[QCWA] Fiction - sort of

[Dick Thompson]

That was an interesting story, Bob.  Thanks for posting it.  

Dick - WB0DUL
QCWA #32521



-----Original Message-----
From: qcwa-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:qcwa-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
On Behalf Of N0UF
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 10:48 AM
To: Discussion of QCWA
Subject: Re: [QCWA] Fiction - sort of


FYI:

Dan isn't subscribed to the QCWA Reflector.
I allowed his posting because of the great content.
To contact Dan use dmetzger at monroe.lib.mi.us

I invited him to Join QCWA and the Reflector.
Bill, you can join too!

73,
Bob N0UF
Reflector Admin

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Metzger" <wmetzger at earthlink.net>
To: "Discussion of QCWA" <qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 11:13 AM
Subject: Re: [QCWA] Fiction - sort of


> Dan,
>
> What a great story!
>
> While I am not a member of QCWA (I should be though after 31 years of
> being a ham) I continually read all the postings.  Yours in particular

> brought back memories of my own childhood in Northern New Jersey.
Once 
> day I was hiking in the woods in back of my parents house and found
this 
> unusual pole in the middle of nowhere.  It was about 6 inches round
and 
> seemed to be 60 or 80 feet high (I was only about 13 at the time so it
was 
> pretty darn high to me).  At the top there was a wire.  I followed
this 
> and came across a house on the next street.  In all the wire was
pretty 
> darn long.  At the end there was another one of the poles with
ladder-line 
> leading down to a glass enclosed porch.  Being a kid, I went up to the

> house and knocked on the door.  An older German gentleman came to the
door 
> and I asked him about the wire.  That was the beginning of my interest
in 
> Ham Radio.  He brought me into his "shack" and there was all this 
> equipment, some of which was about 6 feet high.  He had a full Collins

> line, receiver, transmitter and I remember a floor mounted amplifier
which 
> was a Henry.
>
> I spent a number of hours with him listening to stations around the 
> world.
> Several times he took me into his basement where he had all sorts of 
> electronic equipment.  He would always give me something that I liked.
At 
> one point he gave me a glass tube that was about 24 inches tall and 4 
> inches round.  I kept it for years but now have no idea where it went.

> Sure wish I had it today.  Unfortunately I don't remember his call or
for 
> that matter his name.  I'm sure he is long gone.
>
> My second Elmer, and the one who really got me going was Hank Clark, 
> W2IQ
> (K2DS).  Hank lived about 3 miles from my apartment in Totowa, NJ.
One 
> day I pulled out an old receiver and was tuning around when I heard
some 
> very loud CW.  I slowly got all the letters down, went to the local
radio 
> store and looked up his address in the callbook.  I visited Hank and
spent 
> a lot of time with him.  He is the one who gave me my Novice test.
Hank 
> was into AM and had a BC-610.  What a neat unit.  He had Collins and 
> TenTec equipment and even loaned me his Omni D when he went on
vacation. 
> Hank could carry on a CW conversation with someone while he chatted
with 
> me.  Unbelievable to me yet today.
>
> I eventually moved away and learned that Hank had moved to Tennessee 
> (near
> TenTec).  I corresponded infrequently and lost contact for quite a few

> years.  Recently I found that he passed away a few years ago in a
fall. 
> I've found pictures of him on the internet and was going to change my
call 
> to his in memory of the great conversations we had.  That call is now
the 
> club call to which he belonged.  Fitting for a man who gave so much to
me 
> and others.
>
> Well, this is the new year and my first reminiscing.  Again, your 
> story
> was great and brought back these memories.
>
> By-the-way, any relation to any Metzger's from the Long Island, New 
> York
> area?
>
> Bill KF0OH (now St. Louis) 
> _______________________________________________
> QCWA mailing list
> QCWA at mailman.qth.net http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/qcwa
> 


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