Well, I guess I better chime in with some verbage on this too. I wanted to
get my license about 1957, but couldn't find any of the crotchety old hams
in the town I grew up that would help!!! I didn't manage to get the theory
and code training until the Navy decided I needed it, so I got my Novice
ticket in 1972 with the help of my elmer, K6OAC. Vince gave me a DX-35 and
R-390 for my first rig. I managed to fry the tranny in the DX-35, replaced
that with a TV transformer and used it until I upgraded to a DX-40. Had a
few 40m crystals, and a LOT of 15m ones, so I mostly worked 15m.
I worked all states except Mississippi on the 15m Novice band, and got my
Rag Chewer's Certificate there as well, hi. That R-390 was EXCELLENT for
weak signals, but imagine "cruising" the 15m novice band every time you
called CQ with that monster!! I bought a small Mosley 3 element beam, put
that up about 35' on a homemade breakover mast, and with it came a Swan 350.
I used the DX-40 and the receiver from the Swan for the last few months of
my Novice career. My wife has ALWAYS been supportive of my hobby, and as a
reward for passing my General class license, she let me order the SB-401/303
pair with the SB-600 and the EV-638 mic that Heathkit sold. I got it
together, and with only a couple of wiring errors, I used that set over 10
years. That's when I started buying Drake 4 line twins that had been
"CB'ed" and usually tweaked with the golden screwdriver, and turned up for
pennies at hamfests. I got them going again, fixing bad or missing solder
joints, re-aligning for the ham bands, and sold them to buy more, hi.
Since then I have had more rigs than I like to count, ending up with a shack
full. So like most of you here, I have "Drake-itus". I have a full TR7
line except the L7, 2 B Lines, 2 C Lines, one L4B, 2B/2BQ and the S line and
KWM2A Collins with 30L1, Heaths like I built (that need rebuilding one day)
and the SB-104A line designed by our late friend on here Mr. Elliot. So you
see, with the "modern gear" I have, I am covered up and enjoying every
minute of it. Great hobby, and you meet the nicest folks on here and the
bands.
My new "thing" is trying AM. I am driving this weekend to purchase a nice
Viking II for a trasmitter and have several good receivers to choose from
for the AM station. One is a 75A2 (needs refurbing) that belonged to Jack
Guest, designer/owner of the Hornet antennas of our youth. I knew him here
in his hometown, Duncan, OK and wanted one of his rigs.
73 all,
Don, WB5HAK
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