[ADXA] SWLing was so fun Rick, after I started hearing hams on the air. Broadcast stations seldom QSLed.

Sat Sep 26 14:37:39 EDT 2020

A lot of those old stories are familiar. When we turn over to 2021, I'll
have in 59 years.  License dated 1/12/1962 signed by C.B. Plummer and Ben
F. Waples.

Noise back then ... can't remember well enough to say. The wide receiver BW
probably let a lot more in. I remember one thing - when cars would cruise
down the street I'd often hear their ignition noise. Not sure but I think
it was more pronounced in Fords.

Before ham radio, I did listen to some receivers that could pick up short
wave. I didn't get too interested in hearing the foreign countries, but
there were lots of weird sci-fi sounds that were interesting. And I
remember listening on this old Zenith in my Dad's tavern hearing guys give
an ID and then say "No Traffic". So I figured it was police or some sort of
agency watching the streets. Haha.
[image: image.png]
That's me on the left, tuning in the old Zenith.

Speaking of weird noises, there was some kind of transmission that just
sounded like a loud roar, like an airplane engine. So I decided that's what
it was. Many years later I realized it would have been kind of stupid to
broadcast engine noises continuously on AM. But I found that some other
hams had thought the same thing as kids.

Yes on the 75 meter phone. K5AJY was the KAAY of ham radio.

When I was learning the code, we had one of those radios in the wooden case
that included SW bands. I'd copy CW on the thing with no BFO, just the
"blast of air" sound it produced. Of course there were enough BC stations
in the 40 meter band that you'd sometimes get a beat note between them and
a nearby CW station.

I also learned on a set of old 78 RPM records. First lesson was E I S H 5
4.  Second was T M O 0 9 X. A couple of other guys were doing it too, after
school. We had a straight key we'd practice on but no CPO, so we were
hearing it telegraph style, with just clicks. I could actually copy that
way.  Eventually got a practice key on a bakelite base with a buzzer in it,
from Burstein-Applebee.

I think the lady San mentioned was W3CUL, Mary "Mae" Burke. She was a
heckuva NTS CW operator. I've got a G-E Ham News pamphlet from March 1957
that has a write up on her.

Well, this is approaching novella length so I'd better cut it off here.

73-

Nick, WA5BDU

On Sat, Sep 26, 2020 at 8:46 AM Trent Fleming <trent.fleming at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Well I was in Marked Tree with my Zenith TO.  Pat Lee, our mailman who was
> from Lepanto tried his best to teach me the code but I was a tough case. He
> brought me an old hammerlund to listen to but I was more interested in
> voice than CW.
>
> 73
>
> Trent
> N4DTF
>
>
>
> trentfleming.com
>
> On Sep 26, 2020, at 8:24 AM, Richard Harris <rickai5p at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 
> Wow, Dennis, that SWL card of mine is Rare hi! All I remember about the
> SX-111 was that it was
> heavy and big! I didn't remember your original call - WA5IIS - 12 dots in
> a row - no wonder you
> got so good at CW! Took a talent to send that call! I was big into trying
> to collect counties back
> then - I'm pretty sure I got over 500 as an SWL and got the CQ Award but
> time has dimmed
> what happened to the award. Of course, I got into county hunting big time
> as an amateur and still
> enjoy giving out counties while on the road. The antenna with the SX-111
> was just bell wire
> strung out from the roof to a tree. I knew nothing of real antennas back
> then. QTH was
> in Arkadelphia at my frat house right across from the First Baptist
> Church. Old house
> probably built in the 20's by a family who owned one of the furniture
> stores. Think my
> rent was $ 40 a month. Fun times... thanks for the memories! 73 Rick
>
> On Fri, Sep 25, 2020 at 3:39 PM Dennis Schaefer <dennisw5rz at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> <image0.jpeg>
>>
>>
>> Rick, I’m sure I showed this to you before.   You were a serious
>> “ham-band” SWL at the time with that SX-111.  I also started out as an
>> SWL.  A newspaper man from my first hometown in Hunter, AR, loaned my dad a
>> Hallicrafters receiver of some kind - don’t remember the model.  I was
>> fascinated, so we ordered an S-108 from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.  I
>> did a lot of SWL’ing and used that receiver as WN5IIS in Brinkley along
>> with a Knight T-60 that I assembled.  The receiver didn’t do well on SSB
>> but was usable on CW.  What sparked my interest in ham radio was listening
>> to AM conversations on 80 meters.  I remember Pappy, K5AJY, from Little
>> Rock.
>>
>> Good days!
>>
>> Dennis, W5RZ
>>
>> On Sep 24, 2020, at 6:25 PM, Richard Harris <rickai5p at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> 
>> SWL days.... and the Hallicrafters S-38 receiver line... my first
>> receiver, other than the family
>> console, was the S-38E. Fun times listening to the BBC, HCJB, VOA, etc.
>> First broadcasting
>> QSL was Radio Nederland in 1958. Thumbing thru the World Radio and
>> Television Guide
>> trying to find English programming hi. Used to listen to 160m AM guys
>> from the Mid-West.
>> One night I was listening and the guy in Nebraska (wish I remember who)
>> talked about receiving a
>> SWL report from me hi.... Maybe I have his QSL somewhere.... Strongly
>> believe spending
>> those days SWLing sure helped me work DX later (listen, listen,
>> listen!)... certainly prior
>> to the spoon-fed internet spotting today (but yes, I'll admit I use that
>> too!).... Rick AI5P
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 4:04 PM HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net> wrote:
>>
>>>    Yep Rick, I started SWLing in Memphis when living there starting in
>>> 1952 and on through early 1957, using an S38A. That would put me at 68
>>> years, including the SWL days. Gosh, time flies. Not sure if W5SJ was an
>>> SWL initially or not. If not, then I have him beat! Yeah…
>>>
>>>    Hearing some guys talking one day when I was tuning for distant
>>> broadcast stations is what got me interested. Ended up with about 50 of my
>>> SWL cards being answered, and then later I called or wrote most of them and
>>> we set up a schedule on the air for my “real” QSO with them. The QSO
>>> confirmations were cherished for years. One was a *very well known* W3
>>> *woman* ham who also ran many nets in PA. Forgot her call but from Bryn
>>> Mawr, PA.
>>>
>>> Great hobby we have, even if SWLing was the starting point for some of
>>> us, Rick.
>>> San
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
>>> Windows 10
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From: *Richard Harris <rickai5p at gmail.com>
>>> *Sent: *Thursday, September 24, 2020 4:45 PM
>>> *To: *adxa <adxa at mailman.qth.net>
>>> *Subject: *Re: [ADXA] Joel and Stan started this fiasco so we real old
>>> timersmust finish it
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Hmmm... only 62 including SWL days... 51 licensed... a relative newcomer
>>>
>>> compared to the real OT'ers!  Still the greatest hobby! 73 Rick AI5P
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 3:10 PM HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>   You bring the white wine, I’ll bring the red. Oh, we need crackers of
>>> some sort and cashew nuts and some dip and ….. etc.  Heck, just hope we are
>>> here Bill in another year when this “50 Year” event happens… I’ll start
>>> wearing a mask during my sleep too, just to make sure.
>>>
>>>   Oh, and I will have Melinda get in her Razorback Head Majorette outfit
>>> and do some twirling for us and Kathy can sing for the group. But,
>>> attendees will only be those with 50 years in ham radio as a licensee.
>>> Perhaps 7-8 ADXA members will show up. Joel, see what you and Stan
>>> started!  Maybe we can start a “60 Year Club” Bill??? 😊
>>>
>>> San
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
>>> Windows 10
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From: *Bill Priakos <bill at priakos.com>
>>> *Sent: *Thursday, September 24, 2020 3:12 PM
>>> *To: *HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net>; w5zn at w5zn.org; Stan Ross
>>> <k5vr.stan at gmail.com>
>>> *Cc: *adxa <adxa at mailman.qth.net>
>>> *Subject: *RE: [ADXA] Joel's upcoming article in our newsletter ..
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> WOW and here I am at just past the 65 YEAR MARK, February 4th – Y I K E
>>> S ! !
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Yes, let’s party! 😊
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Bill
>>>
>>> W5SJ
>>>
>>> *Bill Priakos*
>>>
>>> *10 Free Ferry Heights*
>>>
>>> *Fort Smith, AR 72903*
>>>
>>> *479.461.8368*
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net <adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net> *On
>>> Behalf Of *HamOP
>>> *Sent:* Wednesday, September 23, 2020 6:44 PM
>>> *To:* w5zn at w5zn.org; Stan Ross <k5vr.stan at gmail.com>
>>> *Cc:* adxa <adxa at mailman.qth.net>
>>> *Subject:* Re: [ADXA] Joel's upcoming article in our newsletter ..
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I had my 63th year in June. Can I come to the 50th Party when it
>>> happens?? I’ll bring wine.
>>>
>>> San
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
>>> Windows 10
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From: *w5zn at w5zn.org
>>> *Sent: *Wednesday, September 23, 2020 5:06 PM
>>> *To: *Stan Ross <k5vr.stan at gmail.com>
>>> *Cc: *HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net>; adxa <adxa at mailman.qth.net>
>>> *Subject: *Re: [ADXA] Joel's upcoming article in our newsletter ..
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Good deal Stan...congrats quite an accomplishment!
>>>
>>> Also congrats on 49 years. I knew you were about one year ahead of me.
>>> I'll be at 48 years in a couple of weeks. So, we gonna have a "50th Party"
>>> next year????   :-))
>>>
>>> I still remember our old Novice days and Arkansas Teenage Net days back
>>> in the early 70's.
>>>
>>> ZN
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2020-09-23 15:36, Stan Ross wrote:
>>>
>>> Great comments, everyone.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I, too, need P5 (and FR/G) to have "worked 'em all" but I'm not losing
>>> sleep worrying if I'll work them before time to go SK.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> This Saturday, 9/26, will be my 49th ham radio "anniversary" and most of
>>> my ham career did not involve amplifiers and elaborate antenna systems... a
>>> Swan 500C (courtesy of my grandfather K5VRC before he became a SK) and a
>>> simple ATB-34 Tri-bander that I saved up for got me well on the way of what
>>> has turned out to be a lifelong love of DX'ing.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So, as we patiently await Cycle 25's better band conditions, we can wait
>>> for those elusive entities as well.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> 73 and good DX!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Stan
>>>
>>> K5VR
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sep 23, 2020, at 12:15 PM, HamOP <k5yy1 at cox.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Good post Joel
>>>
>>> I will try to be brief. I was on the DXAC for many years and Chairman in
>>> late 70s and early 80s, and the talk began from those DXers who were
>>> chasers for a *few years only* and lacked 3-4 countries and wanted the
>>> uninhabited or countries not allowing amateur to be deleted. The DXAC was
>>> strongly against this, especially when some "real old timers" who had been
>>> around 2-3 times longer than those 'newcomers' still needed 1-2 of the same
>>> 3-4 rare countries..
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I will NOT discuss the allowance of Burma a few years ago at this time
>>> and the "way too fast allowing it" without proper proof of "him" being
>>> there with permission, mainly because 100s on the DXCC needed *only*
>>> Burma for *Top* of Honor Roll. In the late 1970s to early 80s there was
>>> a time when 3 of the top 5 rarest countries suddenly appeared within 3-4
>>> months and most DXers got them, including HZ/YI Neutral Zone, etc. Then
>>> people shut up a while! You don't just delete 3Y, BS7 and No. Korea at this
>>> time and cheapen the DXCC award program for the ego of a few, politically
>>> motivated hams in our "HOBBY"... This ain't a business you know.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Anyway, good prelim comment Joel about your upcoming dissertation for us
>>> to read slowly and understand and then support the right agenda that the
>>> ARRL should adopt, without politics!  The initial Kosovo operation sorta
>>> stands out too. Hmmm.
>>>
>>> San K5YY
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from Mail <https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for
>>> Windows 10
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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