I'm grateful my father was supportive of ham radio from the beginning, and
that I had Bill Young, W3MVX as my 8th grade english and history teacher.
Bill ran the study group where I learned the material, passed the Novice
exam, and got licensed as KN3YGU in 1963. After that, I was on my
own. My first station was a Knightkit T-60 transmitter and a Heathkit
GR-91 receiver. The receiver was poor, so I added a homebuilt 6CG7
Regenerative Preselector from the 63 ARRL Handbook, and a Heathkit HD-11
Q-Multiplier. Because I built everything, those early experiences
fixed my interest in homebrew radio gear. My antenna was a 40 meter dipole
in the attic of our single-story
house. Conveniently, the
house was 65 feet long, so it just fit. Not having the benefit of an
older ham's advice, I struggled
with this setup for several months, making contacts in the midwest and
up and down the east coast from Maryland. Eventually I
realized that I needed a higher, outside antenna if I wanted to work
greater distances. I remember being thrilled with my first contact, 50 miles
away, pushing my distance record further out, week by week, and working my
first DX- a VE3 in Ontario. Once the outside antenna went up, my log started
to fill up with western US calls, and I worked my first California
station. By the time my novice license expired, I had confirmed 43 states and had
developed a strong interest in DXing! |
