[RFI] Odd broadcast radio reception.

[Howard Lester]

Since we’re all reminiscing so fondly…. ;-)

I got my Novice license in 1963 when I was living near NYC. I lived in an 8-story apartment building and was able to string a 40-meter vertical dipole made of Copperweld from the roof down to near the ground level, hanging right alongside the side of the building. At the center feed point was the convenient location of my bedroom window. Just a short length of RG-58, no balun, no SWR meter, nothing. Understand the term “novice.” I knew nothing. I was given a crystal for 3706 Kc. No, that’s not in the 40 meter band, but… hey, I knew nothing. I had a Johnson Viking Challenger transmitter and a Hammarlund HQ-110A receiver, the latter having its own wire antenna also coming through the window. Somehow I was able to tune the thing up and made some contacts on the 80-meter Novice band. Transmitters in those days could load practically anything. Note the term “practically.” At the time I didn’t know I could use a 40 meter dipole on 15, so I took a piece of wire a quarter wave long for 15 and stuck the end of the wire into the center socket of the Challenger’s SO-239. No counterpoise, no. And then, *BOOM!* I blew a filter capacitor. Johnson eventually either repaired it or sent me a new transmitter. 

Oh, and I made a mess of the neighbors’ televisions that were using rabbit ears…. 

When I passed my General I bought an Eico VFO kit. OK, I hadn’t yet received the upgrade in the mail, but my Elmer told me to go ahead and use it. In fact, he said, I could use the VFO as a transmitter in its own right. So I did. I hooked it up to my 100’ receiving antenna (28 gauge magnet wire) that was out in the clear and I worked 13 states including a 429 report from Oklahoma. I did better on that setup than using 75 watts to the vertical dipole up against the side of the apartment building. Then I got an OO card in the mail telling me I’m not yet a General, so I’m not to use the VFO. 

But the most fun I had during that era was with a Heathkit HW-32 SSB single band transceiver for 20-meters hooked to a dipole I was able to install on the roof of the 8-story building, out in the clear. As a side note, at first the HW-32 didn’t receive. My parents knew of a ham who came over to take a look. Boris discovered a disc capacitor was defective, so he took the HW-32 home with him. As I, a 16-year old, accompanied Boris in the elevator, he held the radio with its back side outward so that others in the elevator couldn’t see what it really was. One fellow in the elevator asked Boris, “Hi-Fi?” Boris's reply was a simple, “Stereo.” 

I do miss the magic of radio that I felt in those young days! 

Howard N7SO


> 
> And now in this new 'digital age', most of us wish we had our old Novice
> station.  At least I do.  The DX-40 kept my hands warm on winter evenings
> in Michigan.  I didn't have heat in my bedroom other than the tube radios.
> Only two 'crystals', 7180 and 7190.  Oh to relive those days.  And the
> Heathkit AR-3 with it's single, yes, only one, IF stage and the BFO with
> more 60-Hz hum than a clean tone - Heath cheated and ran one of the
> filament voltages through the chassis.  Well, for a rank beginner receiver,
> I guess I would too. - to save precious copper wire.  Heath recommended
> using WWV (then back east) as a cal. standard.  But,......WWV appeared
> every 455 kHz on the dial......  And my T/R  "switch" was a DPDT open
> 'frame' knife switch with a ceramic base.  Those were the days!!!!!
> 
> I have an NC-173 recapped and off-value resistors changed out for a
> receiver.  This is what I 'really' wanted for a receiver as a Novice.  It's
> not much by today's standards (my 7300 and 7610 or even the TS-130S), but a
> far cry from that AR-3!!  No 'Novice' transmitter yet.  Based on prices and
> what I see presently available, I may have to settle for a DX-60B as a
> transmitter.  A friend and Novice across town had the DX-60B and an HQ-110
> - with the clock.  Oh, did I lust after that transmitter and receiver.  He
> worked all kinds of DX I couldn't even begin to hear.
> 
> Oh, yes, and should I mention we received more RFI from the old analog
> televisions than we ever caused to that black and white broadcast service.
> 
> Yep, those were the days!
> 
> Dave - WØLEV