[ADXA] Speaking of tube type mobiles.

[WB5JJJ]

How many of you have ever been guilty of this teenage indulgence?  This all
happened probably 10 years before I got my license.  I knew all about
Amateur Radio, but had too many other things on my mind back then to study
and learn CW, to get a license.

Back in my early Navy days (~1967), I was stationed in Maryland going to a
school.  A classmate had a Galaxy (I think) tube rig in the floorboard on
the passenger side of his car.  And what looked like a huge whip on the
rear bumper, and I remember he was on 14Mhz and working the world at
night.  Some things just stick to memory cells.  Now, I don't remember if
he was running SSB or AM, but some of you old timers might chime in on the
technology of the day.

The radio was aglow in white light from the filaments and when he
transmitted there was a loud kerchunk from the T/R relays, then a couple of
the tubes got cherry red and the engine revved up bit.  In the summer, with
the windows down (no A/C), my legs got hot from not only the tubes, but
probably a lot of stray RF.

Now the fun part.  He would park in front of the base movie theater and
when he talked, the neon would modulate with his voice.  He was lighting up
neon for about 10' either side of his antenna, which was within a couple
feet of the bottom row of neon.

Don't know what the other folks on base though of the light display, but we
sure enjoyed the light show.

George - WB5JJJ
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