[MRCA] Ham-iversary

[KD2GIY]

Great story,
Ty for sharing

Best regards
Dave
KD2GIY

On Mon, Nov 10, 2025, 5:01 PM Gene Smar via MRCA <mrca at mailman.qth.net>
wrote:

> Sixty years ago yesterday, I took and passed my Novice class Morse Code
> test.  I recall the date, Nov 9, 1965, vividly because there was an
> international event that occurred that same evening.
>
> After I had successfully received and sent Morse, a requirement for ALL
> Ham licenses at that time, at 5 WPM in front of my Elmer, Harry W3IGH (SK)
> in his attic radio shack, he turned on his receiver, a Hallicrafters of
> some model (I think it was an SX-100), and tuned in CW at the low end of 80
> meters.  The code down there was blindingly fast, at least to me, so I
> asked Harry what was being said.  He told me that one Ham in Canada was
> asking another Ham in New York state if he had been affected by the
> blackout.  According to Harry, the New York Ham said no, he wasn't part of
> the power failure.
>
> The following morning I heard on the news that New York City, the
> surrounding suburbs and much of the northeast US and parts of Canada had
> experienced what is now known as the Great Northeast Blackout of 1965.
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_1965 .  So, each
> year, when November 9 roles around, I am reminded of my auspicious
> beginning in this life-long hobby of mine.
>
> I received my paper license in the mail about a month later.  My shiny new
> callsign was WN3EWV.
>
> It's been fun.
>
>
>  73 de
> Gene Smar  AD3F
>
>
>
>
>
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