My Amateur Radio Beginnings

A Brief Look at My Ham Radio Beginnings and some of the equipment that I have owned

1976 - This is what fueled my interest in Amateur Radio. I entered into the Army in 1975 and at my first permanent duty station in Herlong, California, I was given a non-working Heathkit GR-54 Shortwave receiver to repair. After finding a minor problem with the nylon string that tuned the tuning capacitor, I got the unit fully functional again and the very first SWL signal I tuned was one located in Quito, Ecuador. I was totally amazed that I could pick up a station that distance away. I had only been used to tuning in distant AM broadcast stations as a teenager from a homebrew crystal rig that I had made.


Heathkit GR-54 Receiver

After tuning in a lot of SWL stations, I began to take an interest in all of the conversations that I was able to hear within the Ham bands. My interest was really on fire now. I purchased a couple of study guides and began my trek into this lifelong hobby of Amateur Radio. In 1976 I was granted a license as a Novice class. Here are a couple of the study guides that I used to help pass my test. I also used the ARRL Tune In to the World study guide and a study guide from Radio Shack - From 5 watts to 1000 watts.


How to Become a Radio Amateur
Ameco License Guide

WD9DSS/6

Novice Class - licensed 1976

My first CW contacts as a Novice were made using the Globe Chief 90-watt single crystal CW transmitter and the Hallicrafters SP-600-JX21a. I was stationed in Herlong, California when I received my first Amateur Radio License. These rigs will bring back some great CW memories.


World Radio Laboratories Globe Chief 90
Hammerlund SP-600-JX21a



red ballSome Hammerlund Videosred ball

AM in Amateur Radio 3870 Khz AM in Amateur Radio 3725 Kc Hammerlund HQ-140X Receiver Demo




Globe Chief Ad

WRL/Globe Chief 90A Specs

  • Modes: CW
  • Bands: 160 - 10 Meters
  • Input Power: 90W-CW
  • VFO: No
  • Power Supply: Internal
  • Final Tube(s): 2ea. 807
  • Modulator: Plug-in option
  • New Price/Year: $59.95 kit, $74.50 wired/1958-1960
  • Size: 8.0"h x 14.0"w x 9.0"d
  • Approx. Weight: 27 lbs

    • Hammerlund SP-600 Specs

  • Type: General Coverage
  • Modes: AM/CW
  • Tubes/Stages: 20/ 2-RF, 3-IF
  • Audio Output: 6V6/2.5W
  • Product Detector: None
  • Filter: Xtal
  • New Price/Year: $980-$1150/1951-1972
  • Size: 12.75"h x 21.5"w x 17.0"d
  • Approx. Weight: 80 lbs
  • Tube Complement: (2) 6BA6 rf, 6AC7 ffo, 6C4 vfo, (2) 6BE6 mixer, 6BA6 gate, 6C4 ffo, (2) 6BA6 if, 6BA6 driver, 6BA6 buffer, 6C4 bfo, 6AL5 det/avc, 6AL5 lim/meter, 12AU7 if3/af, 6V6 af out, 6AL5 rectifier single conv. under 7.4 MHz, 0A2 vr, 5R4GY rect.

    • I also had the pleasure to use the Collins S-line equipment at our Military Affiliate Radio Service (MARS) station ACM6YGH to run overseas phone patch traffic while stationed in Herlong, California. We were also using the Henry 4K-2 amplifier into a Log Periodic beam about 70 feet. I would spend many great hours running phone patches for our guys in Japan and Korea through the MARS station.


    Collins 32-S1
    Collins 75-S3

    Henry 4K-2 Amplifier

    WD9DSS / DA1UZ

    General Class - licensed 02/28/1978

    1978 - I was ready to upgrade my license to General Class after my CW proficiency improved and get some newer gear to operate. I had just received overseas orders and was going to be stationed at Pforzheim, Germany in April 1978. Prior to my departure, I purchased a very clean Heathkit HW-101 transceiver for my contacts and held onto this rig for a number of years. I also used the Heathkit HW-202 for my 2 Meter FM contacts. My antenna was a 20 meter Dipole hanging out of the Barracks window. I returned back to my home in Illinois right before Thanksgiving 1979 having finished my military service and set up my first 50 foot tower and Triband Antenna, the 6 Element Wilson System 36.


    WD9DSS - 1980

    Heathkit HW-101
    Yaesu FL-2100B

    Heathkit HW-202

    DA1UZ License - Front
    DA1UZ License - Back

    KE9MN

    Advanced Class - licensed 02/27/1981

    1981 - After my return from Germany in 1979, I held on to my General class call until my upgrade to Advanced Class in 1981. My rigs that I used were the Yaesu FT767 Mark III driving a Drake L-7 Amplifer. I also used a Yaesu FT-901DM and a UnidenTempo 2020 as my backup rigs. My antenna was a 6 Element Wilson System 36 Tribander at 50 Feet.


    Yaesu FT-767GX
    Drake L-7 Amplifier

    My Backup Rigs


    Yaesu FT-901DM
    Uniden Tempo 2020

    WD9T

    Extra Class - licensed 07/23/1991

    1991 - I was anxious to upgrade to my Extra Class license and began working hard to get past my CW plateau of around 15 WPM. I immediately passed my theory, however it took me several attempts to pass the 20 WPM code test. After my upgrade to Extra was successful. I moved to another location and was now only restricted to a Butternut HF6V vertical antenna in the back yard. My rigs were now the Yaesu FT101ZD which is still running great to this day. I've since added a Henry 2K-3 amplifier. My backup rig is a Yaesu 757 GXII which I use for 160 and SWL activity.


    WD9T - 2001
    WD9T - 2006

    Yaesu FT-101ZD
    Yaesu FT-757GX-II

    Henry 2K-3 Amplifier

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