Featured Story

  • Ray Tougas, W7ASA
    (1972) I was a rabid SWL as soon as I could reach the dial of my friend Mark R's, father's Zenith Transoceanic. Mark was the brains of the outfit. My forte was endurance, I'd listen until his father would tell us that it was time to turn it OFF. Then…
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Please share with your fellow hams a story of your Novice year(s). The story should mainly focus on your Novice period. A story can be a photo or a few lines of text to a full blown story of several pages.

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Latest Comments

  • John Shidler, NS5Z
    John thats a great story. I didn't realize you were so much older than me LOL.. glad to call you my Ham Pal. Where have the years gone.. we are old fat and gray now, but still tearing up the airwaves.... More...
    17.04.13 07:53
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Early-1960s 1962 Joe Trombino, W2KJ

Joe Trombino, W2KJ

(formerly WV2ZDF, 1962)

Got my Novice ticket in 1962 while in High School.  Took the test in that crummy old building in NYC....I have a picture of the old fellow with the very stern face who gave me my code test....I copied the photo out of an old Ham publication.

Got on the air as WV2ZDF using a homebrew 6V6 and S77 receiver and a J38 handkey.....pretty sad combo...was able to light up a 5w light bulb so guess I was QRP back in '62 (grin).

Moved up to a DX20 an NC190 and a 40M dipole and really started working stations.....finally got a VibroPlex bug and that brought great relief to my aching fist (grin).

I look at the NC190 on my operating shelf (sold my first one years ago...was lucky to be able to purchase another one a few years back) and then look over at the K3 and I am just amazed at the changes in technology we have seen in the past 46 years.

I wonder what changes will happen in the next 46 years???  I don't think I'll be around to see them though (grin).

73, Joe W2KJ

I QRP, therefore I am

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We Need Your Help!

We are in special need of Novice stories from:

  • 1970s - especially 1974 (we have only 3 stories)
  • 1980s - we have only 14 (none from 1980, 1985-86) 
  • 1990s - we have only 2 stories
  • 2000 - we have none

 

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