Well, I guess I'll throw my hat into the ring also.  I was first licensed at age 16 in 1957 and have been more or less active since, during long military and healthcare careers. I'm retired now and will be 85 shortly. 

As a teen, I lived on Aruba so I had a Dutch license and Dutch and American elmers.  

A resident gave me a broken SX-24 receiver which I repaired and was very proud of.  First transmitter was built with parts salvaged from a junked and discarded AM/Short Wave radio I found.  The xmtr used a 6V6 final and put out about 2 watts into a 300 foot "Vee" antenna laid right on the ground on top of a coral plain behind the house.  There were no trees or ability to raise it and it reached into Europe at night.

I still like the old boatanchors and have a HQ-140XA and a Drake 2A and several home brew tube transmitters, antenna tuners, power supplies, etc.  I do have a Yaesu xcvr but that's a plug-and-play unit; not much fun.

Check out my website!  www.w4npn.org

73,

Frank

W4NPN

On Sun, Feb 22, 2026 at 1:30 PM <[email protected]> wrote:

Very interesting, Folks.

I was first licensed as a Novice in 1956, 70 years ago, and have been active most of that
time, although sometimes at a low level.

I of course, love the boat-anchors.

First transmitter was a DX-35, first receiver was an AR-3 in which the BFO didn't work. Made
two contacts my entire first year as a Novice, one local and a K6.

Mom eventually took pity on me and bought a BC-348 from a local Elmer, which was my first
good receiver. I had been using a Hallicrafters S-41G which a subcontractor for my
step-father's construction company had found in his basement, which he gave to me.

I have an S-41G now and cannot really understand how I ever used that thing for real
comms, but I did. In fact, I worked my first DX with it on New Years Day to England.

Eventually traded the BC-348 to the same Elmer for a brand-new RAL-7 because it covered
15 meters. Used that receiver for the next 12 years. Still like it.

I am 83 now.

Ken W7EKB
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--

Frank Barnes

www.W4NPN.org

Chapel Hill, NC

Grid Square FM05

Cell 919.260.7955

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