Memoirs - Ham Radio
(preliminary)
I have been a ham (amateur) radio operator for just about 50 years. Before the Internet ham radio was a big thing since we could talk to people all around the world "for free." However since it is actual radio broadcasting it is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission which licenses all radio communications (including all broadcasting radio - AM - FM - shortwave).
In the beginning (1956) it was pretty simple. The technology was primitave compared to today and one could easily built the necessary equipment. Originally licenses also had assigned call letters - which depended on what area of the country you were in. My first license was issued in New York and my call letters were K2SMG. New York in in the "two call area."
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Early ham station (K2SMG)at our bungalow in the Catskill Mountains |
Licenses must be renewed every 10 years and in those days if you moved your were assigned a new license if you left your call area. So when I moved to Boston in 1970, my call became W1GMQ. By the time I was ready to leave Boston I had a big (and powerful) station with a tower on my roof in Boston.
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Last station in Boston (W1GMQ) - where I had a whole room just for the radio equipment |
Rooftop tower beam antennas and other antennas - "big stuff" |
Since moving to California I gave up all the "big stuff" and took only some basic equipment, which I now rarely even turn on. Once I found out that I could practice my hobby via the Internet - I gave up trying to put up antennas which are not allowed here anyway.
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Basic Station here in California which I don't use anymore |
Operating "ham radio" on the PC via the Internet |
Occasionally I operate "mobile from my truck" when conditions are right.
You can visit my W1GMQ website for a lot more pictures and (mostly more technical oriented stuff).
