[Hallicrafters] go go go

[Craig Roberts]

My interest in ham radio began as I worked to earn the Radio Merit Badge 
as a Boy Scout in the mid-50's.  As part of the process, I was required 
to build a one tube regenerative receiver (with a 12AX7, I believe) and 
learn to send and receive Morse Code at the blazing speed of five words 
per minute.  The regen was tuned to the broadcast band -- as was every 
other radio in the house -- and I quickly tired of it, despite my "pride 
of craftsmanship."  Bored, but having no clue as to what I was doing, I 
messed with the front end coil of the little set and quite accidently 
retuned the radio to the 75 meter phone band.  My interest in the radio 
was renewed  as I became intrigued with the fascinating conversations I 
heard from such exotic DX venues as neighboring Michigan, Ohio and 
Illinois (guess where I was).

Soon after "discovering" the community of amateur radio operators (my 
merit badge counselor identified these guys for me), I spotted a 
tell-tale sign that there was such a creature living along my paper 
route.  One of my customers' houses featured a 40-foot tower behind it 
and a gigantic "TV antenna" on top of the structure.  Screwing up my 
pre-teen courage one evening, I knocked on his door. A somewhat 
unpleasant looking middle-aged gentleman, mouth full of the supper I had 
interrupted, answered.  "Are you a ham radio operator," I asked shyly.

Jabbing a thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the tower, he 
replied, "What do YOU think?"

I was about to flee in fright when the man's mouth, now empty of his 
swallowed meatloaf, softened into a smile.  "Come on in," he beckoned. 

Defying all maternal advice not to consort with strangers, I did go in 
and followed the fellow -- named Bill, he allowed -- to his basement.  
And there, in the center of a huge desk, sat what I later learned was a 
National HRO receiver.  On the right side of the desk was a six foot 
tall relay rack, stuffed with important looking, black wrinkle finished 
devices festoond with many knobs and switches and meters and lights. 
These components -- an RF deck, modulator, amplifier and power supply, 
along with a VFO next to the receiver on his desk -- comprised his 
transmitter.  It was all hand built by Bill and absolutely magnificent.  
And with it, he and I spent the next hour or so chatting with his 
friends all over the Midwest and beyond.

A good friend of mine owns not one, not two, but three meticulously 
restored Collins KW-1s and a pristine 30-K. I worked in broadcasting for 
many years alongside awesome, elephantine machines by Gates and Harris 
and Continental and RCA.  But -- truth to tell -- I've never seen a 
transmitter as beautiful as Bill's, especially as my warm memory from a 
wondrous evening in my childhood polishes it.

73,

Craig
W3CRR