WD4NFU - WD4NKA, 1980

This photo freezes time sometime in 1980.
It is essentially our Novice station, now equipped with microphones because we finally got our coveted General Class Licenses. DX pileups, here we come!!

From 1977 until about 1979, we used WD4NFU's location, largely because I did not have the property to construct those huge 80 metre antennaes. So all our building and most of our operating went on at Ron's house. ( Ron, pictured holding the D-104 was WD4NFU. I am not pictured because . . . well . . . . .
I am taking the picture.)

The station compliment was (clockwise) the Drake 2b, HT-40, HomeBrew 6146 90 watter, Heath HW-8 (our only new rig), and just barely showing on the extreme right, a converted CB rig, to which the D-104 is actually connected. Ron is wearing a pair of Brandes Hi-Z headsets. And the bottle ? Taste that beats the other's COLD!

Not showing, but is there anyway is a Knightkit VFO and an Eldico (Collins knock-off) receiver. And, of course, our A-line Collins equipment (NOT!!)

As novices, from 1977 to 1978, we had one xtal between us, on 3737kc. With that one xtal, we worked over 6 countries and 49 states. Not too shabby. How many newbies would put up with that today?

Funny thing is . . . even after we got our General, we still could not go out and buy new rigs ( well, I eventually got a TS-520 SE ) so we just kept on using what you see in this picture until I moved away to Orlando three years later. Plus or minus a few receiver changes. The last time I laid eyes on Ron's QTH, he had upgraded to a Heathkit Apache . . . he never did get a "modern" rig.

Good for you, Ron !!

(Ron is now KA4USN)


OK, OK!! There's been some complaints that I am nowhere to be seen. Well, nobody wanted to take my picture, and who'd of thought twenty years ago we'd be showing them HERE?? Well, if you're gonna do something right, do it yourself. Here I am in 1980, around the time the above picture of Ron was taken.

SMILE !!