[ADXA] The old days Rory... all started with SWLing in 1954 in Memphis. Who knew what followed?

Tue Aug 11 18:27:35 EDT 2020

Hi San.  Thanks for the history.  We are lucky to have ops in ADXA who 
have been there.  The past is as important as the future.  I'm a 
latecomer, 1982 but a utility listener long before that.  JRC NRD-515 
and Icom R-70 then R-71.  Both of my Icoms are in use by active and very 
experienced UTE listeners today.  UTE, by the way, is everything but SW 
broadcasts, ships, aircraft, ground stations, etc.  Back in the day, I 
used an Info-Tech M600 sold by Universal Radio to decode RTTY 
transmission or RATT as it was called in the USCG.  It was amazing all 
the unencrypted traffic out there.  You could monitor HF phone calls 
from AF1 and AF2 plus any number of other VIP flights.  All on SSB.  My 
favorite agency to listen to was the CG.  They rarely if ever used 
encryption and were continually active on HF.  They would return QSL 
cards for ships and aircraft.  One of my best catches was a QSL card 
from a C130 deep in the Pacific flying from Honolulu sending traffic via 
RTTY.

On another occasion, I heard a US Navy P3 come up on the Atlantic ASW 
channel, 8992 and announce they had a "Russian submarine on fire in 
sight."  It was off the Atlantic Coast.  The non-stop voice traffic was 
just incredible.  The operator talking to the AC kept reminding them 
that the Pentagon and the White House Situation Room were on the 
circuit.  Finally, after several hours, the aircraft was told to encrypt 
as "CNN was listening."  It was all in the news the next day.  This was 
before the Internet, etc. We all used to send our intercepts in to a 
little rag who would then print them in a monthly publication, kind of 
like the Yellow Sheets we used to get.  Anyone remember those?  How 
about the QSL routes that we subscribed to that we coveted and even the 
printed callbook.  Great days.  Not to mention Chod Harris and 
publication plus others.

And the anticipation of checking the mail box every day wondering if you 
actually got that ATNO or not.  No way to know until the card got 
there.  It was a blast.  I didn't get on LOTW until somewhat late.  
Fortunately, K8NA, San, Rick and Joel know Ted, wrote but I'm glad I got 
them on the computer.

So San, you aren't the only one out there who misses the old days.  
Thanks for sharing that with us.  I hope I didn't bore anyone.  BTW, if 
you get bored, you can still hear a lot of HF civil aviation traffic 
around the world talking to air traffic control.  A lot of it is being 
done by SATCOM now, automatically reporting positions, but the older 
aircraft still use a lot of HF SSB.

Steve, QQ

On 8/11/2020 1:58 PM, HamOP wrote:
>
> Rory..
>
> If the Asia QSL envelopes have /_“seeds” in them_/, then don’t open! 
> Just send to ARRL like it is and let them confirm there! HI  They have 
> plastic gloves and don’t eat seeds. 😊  Strange world we are in now. I 
> will take the 50s and 60s back any day, especially when just starting 
> out as an SWL in 1954 with an S38A, being at Elvis’ home on Audubon 
> Drive 3 times in 1956 and dancing on Wink Martindale’s WHBQ show on 
> Saturdays from March to December 56 before moving back to Sugartown 
> (Stuttgart) on Jan 1, 1957..
>
> Then the SWL cards I got back from many hams stimulated me to get my 
> license. I had an ARRL 15 WPM certif before becoming a ham in 1957. 
> And I made schedules with those hams I had sent SWL cards to and 
> WORKED them on ham radio a few months later on CW. I was so happy. 
> Then DXing came along in late 57 - early 58 and the world changed!!
>
> I was an AM announcer at WHBQ in Atlanta during my first 2 years at 
> Georgia Tech, doing fill-ins on weekends doing 50/60s rock and roll 
> song requests. Next door was the ham station at Ga Tech and I used it 
> sometimes to chase DX with only 100 watts with a DX100. I was paid 70 
> CENTS an hour to announce, usually 3 hours and sometimes 4.  I was a 
> sidekick guy at KXLR radio and did color analyst work for Arkansas 
> Traveler Baseball in 1969, fun and got a ballpark burger and all the 
> Coke I could drink. /_No $$ paid to me_/.. Uggggh
>
> Big DX chasing started in 1965-66 and the ADXA kept my interest in a 
> big way starting in 1967. FUN HOBBY, Rory…  You are really doing well.
>
> 73 and be safe more than ever these next 2 months. Our CY0 trip will 
> be delayed til next year but some other neat options are being looked 
> at for 2021 too. Prop will be SO much better in 2021 anyway.. 😊
>
> San
>
> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for 
> Windows 10
>
> On Tue, Aug 11, 2020 at 12:03 PM HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net 
> <mailto:k5yy1 at cox.net>> wrote:
>
>     Sent out about 50 QSLs with SASE or $2/SAE about 3-4 months ago.
>     Thought I would make a concerted effort to mail direct cards to
>     some unconfirmed band/mode QSOs from YEARS ago. After sending
>     initial QSLs years ago and nothing coming back, I assumed some
>     were lost and that I would spend a few bucks to confirm a few
>     more, if possible. One more attempt! :-)
>
>     Recently got QSLs from the late 1990s thru 2011, including
>     AH4/AH7G Midway and SV7CFC. Fun seeing them come thru, some from
>     family members who are QSLing with the original operator
>     terminally ill or in a nursing home, etc. Couple came from
>     deceased operator operations but some friend was assisting and had
>     old logs in hand. One from a ham now living in the USA the past 2
>     years. Too many situations, but I tried to get a few cards in but
>     will not spend the time again on something just going in a
>     shoebox..  LOL  Just got a wild hair back in April.
>
>     So far about 15 new ones to add to my /_current country_/ 10 band
>     total. With the max at 340 current countries (3400 possible
>     160-6m) I may not see 3000 confirmed before passing on. If we
>     could throw in 2m, 222 and 432mc, I could help some. 😊
>
>     Then there’s 60m and it’s 177 would put me over the 3000. For sum
>     reason the ARRL is staying away from that situation that started
>     July 3, 2003.. IIWII ☹
>
>     San YY
>
>     Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986>
>     for Windows 10
>
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