History
While still in High School, I began to study code and electrical theory.
I was blessed by having a ham operator for my History teacher. His name was
Bill Stocking. I have forgotten his callsign after all these years.
He taught me the code after school in the Physics lab.
After graduating from school, I enlisted in the Army Air Corp and went to
basic training at Lakeland AFB in Texas. From there I went to
Scott AFB in Illinois and took the High Speed radio operators course.
Later, I was in the 7th Communications Squadron, 7th Air Base Gp., at
Carswell AFB, Texas.
In the late 1950's and early 1960's I did a lot of weak signal work on
432 mhz. 432 rig cabinet closed. Here is view with cabinet open.
Helped set up first 432 mhz to 2 meter repeater (that I know of) in the
Detroit area. No FM repeaters of any kind were being used at that time on
either 2 meters or 432 mhz.
Only simplex operation on one or two frequencies was being done on 2 meters.
In 1968, I built a Mini-wheel antenna (15 inches
in diameter) for 432 mhz operation (similar to the Big Wheel used on two
meters), I used this antenna as a horizontal mobile antenna on 432 mhz for
FM operation. Only horizontally polarized beams were used, very few UHF
mobiles were around in those days.
In my mobile receiver I installed a preamplifier that utilized one of the
new uhf transistors that were just coming into use.
This greatly enhanced the receivers capability and my mobile operations.