Featured Story

  • Carl Johngren, K1CKK
    (formerly KN1CKK, 1957) Have had my call since getting my novice ticket in 1957 as KN1CKK while I was in the 8th grade. A fellow student and his Dad were hams and I took the test from his Dad while sitting around their kitchen table. I am now 68 and…

Submit Your Own Novice Story

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.

submit your story now

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
Select Language
Early-1950s 1952 Richard Bender, W3SYY

Richard Bender, W3SYY

(formerly WN3SYY, 1952)

During the year 1951 I studied and practiced code for the General Class license. I studied the code from a set of 78rpm records and thought I had mastered 15 wpm.  In December of '51 my father drove me to Pittsburgh PA (2 hours away) to take the General Exam offered twice a year there.

The examiner was from the FCC Buffalo NY office.  The exams were given in the basement of the city building. The room had concrete walls and pillars (ideal for code testing!!!).  With shaking hands I tried to copy the 13 wpm code test in the  room  of echos.  Later the examiner called me up to his desk and told me I did not make it.

Of course I was very disappointed  and began to leave the room.  As I was leaving He called me back and said I could take the 5 wpm code test for the new Novice License.  I never heard of it but agreed to take the test.  I passed it with flying colors and continued on with the sending test and  the written test.  I received my new license and call (WN3SYY) early in January 1952.

I didn't have a chance to get on the air as I was called to active duty (US Navy) for the Korean War a few months later.  While in the service I did get on the air, and also became a Technician Licensee dropping the "N" in my call.  I have retained the same call since then.

Richard M. Bender  W3SYY  (WN3SYY)

Social sharing
More in this category: Tom Webb, W4YOK »

Add comment


Security code
Refresh

back to top

1952 Stories

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

 

submit your story now
Visit Us on Facebook
Scroll To Top