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
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 <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 2:15 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
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: [email protected] <[email protected]> on behalf of Joel Harrison, W5ZN via ADXA <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 2:06 PM
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
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 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 <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 12:41 PM
To: Harrison, Joel, W5ZN, (IARU Secretary) <[email protected]>
Subject: 1973 QSL card
Jerry Nobles
Sent with Proton Mail secure email.