Members were invited to show an item or tell a story about how they became interested in Amateur Radio. The following 8 members participated: Ralph N1YHS, Peter W1UU, Jim WA1GPO, Jay KB4KYW, Bill Kramer, Henry K1WCC, Chris WA1CMR and Barry KB1TLER.
Two of the participants shared descriptions of their presentation and images for the FARA website:
Peter Butler, W1UU:
I briefly showed QSL cards I was receiving as a 15 year old Sophomore in High School. The Russians liked to send post cards with a rubber stamp of their call sign of "everyday life". The VR6TC operator was a relative of the original Tom Christian from the novel Mutiny of the Bounty. We had to read that story in high school! I was first licensed as WN1BPW in 1953 at the age of 13.
Ralph Swenson, N1YHS:
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| Knightkit Space Spanner |
My first shortwave radio kit was Knightkit "Space Spanner". I built this when I was around 12 years old and it was a Christmas gift from my grandmother. I enjoyed countless hours of listening for those distant and foreign stations. I graduated up to another Knightkit radio, the "Star Roamer", few years later, around the age of 14, with money I earned mowing lawns that summer. Had lots of fun with that as well.
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| Popular Mechanics tube radio |
I also built a one tube radio during the COVID shutdown, built around a 6J5 tube. This radio was from a 1956 Popular Mechanics, Do It Yourself Encyclopedia volume. It uses AC power to run the filament transformer for the tube and a 45V battery for the plate circuit. I used a 48V battery pack made of 8 LR44 6V batteries as a substitute for the old 45V "B" batteries used back in the day. Had fun making it, and it actually works quite well!
