I got interested in ham radio in 1959. I was working after school in the TV/radio shop in a store in my home town. The TV tech was a Ham and had a 10 meter Heathkit lunch box in his service truck. 10 meters was open and every Saturday during lunch we sat in his truck talking to the world.
I finally got my novice license in 1976, WN5UHO. I moved up to a Tech license a year later and changed the N to a B. I was already working for a local two way shop and had my First Phone so I managed to bump my code speed up to 13 wpm. I made the trip to the Federal Building in Dallas and managed to pass the Advanced tests the first try.
In 1996 I moved to Virginia. The guy in the TV shop is K5REL. K4REL was available so. courtesy of the Vanity Call Sign system I'm now K4REL.
I've been active on everything from 160 meters to 1296 MHz. We moved a few years ago and all my HF stuff is still packed up but I plan to be back on HF by spring, just need to finish getting some antennas installed. I have an antique station, Johnson Viking Valiant and a Viking 6N2 for transmit and a National NC-303 with a converter cabinet with the 6 and 2 converters. I also have the National NC-107, general coverage rx with styling that matches the NC-303. My modern rig is a Kenwood TS-440 and for receivers an Icom IC-R7000 and an Icom IC-R1500. Mobile is an Icom IC-706.
For VHF/UHF Kenwood 742's in both cars with 2m, 440, and 1200 modules. No, I don't have a ham radio on the tractors.
Theres a 6' cabinet in the basement with linked 440 and 1200 repeaters with a local antenna on it.
Also in the basement are boxes and boxes of miscellaneous odds and ends accumulated over 35 years of ham radio. I keep telling myself I need to sort through it and get rid of some stuff but every time I do I need it the day after the garbage truck drives off!
Those lunch times spent with the Heathkit Tener when I was in Junior High turned into a 43 year career in telecommunications.
Jim, K4REL
Note to non-hams:
Translations of the above available for a nominal fee.
I finally got my novice license in 1976, WN5UHO. I moved up to a Tech license a year later and changed the N to a B. I was already working for a local two way shop and had my First Phone so I managed to bump my code speed up to 13 wpm. I made the trip to the Federal Building in Dallas and managed to pass the Advanced tests the first try.
In 1996 I moved to Virginia. The guy in the TV shop is K5REL. K4REL was available so. courtesy of the Vanity Call Sign system I'm now K4REL.
I've been active on everything from 160 meters to 1296 MHz. We moved a few years ago and all my HF stuff is still packed up but I plan to be back on HF by spring, just need to finish getting some antennas installed. I have an antique station, Johnson Viking Valiant and a Viking 6N2 for transmit and a National NC-303 with a converter cabinet with the 6 and 2 converters. I also have the National NC-107, general coverage rx with styling that matches the NC-303. My modern rig is a Kenwood TS-440 and for receivers an Icom IC-R7000 and an Icom IC-R1500. Mobile is an Icom IC-706.
For VHF/UHF Kenwood 742's in both cars with 2m, 440, and 1200 modules. No, I don't have a ham radio on the tractors.
Theres a 6' cabinet in the basement with linked 440 and 1200 repeaters with a local antenna on it.
Also in the basement are boxes and boxes of miscellaneous odds and ends accumulated over 35 years of ham radio. I keep telling myself I need to sort through it and get rid of some stuff but every time I do I need it the day after the garbage truck drives off!
Those lunch times spent with the Heathkit Tener when I was in Junior High turned into a 43 year career in telecommunications.
Jim, K4REL
Note to non-hams:
Translations of the above available for a nominal fee.
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