[OKDXA] A Holiday Greeting

[D C _Mac_ Macdonald]

I greatly enjoyed Jerry's post. 
 
While my "career" is not as extensive, on December 1 started my 62nd year as a licensed ham.  From my college graduation in 1960, EVERY job I have ever had was either directly or indirectly related to ham radio through my retirement from FAA in 2010!  
 
When I started, a result of a joint decision with a classmate to get our licenses, there were no classes, no Elmers, no clubs, no guidance other than the 50 cent ARRL License Manual and our curiosity. 
 
Buddy Dick Johnson, WB2YWU (SK) didn't get his ticket until he graduated from Cornell University as and Electrical Engineer about 10 years later. Doing code practice with the "Western Union" key-buzzer-clicker-light combos during home room period in Mr Weiss' chemistry lab is still a great memory. That was our ONLY means of hearing Morse. Neither of our families had a record player in the home. 
 
Trip by Greyhound Bus leaving at 0500 (in a big snowstorm) for the two and half hour ride to Buffalo and the District 20 FCC office at 15 years of age and a high school junior, is a step that I guess wouldn't be considered safe these days, but neither I nor my parents was particularly concerned.  In those days, the District Engineer actually issued the licenses and mailed them out from the district office.  Just over two weeks later, the KN2GKK license arrived.  Hallelujah! 
 
I didn't have any equipment to even USE my new license.  I had saved enough paper route money to buy the Walter Ashe WAR-25 receiver kit; a bit less than $15, IIRC.  I had a soldering "copper" that my Grandpa gave to me.  I heated this up in a kitchen gas stove burner to make one joint at a time.  This was definitely a labor-intensive operation!  Christmas 1953 brought a cash gift to purchase the matching Walter Ashe WAP-25 power supply kit.  Voila!  After assembly, I could now actually hear something! 
 
Christmas tips from said paper route brought enough to order and build the Walter Ashe WAT-25 transmitter kit to complete my "station."  After over two months of fruitlessly calling CQ, I finally had my first QSO in April 1954. 
 
Things DID get better with home-brew and low-end commercial receivers. 
 
After college, I spent 20 years in Uncle Sammy's Air Force in multiple electronic related fields. Three years at Catlin Aviation's avionics shop followed that until the big oil and bank busts of 1964.  Then came eight years at Elmo Black's (W5JCB, SK) 2-way shop, then a bit over 16 years at the FAA Depot fixin' ground-to-air radio stuff. 
 
The 3 May 1999 tornado took the house, many vehicles, tower, antennas, etc. from the house we had owned for 27 years.  New place has very limited real estate and other interests took priority for several years, but I'm trying now to get restarted in HF work.  Wife Judy (of 54 years) who is KA5BJS worked the Amsterdam Island station and is now prodding me to get my butt in gear regarding ham activities. 
 
Neither Judy nor I can understand the great number of folks who drop out at the end of their first license term.  We put too much effort into getting those tickets and value them very highly. 
 
Best of Christmas or any other holiday wishes to all and we hope to "see" you down the log! 
 
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* 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 * 
* (Since 30 Nov 53) * 
* k2gkk hotmail com * 
* Oklahoma City, OK * 
* USAF & FAA (Ret.) * 
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