARC-5 receiver. After messing around with the study guides and a Handbook for a couple of years, we finally found someone who would test us. Licensed at last!
Bootlegging from my bedroom and waiting for that knock on the door by the FCC was a lot of fun...almost as much fun as breaking the useless picture tubes from all those junk TVs. But it never compared to the thrill of my first licensed CW contact over the unheard of distance of nearly 200 miles. Woo hoo!
Over the years, I met my wonderful wife through ham radio on Field Day. Our son got his ticket when he was nine, and when he made his first contact, he exclaimed "My butt's tingling!". I know what you mean, man.
Posted by
W0BX
on September 17, 2007
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Accidentally
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Never knew about ham radio until I was playing with my dads multiband transistorized portable made ca. 1968. Found out I could get more sw stations with a wire antenna. Accidentally stumbled across an old timers AM net on 160 one morning.(no SSB det.) Started reading the mail on these guys for a long time and finally figured out what they were. Got into electronics and it went downhill from there, picking up momentum!
Posted by
W8AAZ
on September 16, 2007
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Barry Goldwater
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It seems to me I always knew about ham radio. Obviously I wasn't born with this knowledge, and no one in my family was a ham, but I have known about am radio as long as I can remember. I always assumed it was fairly common knowledge.
But I especially recall an interview with Barry Goldwater. Behind him was his ham radio station. At one point in the conversation it came up and he commented upon it briefly. I was hooked! Then he was asked how much it cost. $10,000 or $30,000 is was I recall as his reply. (In what? 1968? 74?) At that point I gave up ham radio. I decided I would look into it once I became a Senator ;)
There you go. The early beginning and end of ham radio all contained within the same interview.
Posted by
N0EW
on September 16, 2007
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radio always had my ear
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When I was about six or so, my Uncle had a Grundig SW receiver and when I would visit I would lock myself in a dark corner somewhere and spend hours tuning the bands to see what I could hear.
I wound up with CB walkie talkies a few years later and got my hands on my first soldering iron and stuck a loop antenna on to the feed on the board to try and reach farther out with them. It actually worked for about a mile or so anyway.
None of the rest of the family really understood my obsession with radio or technology in general so it was harder to get the information I needed pre-internet.
I decided to get back into radio and circuits recently, pushing 40, and found the internet had anything I needed to know to get moving. Finally licensed after all these years and glad I did it. Never too late to get started.
Posted by
KC2RGW
on September 16, 2007
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As a boy W1AE, George Sterling, lived on Peaks Island in Maine where I grew up. I often looked with wonder at his tower and was invited into his shack one day when he saw me gazing at his antenna. This was 1964 and radios then "glowed in the dark" and had that wonderful smell of hot tubes coated with a layer of dust. What a great aroma filled George's shack! I was hooked as soon as he called CQ and had a QSO with a ham in Texas.
Flash forward many years; in 1997 I was granted George's old call. I was about to return to Peaks Island after a nasty divorce. What happenstance! W1AE was back on the air from Peaks Island once again! That caused quite a stir in the local ham ranks I can attest! Now I'm in Pensacola, Florida having followed my first love whom I met in college and with whom I made reconnection in 2003. W1AE is still "on the air" and there isn't a time I say the call that I don't get a kick out of the happenstance of my having the call of my "Elmer".
Posted by
W1AE
on September 16, 2007
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I started listening to the AM bcb when I was 7, I was just fascinated with hearing those "distant" am stations. I then got a pair of cb walkie talkies and enjoyed them. Went into cb as a teenager, the people were horrible toward me. I left c.b. went into monitoring scanners in my late teens. In my early adult life (late 70's) I bought a shortwave receiver from Radio Shack, listened to DX stations through out the world. I really enjoyed the ham bands, but for the next 20 years I never lived where I could have much more of an antenna than the McKay Dymek antenna. For quite awhile before the Mckay Dymek antenna I had wire strung around a spare bedroom from 4 planter poles located in each corner, my ex-wife said I was nuts and loved that radio more than her. I lost most of what I owned through a bad divorce. 6 months ago went back to swl, and see what I have missed. I found out the code requirement was gone, and I hated cw. I tried out the ham test online training site, and signed up. Today 9-15-07, I went to an ARRL exam session, and passed the technician test with 1 wrong, the general with 0 wrong, and the extra with 1 wrong. I am so excited at the ripe age of 48. I am hoping my ham experience is better than my cb experience. The future is mine!
Posted by
DAVIDVD59
on September 15, 2007
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Discovering Ham Radio
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When I was 14 or so a neighbor that I cut grass for showed me their new "transistorized" shortwave radio. I got hooked listening to local marine traffic on 2 Mcs. This was followed by a Hallicrafters S-108 for Christmas (from Sears of all places) and a copy of the ARRL handbook a few months later. A lot of SWL QSL cards later and help from Andy Anderson (K5GFB - SK) I got a novice ticket of the 1 year upgrade or get off the air variety. That was something like 1966.
My dad was an army radio operator who taught me some tricks for copying CW though he himself never showed much interest in ham radio.
Posted by
N5LB
on September 15, 2007
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Scared straight by the FCC
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I got advice from an FCC Field Engineer to get my Amateur License. Read on.....
My Dad gave his old tube type CB back in the early 70's. I really got into it, but since I was only in elementary school, I didn't have much money to expand my station, so I worked weekends to save up money, upgraded my quarter wave ground plane antenna and bought a 5 element beam and rotor, and eventually even bought a 100 watt RF amplifier even though I knew it was illegal. I was talking all over the place, exchanging QSL cards, meeting a lot of new people, having a good time despite our neighbors complaining about TVI. One night, after a nice QSO on a split channel (ch-22a), there was a knock on the door and my Mom came and got me and said someone wanted to talk to me. It was the FCC and they wanted to inspect my station. At first, the two engineers were very serious and told me that I (or really my Mom since it was her CB license) was in a lot of trouble. But after talking with my Mom who said she thought the radio was good for me and it kept me "off the streets", and I was really a good kid, the Field Engineers started to relax a little and said "son, if I were you, I would study and get your Ham Radio License. You can do all of this legally." So out of fear, I took his advice, studied and got my Amateur Radio License. It all turned out for the better, the FCC later reduced my violations from four to two. My Mom said paying the fine was worth it to teach me a good lesson. I've been licensed now for 33 years, still really enjoy the hobby
Posted by
N6DSP
on September 14, 2007
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Scared straight by the FCC
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I got advice from an FCC Field Engineer to get my Amateur License. Read on.....
My Dad gave his old tube type CB back in the early 70's. I really got into it, but since I was only in elementary school, I didn't have much money to expand my station, so I worked weekends to save up money, upgraded my quarter wave ground plane antenna and bought a 5 element beam and rotor, and eventually even bought a 100 watt RF amplifier even though I knew it was illegal. I was talking all over the place, exchanging QSL cards, meeting a lot of new people, having a good time despite our neighbors complaining about TVI. One night, after a nice QSO on a split channel (ch-22a), there was a knock on the door and my Mom came and got me and said someone wanted to talk to me. It was the FCC and they wanted to inspect my station. At first, the two engineers were very serious and told me that I (or really my Mom since it was her CB license) was in a lot of trouble. But after talking with my Mom who said she thought the radio was good for me and it kept me "off the streets", and I was really a good kid, the Field Engineers started to relax a little and said "son, if I were you, I would study and get your Ham Radio License. You can do all of this legally." So out of fear, I took his advice, studied and got my Amateur Radio License. It all turned out for the better, the FCC later reduced my violations from four to two. My Mom said paying the fine was worth it to teach me a good lesson. I've been licensed now for 33 years, still really enjoy the hobby
Posted by
N6DSP
on September 14, 2007
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How did you discover Ham radio
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My discovery of Ham radio was my mothers fascination with Long distance AM stations.
Listening to them alwas gave her a thrill.
I got the bug as a kid. I was alwas banna's about movies with the radio operator/ship.
I made a toy transmitter as a kid. When i started sixth grade i started reading Electronic hobby books and gained a lot of knowledge. took several school base licenseing courses But never got to take the the test for the novice ticket. Finally after a coming back from saudi in late 80's
I went work for a company that was ham radio savy. I got licensed by a woman electrical engineer. before I got my novice ticket i up graded at a licenseing session and got my tech plus. Took almost 3 years to get the code speed up to 22wpm to get extra class.
Also i went onto fullfill a life time dream of working as a radio officer in u.s mercahnt marine. I still get a thrill working CW. because it is bare bones basic radio. Wish i had gotten my ham licese in high school would have gone onto to get my EE degree. I think ham radio is one of the best hobbies a person can have. You help in diasters and have fun just talking to people around he world. That is a blast.
73's
KK6AS
Posted by
KK6AS
on September 14, 2007
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Fascinated by radio
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I have always been fascinated by radio. I discovered DXing by listening to distant AM stations in the early 70s. I learned there were other people doing the same thing and I eventually joined several SWL clubs by the early 1980s. I became very interested in the organized aspects of SWL/AM DXing and started QSLing, keeping a log, etc.
In 1986, while in college, I was randomly paired up with a roommate who happened to be a ham. He knew of my interest in SWL and one day invited me to the college's ham club station during November Sweepstakes (the Purdue Amateur Radio Club, W9YB). I became seriously interested in getting my novice ticket and began to learn the code and written material but got too busy with school to do much with it.
By 1988, after finishing college, I picked up where I had left off, got my novice ticket and eventually upgraded to Extra. I'm very active today chasing DX on CW and enjoy it as much today as when I first started.
Can't imagine not being a ham.
Posted by
KB9BIT
on September 14, 2007
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When Radio Shack sold radios, I received a set of CB HTs for christmas from my dad. They were those Space Patrol with the Morse "button"... I was nine years old, and promptly caught the bug. Later, when I was 12, my dad put up a Hustler 27-TD quarter wave ground plane on the roof and a GE mobile(tweaked and peaked) in the house, complete with a Turner +3B power mic. I had a blast using it to talk to people around town and to my dad when I was "out and about". He could keep tabs on me and tell me when it was time to come home. My friends thought it was really cool and got some of their own. That was the first "club" I ever belonged to. We had a blast.
"Can you hear me now?" was one of our favorite activities. Seems like we could talk to each other from all over town. Even in a smallish town(2000 people), it was still a thrill. I regularly talked to him from the top of Mammoth Mountain when I went skiing on the weekends. My dad encouraged me by buying all the nine-volt batteries I needed(on top of my weekly allowance-sweet!).
Later came SWL and police scanners...
I carry the CB bug even to this day, and use it along side my ham gear, so I can talk to local non-hams and truckers on the freeway nearby. I use the same operating practices on CB as I do on ham bands. I end up answering a lot of ham related questions from my CB friends, and some have actually began to study up on ham. Even my dad is studying up. Looks like I get to be an Elmer!
I currently operate on four bands: 10, 11, 2M and 440... I also use MURS, FRS, any radio I can get my hands on...
All of this because one father bought a CB for a child. Thanks, Dad.
Posted by
KF6HCD
on September 13, 2007
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Still Enjoying It
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Up until high school, I didn't even know there was something called Amateur Radio. I joined the electronics club in high school and one of the other members was a ham. We would occasionally go to his house after school and I would watch/listen to him work the world on 15 and 10 (this was in the late 1950's). The bug bit hard and I've been at it ever since 1961.
Posted by
K3AN
on September 13, 2007
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Radios Are Magic
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I built a crystal radio in Cub Scouts and I liked that it could pull audio out of the air and it didn't take batteries.
I bought a Hallicrafters Shortwave radio in 1955 with my paperroute money and listened to radio Moscow and other stations including hams.
When I got in the Air Force I got my license, KN1TLG (Novice) and later WB6DKG.
I did that in 1961. I let my license lapse and then due to WA6NAE (Dwight SK) I go going again in 1975, first on CW then 2 meters to commute. Monthly motorcycle/camping trailer outings with the ham gear was fun. If he he did not make the ride then I would fill him in on 80 meter CW.
We backpacked together and talked all over with a Heathkit HW-8.
I still love CW, have a Icom 703 and build QRP kits from the Pixe to the Soft Rock 40.
In California the commutes are brutal at times, talking on the radio and the time and miles fly by.
Ron
WD6CIM
Posted by
WD6CIM
on September 12, 2007
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Discover Ham Radio
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It was my co-worker Al, W8GEJ, who convinced
me, that I should become a ham radio operator. He said, "you like to build stuff
then you will really like ham radio". Al
was and is correct. Glad I listened to him.
Posted by
N9DWE
on September 12, 2007
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Other
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Boy Scout troop making walking staffs, had to woodburn morse code onto one side of it. Got the 1975 Handbook, life got in the way,turn the page to 1990 and got my Novice.
Posted by
W9VHE
on September 11, 2007
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Uncle Larry
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Uncle Larry gave me a tobacco stained book that smelled like cigar smoke and said, "Study this so we can talk to each other." I was only 13 years old, and when I opened the book up at school, I got accused of smoking. My middle school science teacher used to take it away from me for studying it during class instead of paying attention to her life science lesson. I hated biology. Electronics are way more fun.
Posted by
K4JJL
on September 11, 2007
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Cousin was a Ham!
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I got interested into Amateur Radio through my cousin, Sergio (WP4CFZ). His family owns a plumbing and construction business and they used to use CB's for communications, eventually he got his ticket.
I learned from him and the use on the radio and as a child I was always been interested in electronics and radio, so much that I eventually graduated as a Computer Engineer.
I eventually got my ticket, after I graduated college.
Posted by
N2ZXE
on September 11, 2007
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GrandMother
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When I was about 9 or 10 years old, my Grandmother had this HUGE Philco AM radio in her bedroom that I loved to listen to. One day, I decided to move the tuning dial and heard a station from far away. My Grandmother had always been interested in radio and electronics, as my Grandfather had been a telegrapher for Western Union and they built radios together WAY back when.
Anyway, she got me interested in radio and on my 10th birthday, I received a Zenith TransOceanic radio which I listened to all the time.
One day I heard a bunch of guys and gals talking back and forth and my Grandmother explained that they were "hams." I knew right there and then that I had to be one of them.
My father had been a radio operator in WWII so he taught me the Morse Code and Leo Meyerson of WRL fame held free classes at his store right across the bridge in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Got my novice April 23rd, 1959.
Posted by
K0TVD
on September 10, 2007
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How I got started
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As a kid in the 50's, I would listen to my grandfather's old floor model Sear's Truetone AM shortwave radio. Heard lots of SW broadcast stations but no hams. Later my grandfather purchased a small desktop SW radio for me for Christmas; and on Christmas day around 1957 I heard my first hams rag chewing on AM mode. I was 'hooked'. As a result, I got my novice in 1963 and have been fairly active since.
K4YRK
Knoxville, TN
Posted by
K4YRK
on September 10, 2007
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Other
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My Dad had a radio on the shelf in the garage that he used to talk to people on in places I never heard of. That started it. Then Dad and Mom bought a shortwave radio for me when I was in grade school. Then the USAF let me play radio in the wing command posts where I was stationed in the cold war and I did location and sit-rep reports with the long range bombers and other aircraft. Also was a security controller in the USAF.
It was all downhill from there.
Still playing with radios as the COMM officer in a small police department in Idaho.
I now have HF radios coming out my ears, truck, Jeep, house, backpack, even ATV if I pack it right!
Posted by
N7IBC
on September 9, 2007
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Missed "the wonder years"
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After reading so many stories from people who got their licenses as a kid in the 50s or 60s, I really wish I could have done that. Looking back, I came so close...
My one grandfather had a ham friend and I think I visited his shack once or twice in the 60's when I was about 10. (I vaguely remember some green radios...) But either I was too shy to really express my interest or the ham was not inclined to be an elmer.
My other grandfather was an electrician and then a teacher at a vocational school in NYC. He used to fix TVs and radios and I hung out with him a lot and tinkered. But he was not a ham and probably didn't know much about it.
I knew a lot more about electricity and electronics than most kids and was always tinkering with something. I could solder, do basic repairs, and built som little kits and circuits but never really understood radio.
In '75 I got into CB and had fun with it until CB went downhill at the end of the 70's. But even though I could have joined the radio club at college (RIT) I didn't get my license until I got out of college.
I joined the local club, went to their Novice class, learned the code, bassed the test, and then upgraded.
It has been fun, but I feel like I missed "the wonder years" of being a ham. I am also sure it would have helped me in school by giving me more of an incentive to be attentive in math class...
Posted by
KC2WI
on September 9, 2007
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Before I was born, Dad would hold a small speaker to my mom's tummy playing Morse Code...
Then I was born, I looked at him and said DAH DAH!
Posted by
K7FD
on September 9, 2007
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Before I was born, Dad would hold a small speaker to my mom's tummy playing Morse Code...
Then I was born, I looked at him and said DAH DAH!
Posted by
K7FD
on September 9, 2007
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Former CBer? correction
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Sorry, that's the MIKO (Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio)net. There's guys checking-in from Illinois and Pennsylvania too. Sometimes other states too.
Posted by
KB8QLR
on September 9, 2007
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Former CBer?
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Former CBer is what a checked, and I see I'm not alone, but we're not the majority. When I was in my early teens, my parents bought a pair of Arvin walkie-talkies for Christmas. With another kid down the street, we started experimenting trying to increase the range of the antenna by attaching wire to it with a homemade clip. Didn't work of course. Came the CB boom of the 1970's...I think I was one of the last people to get a CB license from the FCC (KNT1324). Wasn't satisfied with the limited range of AM CB, so graduated to SSB. Lost interest in CB when computers came along. That's how I met Bob N8UOQ who told me about the no-code tech license. So, I bought a book and passed the exam one week before my 40th b-day. Got my call KB8QLR 6 weeks later. My first contact was another guy named Bob WA8BUL (SK). February 2007 saw the end of the code, so I upgraded to General and am having fun on HF.
You can hear me on the MICO net 3920khz M-F 8:30 EST and the Wolverine net. 73 Joe
Posted by
KB8QLR
on September 9, 2007
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Other
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I was fortunate enough to live next door to a ham, Bob Griffith, W2ZUC, I was fascinated by his big tribander antenna and the mobile ARC5
in his 51 Ford convertable. Bob gave me an ARRL license manual and I was off to learn code and a bit of theory. My first real elmer was Fred Gemmill whose call I can't remember. Fred helped me with cw and gave me my novice exam in 56. He also showed me how to tune the Heathkit AT 1 I had built (I didn't know that "dipping" the plate current meant tuning for minimum). I can't thank these 2 gentlemen for starting a 12 year old
kid on such a wonderful hobby.
Larry W4LWZ
Posted by
W4LWZ
on September 8, 2007
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Mom's broken AM radio!
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When I was 11 years old, my mom had an AM transistor radio that she knocked off the table and it no longer worked. Even back then I was a geek...I didn't have many friends (my choice) and I had a whole summer to investigate stuff! Being naturally inquisitive about things, I asked mom if I could have the radio. I wanted to take it apart and see what made it work. As I recall, it was an ugly blue "bracelet" radio made by Panasonic. I took the covers off and noticed that a wire was no longer connected to a metal tab that stuck out of a plastic box on the backside of the tuning dial. Knowing nothing about soldering, or electronics, I stripped the end of the wire and wrapped it as tightly as I could around the metal tab (it looked like it should have been "welded" but I didn't know how I would "weld" it back on). Lo and behold! The radio came back to life. Then the real fun began. I noticed that there were some small adjustment screws of some kind on the back of this "plastic box". I found a small screwdriver and decided to see what would happen when I turned these screws. To my amazement, I began picking up distant AM stations...several from Canada! Then I noticed these shiny, square, metal cans with what appeared to be an adjustment "screw" recessed down inside of them. There was no question about it, my little screwdriver was destined to make friends with these little cans! The Canadian AM broadcast stations went away and were replaced by a whole host of other bizzare noises and broadcasts in languages I had never heard! What had I done?! I knew right away that what I was hearing came from overseas, but how was this possible? Did I accidentally "boost" the receiving power of this ugly little radio? So I listened, day and night, for several days in a row. I tuned the dial around until I heard someone speaking English. I heard broadcasts from Radio Canada International, The Voice of America, The BBC, and Radio Moscow, to name a few. It didn't take long to learn what international shortwave was all about. However, there were other sounds. Odd, "Donald Duck" sounding noises. Clearly, people were having conversations back and forth, but I couldn't hear the words clearly. So, I listened (my ears were MUCH better then). If I listened carefully, while holding the tuning dial just right, I could make out what these folks were talking about. That was my first introduction to Ham radio. By the end of that summer, I BEGGED my mother to buy me a proper shortwave receiver with a BFO. As I recall, my Christmas present that year was a Realistic DX-66. I can assure you, by the time it was retired, it was a member of the "million-mile" club! From that humble beginning, I went on to become a Ham, received a degree in Electronics Engineering, and established a career as an RF Engineer with a global corporation...and now I am on the brink of starting my own RF Engineering/consulting company. I wonder how things would have turned out had my mom never knocked that ugly little radio onto the floor all those years ago.
Posted by
KF4LVC
on September 7, 2007
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Dad's coworker and CB
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My Dad's coworker at the power plant (W9GOW, SK) intro'd me to amateur radio when I was about 7 years old, around the same time my folks got into CB radio, back in the days of General Radiotelephone, Webster, Courier and other tube type rigs. Was an interesting time for a 7 year old (1962).
Posted by
KA9NYN
on September 7, 2007
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Mom's broken AM radio!
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When I was 11 years old, my mom had an AM transistor radio that she knocked off the table and it no longer worked. Even back then I was a geek...I didn't have many friends (my choice) and I had a whole summer to investigate stuff! Being naturally inquisitive about things, I asked mom if I could have the radio. I wanted to take it apart and see what made it work. As I recall, it was an ugly blue "bracelet" radio made by Panasonic. I took the covers off and noticed that a wire was no longer connected to a metal tab that stuck out of a plastic box on the backside of the tuning dial. Knowing nothing about soldering, or electronics, I stripped the end of the wire and wrapped it as tightly as I could around the metal tab (it looked like it should have been "welded" but I didn't know how I would "weld" it back on). Lo and behold! The radio came back to life. Then the real fun began. I noticed that there were some small adjustment screws of some kind on the back of this "plastic box". I found a small screwdriver and decided to see what would happen when I turned these screws. To my amazement, I began picking up distant AM stations...several from Canada! Then I noticed these shiny, square, metal cans with what appeared to be an adjustment "screw" recessed down inside of them. There was no question about it, my little screwdriver was destined to make friends with these little cans! The Canadian AM broadcast stations went away and were replaced by a whole host of other bizzare noises and broadcasts in languages I had never heard! What had I done?! I knew right away that what I was hearing came from overseas, but how was this possible? Did I accidentally "boost" the receiving power of this ugly little radio? So I listened, day and night, for several days in a row. I tuned the dial around until I heard someone speaking English. I heard broadcasts from Radio Canada International, The Voice of America, The BBC, and Radio Moscow, to name a few. It didn't take long to learn what international shortwave was all about. However, there were other sounds. Odd, "Donald Duck" sounding noises. Clearly, people were having conversations back and forth, but I couldn't hear the words clearly. So, I listened (my ears were MUCH better then). If I listened carefully, while holding the tuning dial just right, I could make out what these folks were talking about. That was my first introduction to Ham radio. By the end of that summer, I BEGGED my mother to buy me a proper shortwave receiver with a BFO. As I recall, my Christmas present that year was a Realistic DX-66. I can assure you, by the time it was retired, it was a member of the "million-mile" club! From that humble beginning, I went on to become a Ham, received a degree in Electronics Engineering, and established a career as an RF Engineer with a global corporation...and now I am on the brink of starting my own RF Engineering/consulting company. I wonder how things would have turned out had my mom never knocked that ugly little radio onto the floor all those years ago.
Posted by
KF4LVC
on September 7, 2007
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An old friend
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When I was 12 I lived in Long Beach, CA in 1965 and Don Wallace W6AM lived not too far. I met him at my friends Dad's TV repair shop and Don was there with tubes to check and his car was parked outside with "GIANT" radios in it. He found me gazing at them and invited me over and I never stopped going until I moved away to Oklahoma and git my conditional in 1970 and have never regretted it. Don was an amazing man and his stories he shared with us kids about his travles were incredible. I moved back to California in the 1980's and found Don not too long before he passed on. What a man he was.
WE0Z
Posted by
WE0Z
on September 7, 2007
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How I discovered Ham radio
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My Dad was a career Coast Guard officer and in the late 50's was CO on the cutter Casco. I was able, as a 12 year Boy Scout, to go on a Coast Guard cadet summer cruise thru the Caribbean along with the square rigger Eagle and cutter Duane. There was a ham station aboard for phone patches back home and being in the 50's the propagation was fantastic. I was sold, hook line and sinker. Been a Ham off and on ever since, one of the greatest hobbies (service) ever invented!!
Posted by
KQ6YV
on September 6, 2007
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SPUTNIK and CB
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In the 50's. my friend bacme a ham and tuned into the first broadcasts from Sputnik as it orbited earth. I tried learning code from his LP records, but could not. In the 70's, after a facination with CB, finally got my ticket.
Posted by
WI7B
on September 6, 2007
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BSA
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BECAME INTERESTED AT THE AGE OF 12 THROUGH AN ARTICLE IN BOYS LIFE MAGAZINE RE SHORT WAVE LISTENING. PICKED UP AN OLD PHILCO RADIO AND PUT UP AN ANTENNA AND HAVE BEEN HOOKED EVER SINCE. BECAME A NOVICE IN LATE 50S. HAM MENTORS W9GVP AND K9ZQW.
Posted by
K9VSK
on September 6, 2007
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Field Day!
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The local Club had Field Day in a public location. I stopped by, and I was hooked. That was 10 years ago.
Posted by
KC8HXO
on September 5, 2007
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Book, "SOS At Midnight"
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I read the book "SOS At Midnight" by Walter Thompkins which I got from the school library in the fourth grade. This got me very interested in ham radio, but I didn't know any hams.
My father got a couple of CBs for his small business soon thereafter (back when they were considered useful for such purposes), but I still didn't know any hams.
Finally, I saw a small article about a ham radio class which was going to be conducted by the local Johnston County Civil Defense radio club. I begged my parents to take me once a week (I was 12 years old), they did and I took the course. I was taught Morse Code by Ava Gardner's nephew WA4AXH (this was in Selma, next to Smithfield, NC).
I didn't pass the Novice test the first time, but with the help of some coaching from W4RUH whom I met through the club (now K4HF, formerly K2EKS) I passed the Novice test when I was 13 years old, in 1968.
Posted by
W4CP
on September 5, 2007
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other
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I got into the hobby by accident
Posted by
VK5FDAV
on September 5, 2007
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CB and SW
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Circa the early to mid 70's (I was around 13), I got into SWLing and CB concurrently. I used to purposely stay up until the wee hours or even dawn (when the noise level was way down) to see how far I could transmit (ground wave DX) on AM and SSB. My shortwave receiver was this nice classic German 'Nordmende Globetraveller' (with a BFO!), and my CB rig was a Lafayette Telsat SSB-50 and 'Big Stick' and 'Starduster' verticals. I was instantly fascinated by CW, which I picked up quickly by listening to Hams. When I entered high school the following year, I noticed a tribander and several dipoles on the rooftop! It turned out the school had a Ham Radio Club with about 25 members! I got my Novice, then 13wpm General a few months later, and built a Heathkit HW-16 for my home rig, and worked DXCC with attic dipoles. The rest is history, as they say...
Posted by
W8KQE
on September 4, 2007
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CB and SW
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Circa the early to mid 70's (I was around 13), I got into SWLing and CB concurrently. I used to purposely stay up until the wee hours or even dawn (when the noise level was way down) to see how far I could transmit (ground wave DX) on AM and SSB. My shortwave receiver was this nice classic German 'Nordmende Globetraveller' (with a BFO!), and my CB rig was a Lafayette Telsat SSB-50 and 'Big Stick' and 'Starduster' verticals. I was instantly fascinated by CW, which I picked up quickly by listening to Hams. When I entered high school the following year, I noticed a tribander and several dipoles on the rooftop! It turned out the school had a Ham Radio Club with about 25 members! I got my Novice, then 13wpm General a few months later, and built a Heathkit HW-16 for my home rig, and worked DXCC with attic dipoles. The rest is history, as they say...
Posted by
W8KQE
on September 4, 2007
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Great hobby
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I tried to fix a radio that didn't work back in the 1950's as a kid about 10 years old. When I opened the back I was hooked. I wondered what the Heck all that stuff was. Toms radio in bound brook, new Jersey let me hang around and learn a lot. Wish I was smarter though. HI HI
Great hobby and great people.
Jim
Posted by
W4EPA
on September 4, 2007
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Christmas Winnie
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The starting point into this great hobby happened Christmas morning 1978. The first gift I opened was a Radio Shack 13.8 volt 3 amp power supply; I looked at my Mom and Dad and said what the heck is this :-) Then opened up the 1/4 wave ground plane base antenna box, I still had no clue about these gifts. Then finally the Royce 40 channel CB radio... I felt like that kid in the Christmas Story movie getting his first BB gun. My Dad helped me mount the ground plane antenna onto the vent pipe on the roof of the house, then running the coax into my room and setting up my desk with the radio. Then I finally got the nerve up to ask for a radio check on channel 19 and my first signal report was "Oh My A Christmas Winnie" After that I never looked back .
Posted by
N4QNT
on September 4, 2007
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As a teen in the mid-60's, I'd listen to AM shortwave BC, and always wonder what the garbled audio was (amateur SSB) between the stations. I built an Heathkit AM CB radio in the late 60's for an electronics project. In the late 70's, the bug bit me again and I started to log AM BCB stations about the country. I also got into the CB craze, and asked for help from my firm's electronic technician to help me tune a CB amp. As luck would have it, he was also a ham and turned me on to amateur radio. Before long I had my own copy of "Tune In the World", attended classes and before long, had my novice ticket.
Posted by
K3GM
on September 4, 2007
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Sorry about that! My last posting should have gone into the QRP Section. On topic however, we got started in ham radio in the late 70's via a high school radio club. Unfortunatly ham radio was disbanded in our HS back in 1980. There were many other HS clubs also right up thru the 70's and early 80's, sadly now all long gone.
Posted by
WA2RCB
on September 3, 2007
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QRP for REAL radio fun
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I like to run QRP with wire antennas. Much more of a challenge that using a beam antenna with an amplifier that amounts to little more than point-and-shoot. There's a real satisfying feeling from working AZ or CA from NJ on 20 with 5 watts or MT and N.Mex on 75 SSB late night QRP.
Posted by
WA2RCB
on September 3, 2007
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Discovery of amateur radio
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Ran across some newspaper article about 'Ham Radio' about age 10, back around 1954. Electronics in general just seemed like the real world equivalent of magic to me. The thought that an individual could just use a device and talk to anyone in the entire world just because he wanted to was wonderful beyond comprehension.
N1VO
Posted by
N1VO
on September 3, 2007
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HAM RADIO DISCOVERY
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In the 50's and 60's, a lot of people had radios with shortwave bands. I was intrigued by what I heard. I also saw the ham radio section of Popular Electronics and became one in the early 60's. I still get a big bang from the hobby.
Semper Fi,
Tommy - K6YE
DX IS
Posted by
K6YE
on September 3, 2007
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At age 10 I received an AM broadcaster for me , my brother and sister to 'broadcast' to our kitchen table radio. It broke, and in doing so it received all broadcasts from BCB thru shortwave , all at once. Hams were amongst the many, many simultaneous voices. The rest, as they say, 'is history'. Tom Howey WB1FPA
Posted by
WB1FPA
on September 3, 2007
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Through my dad
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My father was interested in electronics and worked on The Manhattan Project from 1943 to 1945. He was interested in Ham radio, but never got his ticket. Still, he bought an S-38B in 1954, and I was soon glued to it. My logs ahow that I tried listening to everything, but quickly focused on the Ham bands.
I was satisfied just to listen for several years, but after grad school, I got my license as WN4SIJ and eventually got my Extra. Radio has been a lifelong hobby.
Posted by
AA4A
on September 3, 2007
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Newspaper
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There was an article in the Newton Kansan that the local ham radio club would start a Novice class. Dad read the article and knew I was into radio and the like and offered to take me to the class each Tuesday and Thursday. The rest is history
K0WA
Posted by
K0WA
on September 3, 2007
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Any kind of a radio
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When i was maybe 4 my dad got me a little radio that looked like a rocket. It was white and red and had a little ear piece and you tuned the stations by turning a little chrome knob in the nose....i was hooked on radio at that moment. Shortwave radios by the tons "lol". A pair of cb walkie talkies and i could here people talking to each other in differant states on those. After that i was hooked on radio for life. I got dad interested and he made it to advance class, loved to chase dx, before he passed away. Just tons of good memories of contacts made. Memories of Dad and me working on antennas, blowing up amplifiers..."lol". Thanks for the thread it's caused me to dig a few things out of my mind that i've not thought of for quite some time.
73 and have a great labor day.
John WR8D
Posted by
WR8D
on September 3, 2007
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Buddy's dad was a ham, as well as the buddy! Got into a little SWL and later, CB. Finally got my ticket much later thanks to an Elmer husband of wife's coworker.
Posted by
N7TRZ
on September 3, 2007
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It seems like everything I encountered at one time seemed to point to becoming a ham. It was also a mixture of stuff. Around second grade, a classmate had a boarder living in his house. That person gave him an ARRL ham radio book, complete with the advertisements in the back. We thought it would be the greatest to have a radio that we could talk from his house to mine.
Then, when I was 9 or 10, I got to see the olden day Radio Shack/ Tandy fliers that were placed into the Sunday papers. It was a haul to get to the Shack (not "a" but "THE") in the early 70's, but all of my favorite toys were from there, and I eventually got a 100-in-1 project kit. I built all sorts of stuff. I was able to find a magazine in the supermarket that dealt with building a number of radio projects. It turned into a sacred book as I learned about wire antennas and preamps and how to etch circuit boards. Around that time, I searched the card catalog at my library and found several books about ham radio - one, a 50's vintage book on how a young boy managed to collect milk bottle deposits to buy a ham station equivalent to $10,000 today (or so it seems now), and the other being the ARRL Handbook, circa 1971 (shame those things were printed on acid paper). I finally got something I was fixated over - a Globe Patrol regenerative receiver. My father and I put it together. I became an SWL with wires strung all through my yard to pull in Radio Netherlands and many other stations. A little later, I got a CB set and a DX-160 receiver. I even got several scanners to hear what was going on in town. Another friend's dad was into CB, so we were able to chat before leaving for school and, if we were snowed in, we'd talk all day.
Finally, in 1977, I met some local hams who were fairly active. I sat for, and in the summer of 1978, received my Novice license - KA2AYR.
That Christmas I was given a Heathkit DX-60B, HR-10 and HG-10. The rest, as they say, is history.
Posted by
KA2AYR
on September 2, 2007
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1975 or was it 76
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VERY YOUNG WHEN I STARTED LEARNING CODE DAD HAD HIS NOVICE AND LET IT EXPIRE BUT I ALWAYS LISTENED MORE INTERESTED IN LISTENING THAN MAKING A FOOL OF MYSELF TALKING ABOUT UNRELATED SUBJECTS OVER RADIO. RADIO ALWAYS A RELIABLE PASTIME THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD EVEN IF YOUR GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO USE THE SPECTRUM FOR SOMETHING ELSE YOU WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO FIND HAMS SOMEWHERE. THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT HAM RADIO ARE USUALLY JUST THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE ACTIVITY OF THEIR CHOOSING.
Posted by
KD7IIC
on September 2, 2007
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College
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I knew about radio in high school but did not know any hams or how to get a license. When I went to college, my new roommate was a ham as was another guy on the same dorm floor who came by frequently. They showed me how to become a ham and my roommate gave me the novice test. All three of us graduated with a degree in electrical engineering. As they say, the rest is history. I have never looked back.
Posted by
K5ADF
on September 2, 2007
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Other
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When the Russians put Sputnik in orbit I was fascinated with being able to hear a beacon from the satellite. I began reading everything I could on ham radio and SWL. I didn't know any hams and when I was about 10 I wrote the ARRL and FCC and asked them where could I go to take a Novice test. Neither one was any help. Finally, my mom and I rode around a larger town about 20 miles from where we lived until we found someone with a Yagi on a tower so we stopped at his house and explained my situation. He ordered the Novice test for me and I was soon on the air!
Posted by
N4ST
on September 1, 2007
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Odds & Ends....
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I grew up in an old house in a rural area. The former owners left all kinds of old interesting junk in the house, garage, and attic. I spent endless hours tinkering with the odds and ends which included old electric motors, tools, parts, ...
Up on a high shelf in the garage was a huge radio chassis and speaker. One day I decided to have a look. I had to setup a ladder to reach it 8' off the ground. It was really cool looking - full of strange tubes, wires, and unfamiliar components - all exposed on a metal chassis. There were controls on the front but all were without knobs.
I cleaned off the think dust and dirt as best I could and scrounged an extenion cord. I plugged it in and the tubes slowly lit up and a hissing noise started to come out of the speaker. There was this really neat glowing green "eye" tube that pointed out the front. I remember thinking that this was definately my best "find" yet!
I found a big spool of tar-covered old copper wire and fashioned a huge loop antenna in the attic of the garage. I hooked this up to the radio and used a pair of pliers to turn the dials. Eventually I figured out how to select shortwave bands and tune the radio.
Man was I hooked! I would spend entire days sitting on the ladder tuning in Radio Free Europe Voice of America, Radio Moscow, morse code, and all manner of foreign language broadcasts.
This was the beginning of my lifelong fascination with radio and later electronics, computers, and science. Many decades have passed since my discovery of shortwave radio but this year I finally studied and past my technicial and general exams. I am now in the process of setting up my own ham shack and getting on the air. Ham radio here I come!
Posted by
MWMAHER
on September 1, 2007
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The Ham Down the Street
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As a boy I had an interest in taking things apart - and sometimes even putting them back together and making them work. I had various electronic kit toys and a friend of my father gave me a box of electronics "junk" which I loved to tinker with.
The house down the street had a new family move in and a 40 foot tower with a three element beam appeared. I was barely a high school student but somehow I managed to get the courage to down the road and met Mark, K0WZX. He invited me in and told me to come back. I used to make frequent trips down to listen to Mark work a variety of bands - he loved 10m. The Sunday mornings sitting there are a very fond memory
Mark shared his knowledge, as well as a lot of old magazines and text books. It helped my knowledge of electronics and probably helped guide me into Electrical Engineering and software as a profession. Alas, I hit the 3-word barrier for code and didn't even get a Novice ticket at that time.
Fast-forward 35 years....at Boy Scout Winter Camp a local ham club was teaching the Radio Merit Badge. They had the question pool available and I studied and passed the test along with 4 12-year old boys;-) This summer I upgraded to General.
I'm still not very active, I've been looking at equipment and studying. I've forgotten how much fun learning the electronics of transmitters and antennas was.
Posted by
N4FJS
on September 1, 2007
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How did you discover Ham Radio
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I was always facinated by Radio and Radio Wave propagation. I still remember listening to the Olympics, in 1950"s, on a Zenith TransOceanic Radio, on Short Wave! Radio has always been a key interest to me and has helped me immensely in life.
Posted by
K8JX
on September 1, 2007
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best friend in high school
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my best friend, charles j. dailey k0eod, was a ham. that was back in 1956 and i stayed many weekends during the school year at his house. i remember many nights waking up and seeing charley, his radios glowing and him bent over a key tapping out code. i told him back then i was gonna get my ticket and i did 46 years later.
Posted by
KC0JOE
on August 31, 2007
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UNCLE
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My uncle was W5AQN and his friend W5FNA got me intrested in Ham radio. Then first radio was a S20R. Learned more in Boy Scouts and one of my high school classmates was K5LGL he gave me my novice and tech test. I have never looked back and just keep on going.
Frosty
K5LBU
Posted by
K5LBU
on August 31, 2007
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CT1BWW
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I was boy scout of National Corps Scouts in Portugal.
With age of 12 i participate on Jamboree-on-the-air since that day, I wasn't the same. I took a "diseased" on everything about Radio. I became a SWL to be part RadioScouting Department. Until NOWadays I'm always trying to participate on Jamboree on the air in recognition on that. SCOUTING is a good etich and caracter school!
If you're a boy scout please don't give up!
Come to the World of the Radio Comunications !
Become a Ham Operator!
Posted by
CT1BWW
on August 31, 2007
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Started out as a small child listening to clear channels AM'ers and Cuban stations on Sunday in Florida. Had a red Philco "All American 5" in a red plastic case.
"Where IS Little Rock? Cincinnati? Charlotte?" Learned a lot of US geography for a kid from a nowhere Florida town with 600 people.
First licensed age 13. Ham Radio licensure meant that I could talk to a whole new range of adults, and call doctors, lawyers and school principals by their first names.
Understanding the electronics helped me understand mathematics much better.
And, being exposed to all this nonsense, my Offspring is an EE.
The hobby led me into a mid-life career change (US merchant marine) and possibly into my next job (fire & emergency comms).
Posted by
W7LV
on August 31, 2007
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other - military
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USAF aptitude tests. - They trained me as a "ditty-bop" - gave me a security clearance and sent me to the Far East where I wound up operating on a C/W D/F net. Fell in love with C/W and the rest is history. Been inactive for a l-o-n-g time but in retirement am jumping back in again. I STILL love C/W.
Posted by
KA4YVY
on August 31, 2007
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other - military
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USAF aptitude tests. - They trained me as a "ditty-bop" - gave me a security clearance and sent me to the Far East where I wound up operating on a C/W D/F net. Fell in love with C/W and the rest is history. Been inactive for a l-o-n-g time but in retirement am jumping back in again. I STILL love C/W.
Posted by
KA4YVY
on August 31, 2007
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Dragged kicking and screaming
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My 2nd husband dragged me kicking and screaming to a class.
Well that's actually an exaggeration. He came home from the tire shop after getting some new tires. He had seen a sign posted there about an amateur radio class (the shop owner was a ham). He said "Let's do this TOGHETHER!" Well it didn't seem too unreasonable a request although I had no interest in radio at the time.
However as I studied it began to get interesting. One class we talked about typical operating power (100 watts). Well that was nice but then a few days later it struck me that's no more power than a large light bulb. That really got me intrigued. You see I knew nothing about radio or what it took to talk around the world. All I knew was that the broadcast stations were megawatts. I had no idea about CB power.
So I studied, tested, and received my Tech Plus (our instructer actively encouraged us to do so).
While waiting for the license to arrive (it took roughly 3 months in 1992), we got a used radio, used tower, and used beam up in the first month. The local club helped us set it up. So both of us then continued to wait and listen. It didn't take very long before I decided that Tech Plus wasn't going to be enough. Not only that, it became apparent that my interests would be best served by going for Extra. So that's what I did. So by about the end of October 1992, I completed the last requirement for my Extra class license.
I spent months as "temporary" this or that. With the lag in the receipt of licenses after testing, I kept earning the next license before receiving the previous one. For example, I passed my General exam at the beginning of July but my Tech+ ticket didn't arrive until the end of July.
Posted by
N8UZE
on August 31, 2007
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Thanks to dad
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He was not a ham and has never been
interested in gettng a license, however he
was my catalyst into ham radio. He was
drafted into the army during Korea in '50s
and must have demostrated some aptitude
because even with a country school eigth
grade education, they put him in radio
school. As I recall, he spent most of his
army time in the 510 Signal Corps.
By the time I came around, he was still
fixing the occasional TV for the neighbors.
That grabbed my interest as did the concept
of two-way communication via radio. The CB
boom of the '70s fueled my interest as
publicity was everywhere and inescapable.
By 1980 we had a few CBs around the farm,
but I'd also learned about ham radio.
By the time I graduated from high school, I
was on my own path toward getting my ham
license which I did almost 24 years ago.
It's been a fun journey of learning and
discovery and I thank my dad for every
minute of it!
Posted by
N0NB
on August 31, 2007
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Family doctor
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Warren Bacon, known as "doc" on the air, introduced my dad to sw during his recovery from an auto accident. Doc was running a homebrew kw in an open rack above his clinic and a 100 ft tower in the yard. Dad bought a National NC183 and the whole family was hooked on radio and sw listening. By my mid thirties I had a complete Drake C line including the C-4 comsole. My favorite radio today?...an 817!
Posted by
WB6PWD
on August 31, 2007
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Grandfather
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My Grandfather taught Morse to pilots and Airmen before and during WW II. He was also on the ground floor with AT & T. He had a huge tower with a Yagi. He was very active on HF many many years. Unfortunately, I can not find his call anywhere! I miss him very much. He planted the bug with me. Thanks Papa.
Posted by
KI6AGS
on August 30, 2007
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More than one answer
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That's what I dislike about these surveys, sometimes more than one answer applies. I fell in love with radio because of the husband of one of my mothers friends. Then I played with CBs back in the 70's as a teenager and also listened to short wave radio. Lots of different things went into me becoming interested in ham radio.
Posted by
KB9TMP
on August 30, 2007
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WOW, Getting Started
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Early 1960's, used to watch TV shows that included folks talking over the airwaves via radio. Example, old sci fi movies like flash gordon, and TV's "Highway Patrol" with Broderick Crawford. All communicating via radio. Found this really "neat" The Christmas of 1962 found a pair of Olsen Electronics walkie talkies under the tree. 100mw version with only and one channel. 4 installed. My brother and I "played" with these a few days before he became bored. I continued to listen, then one day heard a strong signal. Had call letters, 19Q something. It was Herky in Portage Lakes, Ohio about 7 miles from my house. He heard me and what a qso, if you will. Later I met Jerry, 19Q7546, why do I remember this, because he built his Heathkit 3 channel CB radio and what a neat piece of equipment that was. I was hooked. To shorten this, my Father noticed my interest. Enrolled me into a Ham radio class at the U of Akron (Ohio) and I received my novice and technician licenses at the same time. I became active exclusively on 6 meters until graduation from high school in 1968. After a few years with Uncle Sam, I became active again via 2 meters FM which was just developing in 1972.
Since then, Ham radio, has been a very big factor in my life, and would not change a thing on how I arrived here or what I am doing now. I pray, many youngsters find the passion I did, in their endeavors.
Posted by
K8BDW
on August 30, 2007
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Grandfather
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I think it all started way back in 1972 when I was the ripe old age of 6 that I first became fascinated by radio.
I remember my family where visiting my Grandparents, My Granddad had just bought a new radio (RX only) and was showing my Mam and Dad. He was fiddling around and suddenly I heard some talking followed by a series of beeps.
I asked "What's that?", My Granddad said "it's the Bobbies." (Police for those that don't know) Well I can tell you I was amazed, I must have spent the best part of an hour sat on his knee whilst he tuned around on the various different bands, I heard loads of amazing pops and whistles and foreign voices. After that I would from time to time tune my Dads radio to different stations but it wasn't the same as my Granddads as there was no Short Wave on it. But after that first experience when ever I visited my Granddad I would always hope he had his radio near by.
Posted by
G7VOT
on August 30, 2007
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I was 15 years old too....
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...at the time I discovered Ham Radio. Well actually, it was Shortwave Radio, which eventually lead to Ham Radio. Allow me to splain!
It was the summer of 1981. I had just finished my first year of high school and to celebrate the summer I had earned enough money to buy one of those old ghetto blaster AM/FM Caseette radios with the big speakers which were very popular at the time (much to the dismay of my folks!). My brother and I used to sit up late at night during those summers and listen on that radio to Perry Marshall's talk show on KDKA radio, something our Grandma got us hooked on, as she did the same. One of those late summer nights, we were tuning around 600khz on the "ghetto blaster" and started to hear unusual music. Kind of ethnic foreign. Low and behold the station IDed itself as Radio Moscow World Service! My brother and I were shocked and astonished. Radio Moscow on the AM band??? How could this be??? Turns out at the time, they were being relayed on AM out of Cuba for some strange reason.
Following this discovery we proceeded to tell our parents and a kindly old neighbor named Frank, who used to walk his dog every night. I told old Frank about us receiving Radio Moscow on AM, and he told me that he had an old radio that received stations like that from all over the world! That being a 1956 Zeinith Transoceanic. This was a must see! So Frank escorted me, my dad, and my brother (and the dog of course) to his house where he pulled out the Zenith, turned it on, and we all proceeded to listen to the BBC, Kol Israel, and RAI in Rome! Coming in loud and clear! That did it right there. I had to have one of these radios. I eventually bought a small portable shortwave radio which sustained me in the interim. I used it for sporadic shortwave listening (as girls were a little more interesting at the time) until graduation.
Upon graduation in 1984, I used my gift money to purchase a Panasonic RF-3100 which had all of the HF specrum in it. With that radio (which I still have and use to this day), I was not only able to pick up the broadcast station signals, but ham signals from all over the world, as well. At that point I was determined, come hell or high water, to get licensed and get on the air to talk to these foreign places. All of this, coupled with being exposed to my High School's ham club station in the electronics class (taught by another guy named Frank) I took just before graduating, are what did it for me!
So, during my freshman year of college, I found the school's club station, took the Novice exam, and the rest is history. I became KA3NRX at age 19 in 1985, upgraded to General in 1986, and to Advanced & Extra in 1989.
Thanks to a couple of guys named Frank, and a little radio gumption, we were exposed to the world of radio and have become a part of what I think is the greatest hobby in the world! Let me be Frank. Thanks Franks!
Vince P
KA3NRX
Posted by
KA3NRX
on August 30, 2007
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ART BELL
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I became disabled and use to listen to Art Bell and every now and then he would mention his great hobby, Amateur Radio. I kept listening to Art and it seemed like a hobby that you could never be boored with. Here is a very smart man that does broadcasting for a living and in his spare time play's with radio's. I figured if someone like him still likes a hobby that he is around 24-7 I certainly would never get tiered or know a fraction of what there is to know.
Later I discovered that Art was not only a talk show person but was an engineer that had a bad fall working on a tower. So everyday when I learn somthing new I know tha there is still so much to learn with ham radio.thanks Art Bell!
VINNY, K7VIN
Posted by
KLEMM
on August 30, 2007
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I was Fifteen & there was an Annoouncement...
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It was 1958 & I was Fifteen. I remember that day as it was yesterday. I was a high school freshman. It was the custom for announcements on the school's public address system from the Principal's office. One of the announcements was: "Today, at noon in the Library, Kenny Bachaus, a senior, will be giving a demonstration of short wave radio." I showed up with a handful of curious students. Kenny had his Hallicrafter SX-101 on the Librarian's desk with a wire hanging out the windown and thrown into a tree about fifty feet away. He was tuning in the foreign broadcast stations and some ham radio operators. That noon demonstration changed my life. A few days later I asked my Mom if I could go home with Kenny to see his amateur radio station. Kenny was a Novice and a Technician Class. He tapped out some code and we made a 6m contact as I recall. I started studying and took my Novice Class exam at a General Class ham's home about a month later. I remember the General Class station as a Heathkit DX-100 transmitter and RME-4500 receiver with a Mosley CL-33 on a pipe above his garage at about 35-feet. That was 1959 and I have been continuously licensed since then operating here and overseas. And, unbelievably, I still work Kenny on the radio from time to time! There is no doubt in my mind, this is the world's greatest hobby! 73 es God bless, murf/wv4r.
Posted by
WV4R
on August 30, 2007
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ALways been interested
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Always had an interest in science. So when I was 12 I read a book about Marconi. Then I saw a neighbors house with antennas on it and knocked on the door. Also my parents gave me those 101 Electronic kits for Christmas. Then I was a radioman in the Navy, then I got my license, and then I went to Engineering school.
Posted by
W1QWT
on August 30, 2007
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When I walked to school each day I went by the shack of Bob W8CJW. I wondered what that big antenna was for. One day in 1968 I saw him doing some work on that antenna and I stopped in and said hello. Bob showed me his setup. When a got a chance to speak to a JA on his TR-3 I was hooked. Bob was my "Elmer" and in a few months I became WN8CHI.
Posted by
NC8B
on August 30, 2007
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There was "SOME GOOD" to CB
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CB sparked my general interest in RADIO, but later I thought there's got to be... "something better than this" and a friend and Mentor showed me that there was! It was called Amateur Radio...Since the day I went to work studying, and earning my first novice license...I've never regretted it. "HAVE FUN-PLAY RADIO" God Bless all.
Posted by
N5JFJ
on August 30, 2007
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How did this happen to me?
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It all started in my garage with an old and dusty Strongberg Carlson floor model shortwave reciever with a "magic eye"
I have never been able to recover since.
73 de Charles - KC8VWM
Posted by
KC8VWM
on August 29, 2007
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Ham Radio has been my college education
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One of my high school classmates was studying the morse code to become a 'ham'. Little did I know that joining him would lead me to what later turned out to be equivelant to my college education. I learned to design, build, troubleshoot and enjoy scores of projects. Licensed in 1956, we entered this great hobby when you still could build and enjoy your many projects. Becoming fascinated with VHF, I learned so much about phasing, line equalization and power levels that has led our company to become one of the major innovators and manufacturers of high quality microphones - all because of my ham radio background. You can still find me on the air and behind a soldering iron many nights in the station lab at Heil Sound....and oh yes, I STILL have my 1956 Harvey Wells and 1958 kit built Central Electronics 20A on the air. Long live amateur radio!
Bob Heil, K9EID
Posted by
K9EID
on August 29, 2007
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FM to SWL to CB to HAM
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I first got into electronics in 1959 when I was ten. My older cousin built a then "New" FM tuner by heathkit-I was facinated. At age 11, I had a friend who was a General class. He showed me his "Collins" set-up. He told me to get a short wave reciever to listen to CW. I did, a Hallicrafters. I got hooked on SWL. Then in the 70's the CB craze hit and I became a (Ugh) CB-er..It was fun though. BUT..something was missing. I wanted to be the ultimate communicator, so in 1979 I got my Novice ticket, bought a Heathkit DX-20 transmitter with my reciever and thats how it started. Up-graded to General in 1980, and to Advanced in 1981. Still SWL, but NO CB. I never looked back-still having fun..
Posted by
KU2US
on August 29, 2007
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Civil-Air Patrol
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When I joined Civil-Air-Patrol, in 1970, as a cadet, I was exposed to the California Wing Amateur Radio Communication Center for the first time. I was very impressed to see young men and woman manning the radio equipment with such professionalism; I wanted to become cadet. And I did. And so the journey started. Along the way I obtained my HAM license, built radios, put up antennas, made antenna kits, and boy, did I have a lot of fun. Now days, when I hear someone having an antenna party, I am there. Building antennas is my cup-of-tea. You have my full attention, so they say.
Posted by
KC6ZSY
on August 29, 2007
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Civil-Air Patrol
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When I joined Civil-Air-Patrol, in 1970, as a cadet, I was exposed to the California Wing Amateur Radio Communication Center for the first time. I was very impressed to see young men and woman manning the radio equipment with such professionalism; I wanted to become cadet. And I did. And so the journey started. Along the way I obtained my HAM license, built radios, put up antennas, made antenna kits, and boy, did I have a lot of fun. Now days, when I hear someone having an antenna party, I am there. Building antennas is my cup-of-tea. You have my full attention, so they say.
Posted by
KC6ZSY
on August 29, 2007
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Well I have grown up around radio and telecomunications all my life. My father is a Telcom tech for the BNSF railroad maintaining all thier telecom and two-way radio equipment. I have been a CB'r off and on since the late 70's. I myself was trained as a radio/radar ET in the Navy and worked for a few years doing land mobile raido work and now work for a major telephone company.
Posted by
KE5OFO
on August 29, 2007
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It was in the family
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My older brother was a ham in the 60's when I was very young. I was fascinated watching him work his station. I later got into night time BCB band dxing from an old Zenith table radio my dad gave me to fool around with. I made my own crude wire antenna for it and tweaked the IF cans to make it hear better. Of course I had no idea what I was doing but I somehow managed to actually improve its performance. This grew into SWLing and CB. After tiring of the trash on CB I finally got motivated by a ham friend to get my ticket and the rest is history.
Posted by
KE4ZHN
on August 29, 2007
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intro to hamdom
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Funny, in 1958 my parents sent me east to start 1st grade with my grandparents, while they sold our house in 6 land.
While watching cartoons, I saw my first TVI. My grandparents neighbor was on the air...He showed me his station, and the memory languished.
My 8th grade science teacher taught us all the theory for a novice ticket in 1966 and it languished some more.
After my first divorce I got introduced to CB.. I knew there was more- then several of us got a ham class got started, I got my novice wn1ytw in 1976, my tech a few months later, my general Feb 2, 1977, advanced in March or April.....Then stagnated til I re-learned CW in 1987 and finally passed the extra.
Scott WA1YTW
Posted by
WA1YTW
on August 29, 2007
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Ditto de N4CQR
But 3 for me actually apply:
- Just always been fascinated by radio
- From shortwave listening
- I'm a former CB'er
Posted by
N4CQR
on August 29, 2007
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Four reasons
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Four of the reasons given actually apply to me:
- Just always been fascinated by radio
- From shortwave listening
- Saw it displayed/demonstrated
- I'm a former CB'er
I was first licensed at age 15 in 1967 and each of these reasons had a special meaning to me at that time. I have enjoyed amateur radio ever since.
Posted by
KK9H
on August 29, 2007
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Long road to Ham Radio
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At a young age my grandfather tried to get me interested in CW, but I never got into it, I was 8 or 9 at the time.. He was an avid shortwave listener.
Afterwards at about age 12 (1976) or so, my brother bought my mom a cb for Christmas, and the rest is history. It started me in electronics, I then moved onto ham radio getting my license in 92. I've been having a great time ragchewing and chasing dx when I hear it.
I wish my grandfather could see me now. He wasn't too coherent when I got licensed. He would've loved it. I still get a kick out of talking to Sweden, the "Old Country", as he called it. I always thought it would make him proud.
Posted by
N3LKA
on August 29, 2007
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oops
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SWL started it, purely by accident. A friend, W2BEN, politely answered a lot of Q's.
Posted by
KE5HCC
on August 29, 2007
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Ham Family
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I grew up around ham radio. Both of my parents are hams and for a while an uncle as well. My Dad is still active (Mom is still licensed but inactive but she has her DXCC). Somewhere I have a photo of a 5 year old me sitting at their then-new Hallicrafters HT-32/SX-101 combo. Maybe that's where I got the boatanchor bug (I run a HT-37/SX-111 on occasion now). By 12 I had my Novice. It's been a fun 39 years since...
Posted by
W5PJW
on August 29, 2007
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Ham Family
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I grew up around ham radio. Both of my parents are hams and for a while an uncle as well. My Dad is still active (Mom is still licensed but inactive but she has her DXCC). Somewhere I have a photo of a 5 year old me sitting at their then-new Hallicrafters HT-32/SX-101 combo. Maybe that's where I got the boatanchor bug (I run a HT-37/SX-111 on occasion now). By 12 I had my Novice. It's been a fun 39 years since...
Posted by
W5PJW
on August 29, 2007
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at age 10...
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When I was 10 years old (1960)I was interested in electronics. My 5th grade teacher at Fair Haven, NY Elementary School, Mr. Westover, told me about ham radio, although he wasn't a ham. I looked into it and 3 years later got my Novice license as WN2GJH. Been licensed ever since. Next time I saw Mr. Westover I thanked him for telling me about it.
Posted by
WB2NVY
on August 29, 2007
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My father thought that having a license would look good on his resume. He signed up for a novice class and I tagged along. We both got licenses. He never made a contact - I've be at it for 50+ years.
Posted by
K2QPN
on August 29, 2007
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Dad
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My Dad W0BUK (SK) was origninally W9OZW in the thirties, but let his license expire. He encouraged me to get my license at the height of the greatest sunspot cycle. Since he worked in Electronic Distribution with a HAM department, he brought rigs home to try out. I got him to get his license again and return to the air. Great fun to work the OM!
Posted by
K0SUR
on August 29, 2007
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My dad, W4NW(sk), was about the happiest I've ever seen him when I became a ham at age 14.
Posted by
N4SL
on August 29, 2007
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said dad but
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it was grandad in point of fact
Posted by
KB9RQZ
on August 29, 2007
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Without giving my age away.....
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I was very intrigued by the Galena crystal detector receiver and the rotary spark gap transmitter I discovered while visiting a friend of mine.
Posted by
WQ6F
on August 28, 2007
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Discovery of Ham Radio
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While in High school in the 70's I read an article in Newsweek Magazine about a reporter in the mid east. This reporter worked from his home and listened to the surrounding countries and based his reporting on what he heard. It Sounded interesting and I Became a SWL listener on shortwave and Finally in 1997 I became licensed as a Ham. I have run Hot and Cold in the hobby but I have never Forgotten that first Article that caught the attention of a 18 year old Texas Farm Boy
Posted by
N5WDD
on August 28, 2007
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Grandfathers
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No choice listed for grand parents' influence so I voted for my strong interest. However, I had one grandfather who was a ham, although I rarely saw him. The other grandfather, who I saw every day, was involved in broadcast radio and other electronic entertainment electronics repair. He definitely had a very strong influence on my early interest in radio AND electronics.
Posted by
K7AAT
on August 28, 2007
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My Uncle W5QGU
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My uncle, W5QGU was active in MARS and general hamming, especially teletype when I was young. I was amazed by his ham shack and the smell of the oily TTY machines as well as the pictures, weather info and other things that came over those smelly old machines. I sat enthralled listening to the phone patches he ran for service men all over the world.
I remember being disappointed when he gave up his ham shack for it to become his new daughter's nursery.
I still have the set of brass paddles he gave me many years ago.
Thanks Unc!!!
73 de AC5WA
Gerald
Posted by
AC5WA
on August 28, 2007
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I joined a radio club
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I already a young electronic geek. I joined a radio club(PRARC) just to be in something that had to do with electronics. That summer, they offered Novice classes that included CW morse code and the Novice Class electronic theory and regulations. It hooked me to CW. Thanks to a great teacher KP4DE (Tony)I learned it perfect and was able to upgrade within 6 months and became an Advance Class to date. 30+ years later, I'm still a ham.
I enjoied ham radio for decades. I still like to chase the rare ones.
David KP4HE
Posted by
KP4HE
on August 28, 2007
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Walker Tompkins (K6ATX)
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I was hooked by the great, kid-focused Ham Radio writing of Walker Tompkins [K6ATX] (i.e. SOS at Midnight). This was followed by some BCB and Shortwave DXing. Finally, my first Elmer, W3DRS (now-SK) sat me down and drummed Morse into my teen-age brain.
This fall I will celebrate the 30th anniversary of getting my Extra.
Posted by
K3YD
on August 28, 2007
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how I started
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I saw another hams tower and thunderbird antenna down the street back in the 60's, but didnt know him.so in the 70's I started off in CB, and converted in 77 to amateur radio, with CB it only took 20 dollars and I had a license, but not having known anyone to give me educational materials for amateur radio, I didnt do it. Then I saw an adult education flier and saw a novice class at a high school,went and did the 12 week course and passed my novice, then upgraded to tech at the FCC. that was in summer of 77, upgraded to extra in 1980, then became a VE in 1980 for the FCC and started testing people with disabilities. since then, amateur radio has been a life long hobby, my wife and daughter got licensed, my wife in 78 and my daughter in 88, life is fun.... de w6mrk
Posted by
W6MRK
on August 28, 2007
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Lord, I'm old....
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Dad was in the Air Force back in the early 50's and got bored - mom and us kids were 1400 miles away. He picked up a copy of The Handbook for something to read.
I found it after we moved to TX to be with him. (We moved back to 8-land in a few months - long story.)
I'd always been a tinkerer of sorts (I think I was six or seven) and it just seemed interesting.
Got my Novice in 1958....
Regards,
Stu K8LEA
Posted by
K8LEA
on August 28, 2007
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A Japanese transistor radio!
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One hot summer night when I was ten, I was suddenly stricken with a high fever and headache. The doc told Mom that I should go straight to bed. So there I laid....me and my Japanese transistor radio. I got tired of it. I laid it on the lamp cord. Suddenly, I heard strange whines and whistles. Then I heard "Yankee Doodle" and some announcer saying; "This is the Voice of America, Washington, DC." This repeated several times until the top of the hour.
I yelled for my Dad. Luckily, he had a shortwave radio when he was a kid! He explained to me what was probably happening was my lamp cord must be inducing something into the radio to change the frequency, and I'm picking up shortwave.
So when he left, I got an extension cord, and then connected the lamp to that. I wrapped the cord several turns around the radio. Boy did that thing come to life! I heard Holland, Germany, Canada, and the BBC. I yelled for Dad again. I said; so what kind of radio picks up these stations? He said a shortwave radio. He said it would be cool to have one again. So he bought an Allied Knight Kit Star Roamer.
It only took him a few days to put it together. But it seemed like an eternity! The morning after he finished, I was up at five o'clock...tuning through the 40 meter band when I heard 'em! Ham operators! (And at that time, SSB was fairly new so most were AM....)
It took me a couple of more years to go through the "steps" of SWL'ing, CB's and then Novice. But we made it.
73, Bill - WA8MEA
http://HamRadioFun.com
Posted by
WA8MEA
on August 28, 2007
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It was Love at first sight!
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I followed a pretty girl home when I was 12 years old....her dad (WA4GNP) just happened to be a ham.... I fell in love with a Tempo One and a Yaesu FT-101EE and an old SB-200 Heathkit Amp.
Her dad would make CW contacts and tell the other station I was there and they would send me a 73 and a short message....from that day on I was hooked!
That started it all!
34 years ago.....WA4GNP is still pounding Brass and was the GREATEST ELMER I could have ever had!
WA4GNP "CW" Sparks (Yea thats his REAL name!)
Posted by
W4HLN
on August 28, 2007
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It's My Grandfather's Fault
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My grandfather gave me an old Halicrafter receiver, S-40A, when I was 8 years old. I remember listening to the world and was amazed to hear all the signals from all points of the earth.
Then came CB radio in the 70s and I was really into that. A neighbor was a ham and I spent a lot of time in his shack. At 14 (1974) I had radio theory down through General, but could not learn Morse code. I tried learning Morse code several time over the next 20 years with no luck.
Finally in 1993 I learned about the No-Code Technician class license. I passed with flying colors and thought I would be happy on 2m and 70cm, but no, I had to have the DX my neighbor worked. So I forced myself to learn Morse code (it only took me 60 days to pass 5 WPM).
That was April 1993 and have been working DX since, both SSB and CW. I passed my Extra in March 1996 and have worked 73 countries QRP including Antartica.
I worked so hard learning Morse code that I use it every day and have fallen in love with the mode almost to the point of exclusivisity.
There are so many aspects of amateur radio, it will be many years before I will have done them all.
Mark, KJ7BS
Glendale, AZ
Editor, The SKCC Centurion
Posted by
KJ7BS
on August 28, 2007
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Hooked on ham radio
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My interest in ham radio came from my 7th grade science teacher. It was 1957 and he lived in an apartment and couldn't have an antenna there, so the school let him set the station up in our science room (home built transmitter and RME-50 receiver). I'd stay hours after school and watch him make contacts on 10 and 20 meters. I and 3 other friends were hooked and within a year or so we had our novice licenses. Ham radio led to my career in electronics and provides a great hobby in my retirement.
KØSEP
Raymore, MO
Posted by
K0SEP
on August 27, 2007
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Radio Nut
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I think the very first radio of my own was way back in the early-mid 50s, a bright red tabletop AM Radio. I use to love turning the dial to pick up stations and find out where they were, the further the better. Then a long line of crystal radios and other AM Radios. Then Shortwave when I discovered by grandmother's huge radio in her living room picked up SW, then CB and Scanners. One day, I don't remember exactly how I discovered that some of the people talking on the SW Radio were Hams, rather than stations affiliated with Military or Governments, and that was it. As soon as I got the chance to get the materials I needed to study, and found someone to give me the Novice test I gave it a shot, and became WB9ZCO in the mid 70s. Today I still enjoy the other radio hobbies as well as my Ham operations.
Posted by
NW9T
on August 27, 2007
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Scanner and CB
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i got started to scanner at early 70's at my grandpa house i knew ham radio at the time but not too well.i got into the cb radio late 70's at that time i repair radios and micphones.round 2001 i gave up cb and went for my first ticket for no code tech. 2006 pass my code before fcc drop it and march 17,2007 i pass my gen ticket. and now working on getting my extra..
73
Jackie
KG4ORX
http://webpages.charter.net/kg4orx/
Posted by
N4MJG
on August 27, 2007
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Short Wave
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Back in early 1950 - I received two RCA walkie-talkie's, crystal controled, ac supplied for house to house operation. This put a bug in my ear to ask my dad to help me get a helicrafter s-38C which after a bike ride to a local electronics store, I had to get a paper route at a young age to finally get this radio for SW listening. This got me interested in CW and foreign broadcast on sideband was really appealing...Many years ago...hi hi....wa8le 73
Posted by
WA8LE
on August 27, 2007
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Discovering Ham Radio
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As an Explorer Scout and needing the morse code merit badge, I took instruction offered by the Mobile(AL)Amateur Radio Club. Code, radio theory, and FCC rules and regulations were taught by Mrs Audry Wentworth (W4AAN)who insisted that I test for my license at the FCC Field Office even though she was aware that I had no plans on becoming active. My dad thought getting my Novice license was a "big deal" and paid $99.00 for a Hallicrafters S40 receiver which got me started listening. It wasn't long before I was building my first 6L6 CW transmitter and it was THEN that I was truely bitten. That was 53 years ago.
Posted by
W4GRY
on August 27, 2007
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radio can't beat it
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got the bug when about 11 years old used to buy little 5 trans radio from local shop
listen to radio one in the day luxumberg 208
at night had to peek them up to get them pure magic bitten then cb came a long am illegal am got caught lad said try ham radio
if you want to talk over the air then meet with a ham who became my elma. Ken gw4kev be always gratefull to him and dave gw6jjv (silent key now) but i go away for a while but always come back its in my blood
so watch out its catching
Posted by
GW1URD
on August 27, 2007
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Only a matter of time!
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I love stuff like this. This is where you'll find much of the magic of radio. Exchanging thoughts about our beginnings reminds us of how we are the same in many ways. I would never say we shouldn't discuss the things we disagree about, but all the contentious stuff most often serves to divide us. I'm not decrying the great passion you will find in eHam's threads on the controversial issues. I have my own opinions about those things, but I prefer to agree to disagree about many of those things.
I've loved radio since about the age of 4 or 5. We always listened to music, and that meant radio. When I went to work for a Doc who was a Ham and also an EE (from Cal Tec, no less), in 6 weeks I had a study guide in hand. I'm very proud to say my Elmer taught me about the history and tradition of Ham Radio, and not merely theory. As a result I think more like an old-timer than a young pup, even though I have 11 years under my belt now. There's just something about those invisible waves!
Posted by
N5XM
on August 27, 2007
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11 years old
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When I was 11 years old, I was coming back from my paper route when I saw a garage sale.
In the garage sale was an old Eico 770W CB radio.4 channel transmit 23 channel tunable recieve. (Tube radio) I purchased it for $10.00. I came home, not knowing anything about radios and hooked up one lead from the 300 ohm balanced lead. I listened in awe of all of the radio signals.
I eventually purchased old shortwave radios and listened to SWL's and hams alike.
I even purchased an old longwave military radio (wish I still had it)
On my paper route,a customer of mine and a ham, WB6VPC(Marty) would invite me into his shack and show me his SSTV. I was facinated.
The interest in radio and electronics eventually turned into my career as an engineer here in the Silicon Valley.
I miss Marty-WB6VPC. I do not know if he is a SK or not. If he is still alive, he would be very OLD.
It is a shame when you loose touch with people that were instrumental in your life.
If anyone knows about Marty Forrest WB6VPC or Les Hinz, N6UTR or Julie Kessler KB6YSL, let me know. These are people that I have lost touch with and would like to reconnect with.
Back then, it meant something to be a ham. it was a lifelong goal. I am glad that I accomplished my goal.
Posted by
KB6QXM
on August 27, 2007
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By seeing the value
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We spent 2 1/2 years returning last year cruising our sailboat in the Southern Caribe and South America. We used the Marine HF daily for wx and radio sked's while passagemaking.
Many cruisers are hams as well and showed us the additional value of being able to communicate across the ham bands not only to other cruiser but land based folks as well. The Marine HF was our party line as well as our sole source of info underway.
Since our next trip will be into the Pacific I decided to add the Ham capabiltiy to my skillset and sat for the tech and General in early Feb.
Bil Thomas
KI4TMM /MM
www.sv-makai.com
Posted by
KI4TMM
on August 27, 2007
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Mid 1980's Mexico Earth Quake Sparked Interest
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I was 14 when the earth quake occured in Mexico City and saw it on the news while my parents (Also from Mexico) worried about loved ones.
I then went to the local library, got some books and remember the "real technique" to meet a ham, the old fashioned way. "LOOK UP AT THE SKY LINE" for antennas/towers.
In dabled with CB for a short period before jumping into a Novice class by the SFRC.
I did this and met Steve, W6KDK, SK in 1988. He got me started.
This led me to getting an Engineering Degree, EE, with a focus in telecomm, and an Extra Class (old fashioned way, CW!), and has kept my professional carreer going (CCIE etc)... and DXING!
I love what I do and Ham Radio has had a HUGE impact on my live.
Posted by
NM6E
on August 27, 2007
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Just...stubled across it
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I don't even know how it happened. It just did! And I sure am glad it did!
73 de Josh KD8GRC
Posted by
KD8GRC
on August 27, 2007
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When I graduated into Jr High School I met a fellow named George. George had a Radio Amateurs Handbook and a knowledge of Ham Radio, inspired by his Dad. I poured through George's handbook because I had always been facinated by radio. By 10th grade, I had gotten my General license. George joined me 25 years later with a license of his own.
Posted by
K3SUI
on August 27, 2007
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SWLing
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Mid 1950's bought an S-38C to listen to foreign BC stations (discovered The Goon Show on the BBC Short Wave Service). Then quickly gravitated to CW after hearing WCC out of Cape Code working ships. Even managed to copy some of it. Took the AF AACS to really train me as a cw operator.
Posted by
W2RDD
on August 27, 2007
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Discovering HAM Radio
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I was about 7 years Old, and was given walkie Talkies, I always wanted to make them go further, so I began to make directional Antennas to send further in one direction, I had some results, but nothing to write home about.
When I was 10 Years Old, I had a CB set, and a young fellow (My age), invited me to his house, and showed me his father's radio, which was a Heath Kit system, his call was K2JFJ, (Jack)..I saw this for 10 Minutes, and was hooked.
My call, today, is NN2X
My career, was all founded, by Jack, K2JfJ, I am an Engineer by profession, in Telecom (Satellite / Wireless)
I tried over the 30 years to contact him, but no success, I wanted to thank him, but never able to! If someone knows of him, tell him NN2X, said thanks
Posted by
NN2X
on August 27, 2007
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Discovering HAM Radio
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I was about 7 years Old, and was given walkie Talkies, I always wanted to make them go further, so I began to make directional Antennas to send further in one direction, I had some results, but nothing to write home about.
When I was 10 Years Old, I had a CB set, and a young fellow (My age), invited me to his house, and showed me his father's radio, which was a Heath Kit system, his call was K2JFJ, (Jack)..I saw this for 10 Minutes, and was hooked.
My call, today, is NN2X
My career, was all founded, by Jack, K2JfJ, I am an Engineer by profession, in Telecom (Satellite / Wireless)
I tried over the 30 years to contact him, but no success, I wanted to thank him, but never able to! If someone knows of him, tell him NN2X, said thanks
Posted by
NN2X
on August 27, 2007
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ELMERED
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AN EMPLOYEE OF MINE CHRIS, KU4TC, WAS A HAM AND PEAKED MY INTEREST AND ELMERED ME AND I GOT MY NO CODE TECH. HAVEN’T SEEN OR TALKED TO HIM IN A LONG TIME. I HAVE NOW UPGRADED TO GENERAL, AND I DID IT WITH THE CODE!!!
Posted by
KF4ZNL
on August 27, 2007
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My dad . . . W5FY
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My Dad had held W5FY since 1931. When his friends would ask, "When is Rod going to get a ticket," he would simply say, "When he tells me he's interested, but I'm not going to push him into it." In 1955, at the age of 13, I told I wanted to get my novice license. In May of that year, he gave me my code test and W5EBM gave me my written test. To this day, I can still remember ripping open that little envelope from the FCC that arrived in June and almost in unison, my dad and I saying, "Wow, KN5BGB, that's a great cw call." Today, W5FY is now an SK as is W5EBM, but K5BGB is still on cw just as I began the ham radio side of my life in June 1955.
Posted by
K5BGB
on August 27, 2007
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I took it further
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My Dad was big into SWL. I loved hearing stations from all over the world. I thought it would be cool to be able to talk to folks all over the world. I took his love of SWL to the next level.
Posted by
KA3NXN
on August 27, 2007
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Elmered
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I was Elmered by W9HSD, Don (now W0PEA). He had the Heathkit Apache, Mohawk, Warrior in his basement and demo'd it. Also, my dad was a high speed CW oper in WWII and he taught me the code. Tom, NY0V
Posted by
NY0V
on August 27, 2007
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Ham Radio
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Heard neighbor Joe Yurko / W8UAS in AM mode
on my Xtal set. 20m Dx. Very interesting. Inquired
about ham radio at high school club, got the ball
rolling. 1954.
W8JPM
Posted by
W8JPM
on August 27, 2007
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one of those things
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As a firefighter then police officer and finally as a dispatcher I always had 2 ways and scanners in the truck so ham radio seemed like a natural progression. Worked out well as we have a ham station at the center I currently dispatch for.
Posted by
K1HPD
on August 27, 2007
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WCRA - W9CCU
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Thanks to the Wheaton Community Radio Amateurs - W9CCU and the old converted truck Bob, WB9FEA took out to the local High Schools in the Wheaton, Illinois area circa 1975. I have been hamming now over 30 years!
Thanks, 73, Ken
Posted by
WB9YCJ
on August 27, 2007
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blame my father
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I was given a crystal radio when I was 7 years old. Ever since then I have had a radio and not many nights I haven't and don't go to sleep listening to one or similar. In 1953 I heard CW coming from a window in my high school when I was 13 years old. Although girls and cars kept me busy until I was 25, I did finally get my license. I still am fascinated by technology and love to see what is new. I hope I can do that for another 40 years. I would love to ring in my 100th year on the radio. THAT would be great.
Frank
KL7IPV
Posted by
KL7IPV
on August 26, 2007
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From Shortwave Listening
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Crystal radio at age 9 led to a regenerative receiver, then a superhet, broadcast band dx'ing led to short wave listening to amateur radio to a lifes work as a radio communications technician. Radio isn't a hobby, it's a "cause".
Posted by
WA4DOU
on August 26, 2007
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not a ham...
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Like K1CJS, my dad never got a ham ticket. He did however show an interest in radio and home brewed a 75 meter recevier. After he proved it worked, he lost interest.
I read his 1957 ARRL handbook to no end and strung up an antenna. Not the best antenna ever made, but I got to listen to many QSO's on 75. I knew then, I was hooked.
I decided to get a license. I got the information on how and studied even more.
Unlike K1CJS, one night my father found me up studying beyond bedtime and announced that I should should go to bed because "you could never do it anyway".
Never challenge a determined 12 year old like that. I was an extra by 15. (and that was all in front of the FCC when they only gave tests every six months in the nearest city.) I almost died in my shoes when the FCC guy almost smiled as he told me I passed the extra. I think it was the almost smile... I had never seen him smile before.
73 all, ed
Posted by
K3TJ
on August 26, 2007
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not a ham...
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Like K1CJS, my dad never got a ham ticket. He did however show an interest in radio and home brewed a 75 meter recevier. After he proved it worked, he lost interest.
I read his 1957 ARRL handbook to no end and strung up an antenna. Not the best antenna ever made, but I got to listen to many QSO's on 75. I knew then, I was hooked.
I decided to get a license. I got the information on how and studied even more.
Unlike K1CJS, one night my father found me up studying beyond bedtime and announced that I should should go to bed because "you could never do it anyway".
Never challenge a determined 12 year old like that. I was an extra by 15. (and that was all in front of the FCC when they only gave tests every six months in the nearest city.) I almost died in my shoes when the FCC guy almost smiled as he told me I passed the extra. I think it was the almost smile... I had never seen him smile before.
73 all, ed
Posted by
K3TJ
on August 26, 2007
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first time...
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was at a college buddy's house on Thanksgiving, '87. We talked to a ham in Montana when a VK broke in to visit. That sealed it. I was licensed within a year, and six months later was Advanced class. This lead to being an FM broadcast engineer, TV engineer, and now I support my co's TX and NM UHF network, Air-Gnd radio system, and LAN/WAN. Thanks to my elmer, KA3PCL and ham radio! de...KI5BC
Posted by
KI5BC
on August 26, 2007
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Quite by accident...
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I stumbled on to Ham Radio quite by accident...
I wanted a new scanner at Radio Shack (in the Spring of 1995), and once there I got a copy of Radio magazine, which had a feature article by Gorden West, WB6NOA about Ham Radio, which really had me intrigued.
I started listening in on local repeaters on VHF and UHF, and then decided I wanted to get my license and join in on the fun. Shortly after I got it, I was taken in by Oliver Grieve, W7WGW, now W7AFC, and he took me to my first Field Day, and I helped out with the logging on 20 meters SSB and was totally hooked! I knew right then and there that I wanted to go straight up to Extra Class, and did so in about a year. (June 6th, 1996.)
Needless to say, I totally love each and every aspect, band, mode, etc. that Amateur Radio has to offer, and continue to learn as much about it as I can.
My studying hasn't stopped with the upgrades, and it never will. I love to learn about new things, especially about Amateur Radio. I have my own rather large and ever-growing Amateur Radio library to help further my own understanding of the radio art. I simply can't get enough of this stuff!
Posted by
AB7RG
on August 26, 2007
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Other
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Back in 1963 I built a Heathkit Short Wave Receiver and was bitten by the bug. Then in the 60s and early 70s was inspired by reading about the exploits of Sam Harris, W1FZJ, and the Rhodedendron Swamp VHF Society. Didn't actually get my ticket till 2003, but VHF and up is still my primary interest. -- Les, W4FRA
Posted by
W4FRA
on August 26, 2007
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Grandfather
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Emil, W2DGV was my grandfather, and inspiration to become a Ham. He encouraged me to get my NOVICE, and I'm glad I went that route.
Posted by
KB2HSH
on August 26, 2007
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Long Time Affair
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About the first time I saw a radio (mid) 1950's I was hooked. Started off listening to AM and it progressed from there. AM dxing, building kits, listening to shortwave, TV dxing, tinkering with electronics, etc. Coming to ham radio was only a natural part of the process. Here it is 50 years later and still loving it.
Posted by
KG6AMW
on August 26, 2007
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A couple of elmers got me into the hobby
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Bert Blum, WB4EUP, took interest that I was an electronics "nut" from the time I was about 12 years old. He kept after me for about 25 years until I got my ticket!
Also (about the same time frame) WA3QQW, George Hassell, used to stay at my parents motel. He'd call me out to his car where we'd sit for awhile and he'd spin the dial and make contacts on his Drake TR4C mobile setup.
I wasn't the least bit interested in learning Morse code, and I wound up heavily involved in CB. It was fun, and I met a lot of interesting folks. We pitched in and helped the local authorities with lost child searches and other things through REACT. That paved the way for me in a career first with the local volunteer rescue squad, then a volunteer fire department, and eventually to a paid position with the local municipal fire department, where I retired from in 2003. I did some radio repairs on-duty, and was allowed to install a ham shack wherever my duty station was (we got moved around every year or two).
The day I got a QSL card from shortwave station "The Voice of Vietnam" for my reception report dated May 15, 1973 while listening on a W.T. Grant portable AM/FM/Shortwave radio sealed my fate! I was hooked collecting QSL cards from that moment on! I still listen to shortwave radio, but my prevailing interest in that facet of the hobby is pirate broadcasters just below 7MHz. (I have cards from Radio Airplane, and fondly remember Radio Metallica.)
In 1991, Bert Blum asked me if he knew where the local radio club could hold a class. I wound up getting it set up at my fire department duty station! He and another couple of fellows, Bill Kidd (W8ETJ) and Jim Hamilton (AC4AS) taught us all they could in a couple of months, and it took me about three months practicing the code a couple of hours a day to prep for the 5WPM test. This was in the days when two general-class hams could administer the Novice test, no VE team required! In the class I met lifelong friends who are more valuable to me today than some of my siblings!
Two months later I passed the Tech and General, and six months after that I passed the Advanced.
My ham ticket has opened doors for me that otherwise would not have opened. I've become an accomplished PC repair person, and more recently, got into satellite dish and microwave communications installations and service. More than a few people have trusted me and my soldering iron to repair their broken radios, and I've done some repair work for a major RF amplifier company.
I've tried to pay back my elmers by elmering others into the hobby, and have added a few to our ranks.
If you know anyone who is the least bit interested in radio, do them a favor and tell them about our FANTASTIC hobby! There are so many people I feel need to be thanked for getting me into the hobby, there's just not time to put all their names here.
-KR4WM
Posted by
WY3X
on August 26, 2007
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had cousinwas ham was always intreged
Posted by
KD8AHS
on August 26, 2007
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Ham radio
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I was a CB nut for years. Then one day I found the local Skywarn net on my scanner and I was hooked and never looked back. Sold all the CB gear as fast as I could and now 25 years later I am glad I did.
Dan/NØFPE
Posted by
N0FPE
on August 26, 2007
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Discovering Ham Radio
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From my readings about ham radio, it seems most of you became interested because your father had an interest in ham radio or was a ham himself. You folks were fortunate to have a father who piqued your interest. I didn't even know such a hobby existed until I was 35 y.o. when I learned about SWL. Unfortunately, the military, college, family(ies) and grad school were my priorities with little time or money for ham radio. I didn't get licensed until 1999 as a Tech. Hey, I even learned Morse Code up to 10WPM!
Posted by
KF6VIY
on August 26, 2007
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Other...
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Wow, am I the first, or nearly the first to respond with a
comment? This is sort of like having your suitcase being
the very first to drop out of baggage claim at the airport -
- it happens to someone every time but it never happens
to me.
I got into ham radio because my father was a sea captain
and almost always had a radio operator who was also a
ham radio operator. Often, those calls home would be via
phone patch when my father was way out at sea
someplace. And, even though my father never did get a
ham operator's license, he was always interested in ham
radio and that was probably the main encouragement I
got when I was a kid.
One day, about 1956 or 1957 my father brought home
several huge big black boxes. They were the receiver and
transmitter off of his last ship that was going into a
remodel and radio room equipment upgrade. I was the
lucky guy to inherit that stuff and I was about 10 years
old.
No, I didn't immediately get licensed to be on the air as a
ham but this did start me in that direction. I kept the
receiver (EH SCOTT) until I went to college but for the life
of me I can't remember what ever happened to the
transmitter. We moved from California to Oregon after my
sophomore year in high-school and I never remember
having that thing around in Oregon so it might have
accidentally been left behind somehow.
I didn't get my Novice license though until just after my
freshman year in college because I was just too busy
doing other things in high school such as trying to keep
my grades up, track, wrestling, and girls (not always in
that order, in fact, grades never came first).
Posted by
K7PEH
on August 26, 2007
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Not a ham.....
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My dad was not a ham, but he did get me interested in electronics. Ham radio came later. I'm grateful for the support he showed me--and the patience he expressed by answering all my questions as best he could. Now, he still shows interest but thinks he's too old to get his ticket--I'm trying to convince him otherwise!
Posted by
K1CJS
on August 26, 2007
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