John,
I hate to say this but for the most part it has all passed. Like you I
started in 1954 but even with all the girls I still kept my interest in
amateur radio. My Dad K6TMX sk got his license about a year after I did. A
six year stint in the Navy got in the way a little but as a S2 pilot, I
figured how to get the HF in the S2 working on 40M CW. I'm sure it would
have been brig time had I been caught. I think I was about 12 when I had my
very first CW contact. I was so excited that when the fellow on the other
end (San Diego, I think) said solid copy I thought he said so lid and I
couldn't figure out what I had done wrong. Funny now but boy was I upset at
that!! My Mom and Dad looked on and my Mom cried because she know how
thrilled I was. Ham radio focused my attention on my love and interest in
electronics and communications. I don't know how I made it through school
with some of the dumb decisions I made. But I did and finally ended up with
a BSEE and then later an MSEE and MBA. I still laugh at a comment my Dad
made. He was a WWII Chief Warrant Officer. He said that he figured that I
had to set the Navy back at 6 of the 6 years I was in and he was amazed that
I didn't kill myself along the way. I didn't consider being a carrier pilot
dangerous. But even now 40 years later, I still have dreams about some of
those hair raising misadventures. At 67, I refuse to be old. Retired (for
the last time) last year and am now able to enjoy my hobby of all these
years. It has been and continues to be a wonderful rewarding hobby. I'm now
working on finalizing my 4CX5000 amp a true California kilowatt. Is it my
first? No way. Is it my last? Probably. Parts have become so damned
expensive and of course I'm not a collector so I don't have the parts
available that were once easily available. Nonetheless, it is a great
hobby. Guess if I had a wish, I'd wish my kids would have taken an
interest. I know it sure kept my Dad and I close. I don't remember what
the first transmitter was that I built but I do remember the second and that
was the Heathkit AT-1. I still have it and it's in new condition. Anyway,
rambling on! Isn't that what old men do. Not me!!!
Regards,
Kirk, K6KAR
Niceville, FL
-----Original Message-----
From: tentec-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:tentec-bounces@contesting.com]
On Behalf Of John Cox
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 6:51 PM
To: Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Cheap cw rig
I am an old man now and probably don't have a clue when it comes to what the
youth of today would be interested in.
In 1954 I spent a week with a friend that had moved to another city and we
went to an amateur radio meeting where we played with 2 Gonset communicators
a block away from each other. I was enthralled. My friend had his General
and we spent a few days getting me up to 5 wpm on the code. I took the
novice test and went home with my novice license. KN6HSG!! Was I excited.
I bought the current ARRL hand book and built a 40/80 meter 5 watt 6ag7 cw
transmitter. My old boy scout master gave me a Hallicrafters S-53A receiver
and I was off and running. I couldn't seem to raise anyone on 80 meters
until I contacted a Ham in Colton, California which was 20 miles away. I
guess that I was very weak because he finally asked me to send over my phone
number. I few minuets later my mother came out to my bed room shack and
said that there was someone on the phone for me. He came over and fixed my
antenna for me and I later contacted a ham in Minnesota.
These were exciting times for me. I later dropped Amatuer Radio for girls
and only came back after I had forgotten what it was that I did with the
girls.
I now do a little SSB but spend most of my time listening to cw trying to
get my receive speed and nerve up to the point that I can go on line.
Are kids like me still out there or has it all passed?
73, John kc0yai
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Brown K9YC" <k9yc@audiosystemsgroup.com>
To: "Bob McGraw - K4TAX" <RMcGraw@Blomand.net>; "Discussion of Ten-Tec
Equipment" <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 19, 2008 11:14 AM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Cheap cw rig
> On Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:54:09 -0500, Bob McGraw - K4TAX wrote:
>
>>Do we really think newcomers to ham radio will be interested in
>>a CW rig? I doubt it.
>
> I guess Elecraft doesn't count? They've sold thousands of K1s and
> KX1s, both of which are CW only. Haven't looked at serial numbers
> for K2s lately, but a year ago it was more than 6,000. The base
> radio is CW only -- you have to add a SSB board to work phone. And
> if you go to the QRP program at Dayton next month, you'll see a lot
> of CW-only rigs. Some of those are built and used by new hams. If
> you listen sorta high in the CW bands, especially on 40 and 30,
> you'll hear them (when they're not getting stepped on by RTTY
> contesters who don't listen before they transmit).
>
> And perhaps you haven't done much contesting or DX chasing lately,
> where there is still plenty of interest in CW by new hams.
>
> 73,
>
> Jim K9YC
>
>
>
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> TenTec@contesting.com
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