[R-390] first radio thread

[mlmccauley at att.net]

I built a Knight Kit Ocean Hopper when I was nine years old. I'm proud 
to say that I did so solo, no friends or relatives knew a lick about 
electricity, electronics, or soldering. Taught myself to solder 
practicing on scraps of uninsulated copper and iron wire wire out of my 
grandfather's home shop.

Clumsy, pudgy kid that I was, I came close to breaking my neck nearly 
falling off the ladder putting up a long wire.

I couldn't have regarded that set as a more miraculous device had I been 
able to copy aliens from another galaxy. The sun spot cycle was peaking 
then, and the big Europe and Asia SW stations boomed in almost every 
night, even on a ultra-low end rig like what I had.

Messing with it hooked me for life.

Mike, WB5MYY