[Boatanchors] Novice Transmitter Thoughts?

[Garey Barrell]

Yes, 'some' had wealthy parents, unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately!) 
I was NOT one of them.

When I was 13...  I had my "station", which consisted of a BC-454 
receiver and a single 6L6 transmitter (QSL 40) on 80M.  The receiver was 
'brand new' ($4.95) and the parts for the QSL 40 came from my Elmer, 
W4EEI.  600 VDC on the plates, but that's another story.  Doing ok for 
myself.

I had a friend from school over one afternoon, and he decided he wanted 
to be a ham too.  So I showed him the code, loaned him my copy of the 
License Manual and sent him on his way.  A couple of weeks later, he 
comes to school and says that his Dad had gone to Universal Radio in 
town and bought him a 75A-4 and !! Factory wired !!  Johnson Ranger.

Of course a few weeks later, he decides that he really isn't interested 
in ham radio!!  He said his Dad was not too pleased (really?) and would 
I like to buy his radios!  Yeah, sure, if I could talk my Dad into 
selling the family car and getting a second job.......   I said I would 
be glad to help him sell it, but it could take a while.  So he suggested 
that I use it while trying to sell it, so I could demonstrate it.  I of 
course TRIED to talk him out of this, fortunately without success.

So MY station was scraped off the desk and a brand new 75A-4 and Ranger 
set up on it.  Talk about ham heaven!  Sadly, it only took about six 
weeks to find a buyer and I had to pick my stuff up from the floor and 
replace it on the desk.  My Dad took pity on me and helped me buy a used 
HQ-129X, which really helped a lot.....

73, Garey - K4OAH
Glen Allen, VA

Drake 2-B, 4-B, C-Line&  TR-4/C Service Supplement CDs
<www.k4oah.com>


N2EY at aol.com wrote:
>
>
> In a message dated 9/10/2010 10:58:04 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, 
> w7qho at aol.com writes:
>
>     Reading through the comments on this thread and WOW, Heathkit, Eico,
>     Knight, Globe, you were all rich guys (or had rich parents). :^)
>
> Not me!
> First SW receiver was a 6SN7-6K6 regenerative. First transmitter a 
> 6V6GT xtal oscillator. First antenna a 70 foot wire from the house to 
> a tree in the yard. All built from reused parts, old TV and BC sets, etc.
> In 1967, $10 was a fortune to a 13-year-old.
> Eventually I got a Heath AR-2 ($20 with Q multiplier) for the rx. Not 
> much better than the regen, really. The tx was replaced by a DX-20 
> ($20 too).
> Then I discovered surplus.
> 73 de Jim, N2EY
> _._,___