[Elecraft] Re:(Elecraft) OT: 55 years

[Robert C. Abell]

I was first licenced in 1950 or 1951 at 15 or 16 years of age as VE3BLS. 
Built a homebrew 3 tube superhet receiver design
and a single 6L6 xtal controlled transmitter design, both from the 1949 
ARRL Handbook which I won at a Hamfest at Kingston,
Ontario. Tried for days to make my first CW contact until I determined 
my end-fed Zepp antenna wasn't cut to length for 80 metres. Graduated to 
a war surplus Royal Canadian Air Force receiver (can't remember what 
model) and then a RCA AR-88
surplus receiver. In those days you had to send and receive 10 wpm CW to 
get your ticket, doubt if I could at the time since the ticket was 
issued by mail since I lived more than 50 miles from an examining point 
(Ottawa), I was just over 55 miles away. The examiner caught up to me 
however when I moved to Windsor, ON in 1956 to work for Ford Motor 
Company. Passed my exam at 15 wpm and of course the theory exams and got 
a new call VE3CNB. Acquired my two letter call in 1969, VE3XM which I 
still hold. I've enjoyed this hobby and use SSB only due to physical 
limitations now.

73, Bob Abell, VE3XM
K2/100  S/N  04031
K2   S/N  04575