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Author Topic: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?  (Read 1117 times)

KG4LAC

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #45 on: September 17, 2022, 03:21:28 PM »

Lots of QSL cards, souveniers, etc at

https://www.kg4lac.com
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KU4UV

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #46 on: October 06, 2022, 05:43:17 PM »

I remember receiving Radio Canada and some other shortwave stations, (maybe BBC) on a little Radio Shack Science Fair crystal radio kit that I built around Autumn of 1987 as a 12-year old kid.  Living in central Kentucky, this was a thrill to be able to receive distant stations on a radio that I had built myself!  I had the wire for the antenna strung along the wall of my upstairs bedroom, and I used one of the HVAC registers to ground the radio.  Not sure how that ground worked, but it did!  I remember being able to pull in some of the stronger SW stations at night, after our local AM stations (1340 WEKY, where I would later work as an announcer) would sign off for the evening.  It wasn't until a couple of years later that I got a better radio that actually had the SW bands on it that I really got interested in SWLing.  The ham license came when I became a senior in high school in 1992.

73,
Michael KU4UV
« Last Edit: October 06, 2022, 05:55:32 PM by KU4UV »
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KT4HX

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #47 on: February 08, 2023, 05:03:15 PM »

I don't recall my first heard, but I do my first QSL'd.  I caught the inaugural broadcast of the Radio Nederland relay in Bonaire in 1969.  I was using a Ross AM/FM/SW portable at the time.  That was 10 years before I got my first ham license. 
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VE3WGO

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #48 on: February 08, 2023, 06:04:01 PM »

Growing up in the 1960s and listening to my Grandpa's Canadian Westinghouse floor console shortwave radio, I used to hear HCJB from Ecuador which seemed to be louder than anything else, and there was CFRX which was (still is, I think) a shortwave simulcast of CFRB 1010 AM from Toronto.  There were many foreign language broadcasts in those days too.

73, Ed
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K4WH

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #49 on: February 08, 2023, 07:06:32 PM »

Around 1960 my uncle gave me a Hallicrafters SX 77 to use.  My first station I heard was Radio Moscow, or BBC, or VOA.  A long time ago.  Really also enjoyed listening to the old high seas marine ship to shore radio.
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W7XTV

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #50 on: February 08, 2023, 07:23:40 PM »

My first exposure to SW (and ham radio) was when I mother bought my dad a Sears portable AM/FM/SW portable for Christmas 1964, with a shortwave band that tuned from 6 to 18 MHz, or 49-16 meters.  I don't remember THE first shortwave station I heard, but it was probably one of the usual suspects (VOA, BBC, Radio Moscow, and the other major European stations).  I was 9 years old and was already hooked.

I was more impressed when I found the 20 meter ham band and heard what was probably the last hurrah for Ancient Modulation -- still quite a bit of activity amongst the "quack quack noise".  No BFO on this radio, so CW and SSB were out.  I got even more hooked, although it was still a few more years before I got my Novice ticket.
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He speaks fluent PSK31, in FT8...  One QSO with him earns you 5BDXCC...  His Wouff Hong has two Wouffs... Hiram Percy Maxim called HIM "The Old Man..."  He is... The Most Interesting Ham In The World!

KK2CW

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #51 on: February 08, 2023, 07:29:37 PM »

Evenings listening to the world on a Hallicrafters SX-110 while in high school circa 1975.  The warmth and glow of a vacuum tube receiver on winter nights.  BBC, VOA, CBC, Radio Moscow, and even Tirana Albania (harsh broadcasting during the Cold War).  The magical BFO switch allowed SSB eavesdropping on 75M hams and novice band code practice.  All frequencies estimated at best.  Life was simpler then in a wonderful way…
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SWMAN

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #52 on: February 08, 2023, 08:24:27 PM »

Around 1964 my dad bought a Sony portable SW radio. I was about 10 or so. No BFO or anything special on it. I got a hold of it and fell in love with what I was hearing on that little radio. I think I used it more than dad did. That coming Christmas my uncle bought me a Hallicrafters S-120 radio. I ran a long piece of wire from my desk to outside and let it hang down a few feet. I could hear almost everything with that radio. I was hooked for life.
 Happy moments from those simple days and lots of good clean fun.
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K0YQ

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #53 on: February 09, 2023, 05:30:13 PM »

Fun thread I enjoyed reading.  Xmas 1979 a Panasonic RF2800.  Few weeks later read (some magazine with an english broadcast schedule in back) that Radio Peking (at the time) supposed be on daily 6PM Eastern time 15060.  Skeptically tuned up and waited doubtfully, but when that fluttery interval signal fired up out of the silence in my dark winter bedroom I was hooked for life.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2023, 05:40:22 PM by K0YQ »
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K1QQQ

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Re: Do you remember your first BC SW station heard? Or a memorable one?
« Reply #54 on: March 14, 2023, 02:21:27 AM »

I never got into shortwave much vs. amateur radio But Canada had simulcast of regular AM broadcast srations 540-1600 khz up on 3 mhz and 7mhz. I forget exact frequencies. For places like Canada not smart for those remote places in the country ? Regular AM BCB up on higher frequencies. Also St Pierre and Miquelon on 1375 khz I think it was. From Connecticut made an oddity to listen to. Other split frequencies etc.

Why can not listening be FUN ?
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