I've really enjoyed reading all the stories of how  people got into ham radio and just how long they've been in it.  So, guess it's my turn.  

I do have a request though.  I'm really feeling like one of those old farts who have been around forever, so anyone who's been around well over 40 years, 
please chime in and make me feel better.

I got my novice when I was 14 back in 1952.  That's right, nearly 54 years ago.  I don't feel that old, at least not most of the time.  <grin>

We had a big Zenith floor model AM radio in the livingroom and it had a couple of shortwave bands on it.  

The only ham band I could get on the thing was 20 meters phone, AM of course.  

I'd listen to guys shoot the breeze on 20 and the reception was actually pretty good considering what the radio was.  

I remember getting a braille copy of the radio amateur handbook from the state library in 1951 or 2.  The book was dated some time in the 1930s, so not 
exactly up to date.  

Most of the other ham-related books in nls then were from about the same period.  

Anyway, I toldd my folks I really wanted to find out more about ham radio and we found a blind guy in the Los Angeles area where we lived and he 
recommended a friend who was not far away from where I lived.  

This guy was sighted and had a classic ham shack.  It really was a small building totally separate from his house and crammed full of all kinds of transmitters 
receivers, parts, and about everything else you could think of.  You walked in the door and there was this wonderful smell of wire insulation, solder, and 
cigarette smoke.  It really was the stereotype hamshack you'd read about in some of the older magazines.

Anyway, he started teaching me theory and the code.  He demonstrated things like the picture of a sine wave using solder which he bent into the patterns 
you'd see on an oscilloscope.

He made me get my code speed up to about 13 wpm before he declared me ready to go and take the novice exam.

In those days,all exams had to be given at the FCC district office if you were close enough, so I had to go to the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles 
and the district engineer himself gave me the exam.  

Somehow I kept my nerves together and actually passed it the first time.

My first rig, believe it or not, was a Viking 2 transmitter.  My folks were worried about me getting shocked, so insisted on getting reliable equipment.  
Unfortunately, the receiver we got was an old HQ120.  I didn't know much about such things then, but on much later inspection, the inside looked like it had 
spent most of its life at the bottom of the pacific ocean.  So the guts burned out in very short order.  It was replaced by an SX71 which was a fine receiver 
except for the incredible drift anywhere from 20 meters and higher.  You litterally couldn't hold a transmission too long or when you turned it over to the other 
guy you'd have to retune for him.

Also, since I was a novice and limited to 75 watts, we tried everything to vun the viking 2 at that level, but the chirp was awful.  So the guy helping me set 
things up increased the power just to the point where the chirp went away.  It was probably around 90 watts or so.  I imagine the statue of limitations has 
expired by now.  <grin>

Anyway, I went back to the FCC and saw the district enginerr again on Christmas vacation of 1952 and passed the general.  

My Elmer had me copying 18 wpm for a five-minute stretch the night before I went in, so managed to pass it again.


My antennas were pretty sad affairs as I didn't know a whole lot about antennas then but eventually I gut up a 10-meter beam on a short tower attached to 
the back of the house.  I also got on 40 and 15 which was quite exciting as I was on for the first weekend that phone operation was allowed on 40 back in 
1953.  


I got on 2 meters with an old Gonset communicator and had a lot of fun with that.  You could also fry eggs on top of the thing it got so hot.  But, it was all lots 
of fun.

And, I studied with a group of guys on 10 meters in 1970 and got my advanced.  We'd bat things around at night after the band closed.  

Finally, in about 1981 or so I decided to see if I could study independently and actually pass the extra.  My only disapointment was that by that time you had 
to use a volunteer examiner if you were blind since they wouldn't give you the exam in the office anymore.  

I passed that so got all my band edges back as I really did want that low end of cw again.  

Anyway, I'm not as active as I'd like to be and don't climb around on steep roofs much or towers either, but do hope to get back on HF soon.  It will be 90 
percent cw, but I will go to SSB if I can ever find the mic.  <grin>

Don  W6SMB   (same call all this time)