I got my General class ticket in 64 and hit the bands as K3YGU. I soon
polished off the last 7 states needed for WAS, and started DXing on 20
meters. My next acquisition was a Drake 2B receiver- quite an improvement!
The old T-60 was replaced by a Heathkit HX-20 transmitter, my first SSB rig.
That was replaced, in turn, by a Hallicrafters HT-37. My early antennas were
verticals, but soon I had 20 feet of tower on the roof with a 2 element
triband quad. It did great at 40 feet, and I worked plenty of DX, despite
the solar cycle minimum at the time. I built a couple of modest 811A
amplifiers but eventually traded for a homebuilt pair of 4-400A's, which served
me well.
Aside from DXing, I enjoyed hanging out with some locals who met
late evenings on 14.340 in the Washington, D.C. area. Although I was only 15
and these guys were much older, they made me feel welcome. The teen years
can be difficult- the group helped me develop a sense of identity, purpose,
and belonging during those times. I have many fond memories of that
bunch.
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