Wow, what memories, Curtis, Pat, Lew and Ron.  I, like Curt, I think, 
started out with a DX-35 as a Novice.  I borrowed a Heathkit GR-91 superhet 
receiver from a fellow Novice who I met when I fractured my ankle (he was an 
x-ray tech).  After a couple months, my folks bought me a refurbished NC-300 
receiver.  Yeah, that cathode key circuit on the DX-35 sure could get you.

When I got my Conditional/General, I upgraded to a Johnson-Viking Invader 
transmitter.  I had a Dowkey relay hooked up between it and the NC-300 so I 
could run Vox.  It ran I think 200W PEP and I think 25 watts on Am.  I 
remember it was a lot less power on AM, because I had a couple spare fuses 
and must have over-driven it because I popped both in an AM QSO on 40 
meters.  The guy kept saying, w-a-8-v-a-a, where did you go?

My SSB career was kind of short-lived back then.  I had a nice hour QSO with 
a guy in Western Pennsylvania, when we said 73's he said 73's and 88's Eve, 
this is the most pleasant QSO I've ever had with a YL.  I don't have a very 
low voice as an adult, and at age twelve, it was quite high-pitched.  So, 
after that, except with friends, I strictly operated CW for the next six 
years.

I certainly remember the SSB/AM wars.  By the time I was an operator in the 
mid-60's, it was rare to hear a double sideband signal, but there were still 
a lot of AM signals.

I've gotten excited over some rare DX, but I don't think anything has 
equaled the excitement of getting up around 1:00 in the morning to go down 
and work California as a Novice in the summer of 64.  I remember getting so 
excited after working California for the first time, that I woke my parents 
up to tell them.

I had two uncles who were hams.  One only got his Novice; while the other 
got his General.  We QSO'ed several times in the 60s and 70s, but he hasn't 
been active much since then.  He still has his license at age 94, but I 
don't think he has done any hamming in quite a few years.

Steve, K8SP