50 Years of Ham Radio
Sept -1968
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Junior High School
My Elmer was Jim Gilbert - K0BFT. Mr. Gilbert was my 7th grade Science teacher, who decided to start an "after-school" morse code training class. I recall that there were at least five of us, all who I believe eventually got licensed. By the summer of 1968, I was ready to take the Novice exam, administered by K0BFT, and I passed the test! The beggining of the fall school year, we were able to use a school club station WA0WVH at West Junior High School in Minnetonka. I'm not sure of the equipment, but I believe the reciever was an old  SX-88. I do recall after copying CW, that you needed to set the pencil down gently, or the reciever would QSY severely.
I was ready to assemble my own station, and many of the old-timers said: "Sink your money into a good receiver."  I decided to buy a Drake-2B which  proved to be a fabulous reciever. My transmitter was a Heathkit DX-20, and I was on the air with a 40/15 meter doublet! Four or five crystals, and a logbook, and I began my efforts.

Field DayI operated the 1969 and 1970 Field Day with K0BFT at his parents home on Lake Minnewashta.

My Christmas present from  my parents in 1968 was an Eico 720 kit. After running 50 watts, I was now running 75 watts with the new rig. I upgraded from the novice license and retired WN0MHJ in May of 1969. In the summer of 1969 I purchased a Galaxy 5 MKIII tranciever and was running high power (500w)! (See pictures on Station page.)
On October 17, 1969, the DX Bug bit VERY HARD. Within a week, I had tripled my DX country count up over 20, and from that point forward, there was no looking back. About 1 year later a Mosley 2  element Cubical Quad was installed, and DXCC was achieved with a QSO with 7Q7AA on 20M CW in October of 1970.. By the mid 1970's my DXing had got me to about 250 countries. I suffered my first anntenna casualty in 1975 when I  lost my tower and homebrew 4 element 20M yagi. (Also pictured on Station page.)

 

College
I entered college in the fall of 1972, attending Iowa State University, and ham radio was put on the shelf for the most part.I had joined the Minnesota Wireless Association in 1970, and was "sometimes able to activate for Sweepstakes from either Ames Iowa or at the home station.  I graduated in 1977 with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and went to work for Sperry Univac. My station at home had not yet been dismantled, and I was apartment living, so I was basically off the air.
Club log actually shows  roughly 600 QSO's in the five college years.

Current QTH
In 1981 I purchased the house I am currently in, and by that fall I was back on the air. I put up a tower and a 4 element Cubex Quad. In the spring of 1982, I lost my tower and antenna for the second time.

Now ClubLog shows that  for the next 15 years (1983 through 1998) I had virtually no QSO's.  I was married in 1986, and begain raising a family. There was just not much time for ham radio. I was able though to reach the 300 country worked mark in 1990.


In 1999 the interest was rekindled, and a modern era radio was purchased, and I made some anteena upgrades.  I have been on the air and active since then.

This year (September 2018), I celebrated my 50 year anniversary of being on the air.