Hi James (KX2T):
FB regarding your journey from the HW-100 to the 820. Sounds like a fun trip, with many more adventures than I've had.
The first radio (receiver) I built was a Heathkit HR-10B. That was a terrible receiver with many issues. But I had a lot of fun with it anyway.
When I had the chance to get a battered HW-101 and rebuild it, I was very happy. And when completed, THAT radio was a dream come true. It handled very well and was two quantum leaps beyond the HR-10B (and it transmitted!) I still miss the HW-101. Never got tired of using it.
Always lusted after the SB-104, though. And like many childhood dreams (cars, radios, etc.), I still do and have to slap myself eveytime I find one - because the last thing I need is yet more old radio equipment. My CA home does not have a basement - and really needs one for this hobby.
Then I switched to a used TS-440S and was simply amazed at how stable it was and how easy it made running AMTOR and RTTY. Not to mention memories and filtering choices. While I made the occasional CW contact, it was not my preferred mode, and I was by now a new engineer working in the field of digital comms - and that passion carried over to amateur radio. I did work SSB, but found the audio harsh no matter what I did. Which pushed me even harder into the digital modes.
From there, I helped test and improve some early packet radio modems and eventually drifted away into starting a family.
Today, my stations are a mix of Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood and Elecraft gear, with a bunch of older stuff in the closet I've been trying to trim down.
Life really is a journey - and I'm happy to have survived this long to enjoy it. Not all of my friends have been so lucky. So I like to look back and appreciate where I've been and who I've lived life with, rather than regret what might have been.
Brian - K6BRN