[QCWA] First encounter with ham radio

[Kevin Berlen]

At 08:20 AM 4/4/2006, you wrote:
>  Hi
>
>What was your first ham radio encounter?

This is a true story.

My first encounter with amateur radio was when I was about eight years old. 
My family was
visiting a state park here in southern Indiana, and we began to see 
"HAMFEST" signs posted
in the park, with arrows direting you which way to turn. My dad proclaimed 
that he "could use a
good ham sandwich" so off we went, following the signs. My parents were 
somewhat
disappointed when we arrived at the parking area, only to find that there 
were no ham sandwiches,
but lots and lots of radios and electronics. My parents knew I had an 
interest in electricity at the
time and indulged their eight year old son. I came away with a set of 
aligator clip leads, and a
healthy appetite for hamfests and electronic flea markets. The year would 
have been 1968. It
took six years before I finally got a novice ticket, and since then there 
has been no turning back.
73,

Kevin, K9HX