[ADXA] FW: 1973 QSL card

[rcurt at centurytel.net]

What a nice setup. I only took a quick look at the QSL card to see if the report was 599, and it was. I guess over the years not much has changed except the addition of +++ after the signal.


73
Randy






On Tue, 15 Sep, 2026 at 2:28 PM, Joel Harrison, W5ZN via ADXA <adxa at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
 

To: adxa at mailman.qth.net


You mean this (attached)?
 
Heck NO!!!! That is my original Novice station (except the HG-10B VFO) that I have kept all these years, and it still works! I fire it up every now and then. Since Novice’s were required to be crystal controlled, I did not add the HG-10B VFO until after I upgraded. The HD-16 code oscillator sitting on top of the HG-10B is what I learned CW with. The straight key is my original key. The Vibroplex Blue Racer bug was given to me by Kermit Tracy, W5AY, in Little Rock in 1973 right after I passed my General exam. Man I could really “zip” on the OZK CW net with it!!  😊
 

73 Joel W5ZN
 


From: Jay Bromley <jayw5jay at outlook.com<mailto:jayw5jay at outlook.com>> 
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 2:15 PM
To: adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net>; w5znjoel at gmail.com<mailto:w5znjoel at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [ADXA] FW: 1973 QSL card
 
HI Joel,
Did you ever give up that Heathkit gear?  I know you have some Heath gear over to the side of your shack, but wondering if that is your original Novice gear?
 
Thanks Joel, that story bought a smile to anyone growing as a Novice operator.  I wish we could go back and do it all over again!
 
73 de jay..


From: adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net> <adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net>> on behalf of Joel Harrison, W5ZN via ADXA <adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net>>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 2:06 PM
To: adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net> <adxa at mailman.qth.net<mailto:adxa at mailman.qth.net>>
Subject: [ADXA] FW: 1973 QSL card 
 

A lot of things happen during our day that is either depressing or just gets me down right PO’ed. On a very rare occasion something occurs that just down right makes the day, maybe even the entire month
 
This email arrives today from a person I do not know but the Subject line caught my attention “1973 QSL Card”. I was a bit hesitant to open the attached file but I could tell from the thumbnail image of the attachment it was a photo of my old Novice QSL card, so I opened it. As you can see it is an 80-meter CW QSO with WN5IPT. 
 
A couple of you ADXA folks; WN5DRY (N5EE) and WN5FMK (K5VR) may remember Don Nobles, WN5IPT who lived in Hot Springs. I had many CW QSO’s with Don as a Novice that continued after we had both upgraded to General. As I recall he was a fireman with the Hot Springs Fire Dept, thus my comment on the QSL card hoping he didn’t turn into a “cooked ham”. I recall having the opportunity to eyeball Don a time or two, he may have even driven up to my shack (parent’s home). The feature I remember about Don is he was red headed. Not unusual, I just remembered that. I saw from the email address the person who sent the photo was N5MES. I looked on qrz.com<http://qrz.com> and it is Don’s son who lives in Mississippi, Don is SK. I had a nice laugh when I saw his son Jerry, N5MES, qrz photo when he was a “red-headed kid” !!!
 
73 Joel W5ZN
 

From: Jerry <N5MES at pm.me<mailto:N5MES at pm.me>> 
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 12:41 PM
To: Harrison, Joel, W5ZN, (IARU Secretary) <w5zn at arrl.org<mailto:w5zn at arrl.org>>
Subject: 1973 QSL card
 
Jerry Nobles
 
Sent with Proton Mail<https://proton.me/mail/home> secure email.
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