What rig did you make your first QSO on?

[N5FCZ]

I got my novice ticket back in High School. I time after that I borrowed a friend's Kenwood TS-120V (25W) with an atenna tuner. I ran a folded dipole with twin lead (40 Meters) on the roof of my two-story boyhood home, laid it on the roof.

I keyed up CQ on 15 meters in the afternoon and rag chewed with an OM out of Chicago (I had never been out of Texas at that point in my life 20 years ago). I still remember trying to keep up with his code speed, being nervous about how bad my "fist" was, and him talking about how windy it was in Chicago.

To this day, whenever I see a TS-120, I begin to salivate (read drewl). I got to get me one of those rigs sometimes.:0

What memories do y'all have?

[W5ATX]

Working a guy at the other end of the state was memorable enough for me for my first on-the-air contact. #I was using a Hallicrafters SX140 receiver, and my transmitter was a 6L6 with a crystal on 7123kc at about 5 watts out to a really crummy 40m dipole strung around the attic of the apartment house where we lived. #Yessiree, the fact that I even made any contacts with that setup makes them ALL memorable for me. #And looking at my logbook from back then in early 1975, I made plenty of good contacts.

Those were the days.

Chris

[wb4zoh]

Although almost 30 years ago I still vividly remember and enjoy reflecting on my first homemade antenna, radio and QSO. During a typical hot and humid August day, myElmer (WB4WWL) and I constructed a folded dipole, laid it on the roof of the townhouse (had to be sneaky even then, the dreaded Association) and fed the twinlead into the “shack”. The station was a Johnson Matchbox, Heathkit HW-16 with assorted crystals for 15,40, & 80 meters, dummy load, SWR meter, J-38 key, and the obligatory Callbook.

Gave a CQ on 15 meters, tuned the receiver around and was astonished to hear a W6 returning my call – WN4ZOH. As a crutch, I had written down what to initially send back; could not trust myself to remember how to spell Manassas, Va let alone my name. The highlight of the QSO was his explanation of why an Extra Class station took the time to work a Novice station: “lots of fun, like giving novices practice” Afterward, I rushed downstairs and excitedly told the wife the HW-16 did function and I had ‘worked’ California; simply amazing!

The station I first worked is a SK and the call reissued;the HW-16 long ago sold, my Elmer who taught me the code, helped with the Novice theory & gave me the test, have remained a close and dear friend; the wife finally relented this year and is now KG4QXO.

Bottom line, Ham Radio – great memories!

[KB2SFH]

My very first QSO as a brand new ham was made on my Yaesu ft-416 ht
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[N0FPE]

My first ham radio contacts were made on a HW-101 and a random wire. Not even a real tuner! Just a coil with some clip leads, I just changed the clip leads til the audio was the loudest and then tuned up the HW-101.

Dan

[N7CPC]

My first QSO was made with a Graymark two tube, forty watt CW transmiter. Three hundred ohm twin lead into a dipole strung all over the roof. It was, of course, with my Elmer, Bob Brown, WAØCVR. Cross town ain't DX, but I,ll never forget it! Oh yeah, the reciever was a Hammarlund HQ-110A which I have now owner for thirty four years.

73 de Craig.........N7CPC http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[n0xas]

Man. #You guys are OLD. # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Heathkit HW-2036 for me, 11 years after I was first licensed. #Yeah, you read that right. #My first ticket was as a Novice in '81, with a 5-year expiration (KA5MSS). #I tested at Ft. Sill, OK and got my ticket after I'd already moved to an Atlanta apartment for a six month school. #No way to get an antenna up. #After that was a year in Korea (HL9CA), still no contacts. #I didn't know then what I know now, or I would have cranked the drive down on the HW-16 I'd been carrying from place to place since '75 and loaded up whatever wire I could get. #I had been convinced by all the publications I had read, though, that I needed good coax and a resonant antenna, or a tuner which I couldn't afford and didn't have parts to build.

Eventually the Novice ticket expired, never did get on the air though I listened a lot. #Now comes 1992, got the bug again, got a Tech+ ticket, happened to have bought a well used HW-2036 2 meter rig already.

I still have the HW-16 and will get it on the air some day!

73,
Dale

[ke5wj]

My first QSO was in October 1970 as WN5CLS with a Knightkit T-60 and a 15 foot end fed wire with a homebrew loading coil on 40 meter novice CW. I have no idea what the SWR was - and it's probably a good thing I didn't know. Receiver was a Hallicrafters SX-99. It had taken me about a month to get the T-60 working and ready to try out. I called CQ (probably on 7125 kc/s, since that's the xtal I had, if my memory serves me) and when I heard my call come back, I froze. I was overjoyed the rig actually worked, but just flat froze.

If anybody here was the one who called me, I apologize. About an hour later I got up the nerve to do it again and worked my first real QSO.

[WB2WIK]

First VHF QSO: Gonset Communicator II, borrowed from the local Civil Defense organization. Same situation existed for 70% of all newly licensed hams in the early to mid-1960's.

First HF QSO, which occurred a day later: Homebrew 6V6 crystal oscillator (15W output), Hallicrafters S-120 receiver (horrible), knife switch antenna transfer device, and 40m folded dipole made of 300 Ohm TV twin lead. Whole station was worth about $40, but it made hundreds of contacts...

WB2WIK/6

[AC7UX]

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was in 1962 the world was on the brink of nuclear disaster, vietman was on the horizon and there i was, laying in my crib. Feeling the need for something to drink i called "CQ" into my baby monitor, my first contact was completed. I logged it in my diaper and have had many a good contacts over the years since.

[KB9YFI]

I have not gotten around to making my first QSO yet. I spend way too much time on QRZ making friends to actually get on the radio. Plus, as a technician, I wouldn't know how to use it... har har har...

[KB1GYQ]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (AC7UX @ July 30 2002,17:27)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I remember it like it was yesterday. It was in 1962 the world was on the brink of nuclear disaster, vietman was on the horizon and there i was, laying in my crib. Feeling the need for something to drink i called &quot;CQ&quot; into my baby monitor, my first contact was completed. I logged it in my diaper and have had many a good contacts over the years since.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I bet your momma threw out your log book! Poor thing.

[VA7KBH]

First QSO was with a borrowed ICOM H16 on a local repeater.

VA7KBH

[w3sy]

AC7UX.... &quot;logs&quot; in diapers? Oy!

W5ALT -- Looks like we are contemporaries. I also started in October 1970 as WN3PQM. I'll have to check the log to see if I worked you back then. First rig was a Heathkit DX60B (transmitter) and HR10B (receiver). Had just a few crystals. (No VFO allowed back then.) Had just a couple crystals for 40 and a couple for 15. You got to know the other Novices who also had crystals for &quot;your&quot; frequencies!

First antenna was a crudely constructed and poorly mounted inverted-vee. #Struggled to make contacts. Put up a 14AVQ trap vertical and the world just opened up.

[KG4RYT]

I'M STILL TRYING TO FIND SOME ONE TO TALK TOO http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif
I HOPE ALL THE LOCAL HAMS #ARENT ON #THE CB RADIO http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[Phineas]

My first contact was on an Azden6000h on a repeater in St. Charles, MO. Was the evening of November 15, 2001

My first HF contact was on 29.640 fm the morning after I took my General exam. First contact was KC0IAW Pat on the K9KE repeater in Godfrey, IL. The radio was a Magnum 257.


Phineas
KC0LSC

[kc8plw]

My first VHF contact was right after I got my tech ticket on an old realistic htx-202 on the local repeater. #I still have the radio, I drag it out when I want to be reminded about how light my new ht is. #That thing will drag your pants down when it hangs on your belt if you are not careful.

My first HF contact was right after the fcc listed me as a general class operator, it was on an ic-706 to a wire dipole, the dipole was for 40 M, used a dentron super tuner to tune the thing to 20M this was to a guy in southern ohio, I am in southern MI, and this guy told me that my setup could not work, well I made the contact and made a couple other of stateside contacts on 20M that day, all with good signal reports.

73's Rob KC8PLW http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[KG4UKM]

I just got my license a few days ago so, my first contact was made on a borrowed Kenwood TS-2000





73,
Daniel petroski http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[W2JDH]

First QSO was with a single 6AG7 xtal oscillator/power amplifier and a Hallicrafters S-38 receiver. Running a massive 7 watts input, I worked a fellow in the next town. It was pretty exciting too. The next step up was WWII ARC-5 transmitters, which I used for the next 25 years. Still have a couple too! Walt

[ke5wj]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (W2JDH @ Aug. 03 2002,22http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">First QSO was with a single 6AG7 xtal oscillator/power amplifier and a Hallicrafters S-38 receiver. Running a massive 7 watts input, I worked a fellow in the next town. It was pretty exciting too. The next step up was WWII ARC-5 transmitters, which I used for the next 25 years. Still have a couple too! #Walt[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Yep, life's too short for QRP, which is why you used all 7 watts input. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

Take care and 73,

[N7CPC]

Phineas.........If you talk to Pat again, tell him Craig the former truck driver said howdy. I used to talk to him quite often on my way through the St. Louis area. On one of many K9KE machines and the club machine. (Egypt ARC).

Oh yeah, the call back then was KCØGOA.

73 de Craig........N7CPC http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[ae5rc]

I made my first contact on a Radio Shack HTX-100 which I still own. It was in February 1990 and I &quot;checked into&quot; the World Peace Net on 28.390 or there abouts. The net control was a man named Bob. I don't remember his call, but he was very patient and very polite to me, a new Novice operator. I try and remember that qso when I have the &quot;honor&quot; to be a new ham's first contact and try,as Bob did, to make them feel welcome to ham radio.
73...de KB5LPA #Rusty

[w0dz]

My first QSO was with WA7CNP (Congested Nasal Passages), now N6NR, using a borrowed Globe Chief transmitter that only worked on 40. Receiver was an NC-270. Antenna was a dipole at 20 feet, at the end of a bamboo pole bolted to the side of the house. I was WN7FIK at the time (April, 1966). That summer I built a 75W (input!) 6146B transmitter from the 1966 Radio Amateur's Handbook. I used that rig until I moved to Colorado in 1973. I restored that rig and made a spiffy new front panel for it 2 years ago. Still use it now and then.

[WD6DNY]

I believe my first QSO on gear that I owned was done using CW and my brand new just built SB 104A on 10 meters through a ground mounted vert.. It must have been in around 1972 (???). Building that SB 104 took me FOREVER but when I turned it on I was able to contact a station in New Jersey. Unfortunately, I have to confess that I did have a &quot;dead&quot; 40 meter band that turned out to be a bad coil that Heath replaced under waranty.

My first voice QSO was done on 2 meters using an old 2 frequency Motorola HT100 &quot;brick&quot; that I'd obtained through trade of an antenna tuner.

73 WD6DNY - Ron

[KJ4QJ]

Kenwood TS 430. Operating CW on the Novice portion of 40M. I was calling CQ and a station finally came back to me. I went mind blank and couldnt even answer him.

[kg6huf]

My very first QSO was on a Kenwood TM-V7A dual bander. I talked to someone mobile on 2 meters.

On HF, My first Contact was on a Kenwood TS-430 on 20 meters.

Kenwood fan...

KG6HUF,
Tyler.

[kf4lne]

First contact I made was on an HTX 202. I flipped it onto a local simplex freq, threw out my call and like magic i got a response. that response turned into a group of people. It was crystal clear, enjoyable and best of all nobody said 10-roger-44 and 3 quarters of 9 sixteenths and a half the whole time. later that day I replaced the 11m antenna I had up with a nice shiney 2m ground plane 5/8 wave. I added abother 10 ft of pole to it too and had a blast. Now I am addicted to VHF/UHF simplex and just cant seem to build a big enough antenna. i need to get a nice place in an open field and then maybe I can build my dream 300 el UHF crossed yagi!

[k3msb]

My first QSO was with a B&amp;W 5100B transmitter and a Hallicrafters SX-111 receiver. #The antenna was a hunk of coax dangling out of my bedroom window -- my parents weren't too antenna friendly back then.....

High SWR -- oh yeah..... and the 5100B has metal knobs..... #tuning up was interesting with those metal knobs.....

I also remember my first contact with the West Coast, a WB6 on 15M one Saturday afternoon. #My first transcontinental QSO !! # Nirvana !!

73 Mark K3ZX

[N3SOZ]

July 1994 on a HTX-202. I received the HT as a gift that April, then had to listen and wait (and wait) for my ticket to arrive after passing the Tech exam. This was in State College PA, while I was a student at PSU. I don't remember the other ham's call, but I believe it was on the 146.850 machine owned by the Nittany ARC there. Looking forward to my first HF QSO (under my own call) on September 21, after passing the CW test.

Matt N3SOZ

[VA6AW]

My first radio experience.

I began high school in 1970 and met a blind studnt who was running the ham station there. His name was barry, VE6ABJ I believe, and he helped me learn the code.

We had an HT37, HQ180 and a TA33 junior 3 element yagi. Wonderful stuff to a newcomer. I finally took the plunge and worked a JA station for my first contact. This was on 15 meters. Was really scared of 20 meters as their seemed to be so many big signals and high speed CW ops. But I gave it a try and was forever hooked on 20 CW.

I still wish I had that HQ180 as that thing could pick up anything, even with a crappy piece of wire.

Finally got my own call in 1971, VE6AUP, and went on working CW with an FTDX400/FRDX400 pair and a 1/4 wave vertical. Never felt like the old eq. but still was a fine radio system. Worked over a hundred countries with it.

I now have a Heath Kit HW 16 that I am attempting to put back on the air someday.

._._. _._

Gary VA6AW http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[ka8wtk]

Back in 1984 I bought the first rig I could come up with, a National NCX-3. Had my first Novice CW contact on that rig. A few years later I thought I needed digital readouts, fancy solid state stuff and the like so I sold the rig. I was a fool. Here it is 2002 and I am building tube rigs, restoring vintage rigs, collecting old radios and running AM by choice! I recently bought another NCX-3 and use it on AM. It seems you get older and sometimes you do get smarter. (I hope)

Bill KA8WTK

[w0tdh]

Hmmmmmm......about 43 years ago. DX-20 es a BC-453 Command rcvr. Dipole es J-38 key.
Sure was fun putting that DX-20 together http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Tom - K0PJG

[K3UD]

Late 1964.

First HF QSO on 80 CW using a Heath DX-40 transmitter, a truely end fed (directly into the coax connector center hole) random wire, Hallicrafters SX-110 receiver with its own random wire.

First VHF QSO ON 2 meters using a newly built Heath Twoer regen transceiver, 1 watt or so, and a TV antenna with 300 ohm twinlead connected to the coax connector. (Novices had 2 meter phone privileges then)

What did I know http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[W8FAX]

A used a DX-20 with XTAL on 40 meters, a used RME-45 rcvr, and a 90 foot long wire antenna, in 1962.

My first contact was in Feb 1977,using a fm taxi radio modified for 2m.(An AWA MR6A to be precise,not that it means anything to non-VK's)
Contact was Simplex mobile with VK6ZEJ on 145.894MHz.
Note the weird frequency,they kicked us off that freq shortly after,as it was in the satellite band.
My most memorable contact was with VK5MIR Andy Thomas in the Mir Space Craft in 1998. I used an old IC245 &amp; a commercial coax dipole which had been pushed several degrees of vertical by strong winds the previous year.It all worked well however,&amp; I scored my first &amp; so far last Space QSO.73 VK6ZGO http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[W5ATX]

I too had an NCX3 around 1978 or so. I was a CW operator though, not interested in phone, so I don't have such fond memories of the rig. Thinking back though, I'd say it was a good rig, just not suited to what I wanted to do. Heck, I need to make up a list of all the stuff I've had over the years. Wow, what a list that would be. Have to smack the memory cells around a bit . . .

I used to say if it was made after WW2, I probably owned one. I maintain that except for the &quot;exotic&quot; stuff (namely Collins), that's largely true.

I'm enjoying this thread. Keep it going folks!

73,

Chris

[N0RKX1]

TS-520 and an Cushcraft A-4 tribander.

[K2PG]

My very first QSO took place on 7175 kHz in the old 40 meter Novice band on October 3, 1968 as WN2HMH in Iselin, New Jersey. I used a crude transmitter that I built from plans in Popular Electronics magazine. It was nothing much to look at. As a 15-year-old kid just starting out, I still had A LOT to learn about construction techniques. But the bloody thing worked! It used a single 6HB5 TV sweep tube as a high power crystal oscillator on 80 and 40 meters. This transmitter took the old-style FT-243 crystals, as the hermetically sealed HC-6/U crystals would be damaged by the high crystal current drawn by this circuit. Relay keying kept my sending speed down, but that wasn't a problem as a Novice who was still very shaky about getting on the air. Having that clacky relay in there was much, much better than having 450 volts on the key terminals! The receiver was an Ameco R-5, which was so-so as an SWL receiver and downright lousy for amateur use. I still have both the transmitter and receiver, although I haven't used either in decades.

October 3, 1968 was a Friday. When I got home from school that afternoon, I asked my mother if my license came yet. She gave me an evasive answer and I went into my bedroom, as she would often put my mail on my bed. Propped up against the radio equipment atop the dresser was a small white envelope that said &quot;Federal Communications Commission&quot;. Opening it, I hit the ceiling with excitement when I saw my new callsign. I quickly fired up the receiver and transmitter, hooking them to the antenna. (I had been testing the transmitter into light bulb &quot;dummy loads&quot;...naughty boy!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif) Tuning the transmitter for maximum output, I sent some Vs, followed by my callsign. A station about ten miles away, WN2EKX in Spotswood, NJ came back and I nervously had an excruciatingly slow QSO with him until the foreign broadcast heterodynes wiped out the 40 meter Novice band for the evening.

I never did swap QSL cards for that contact. If the guy who was WN2EKX in 1968 is reading this, please contact me at k2pg@worldnet.att.net and I will make up a card to commemorate that contact of 34 years ago. I still use nothing but an old-fashioned straight key when I operate CW, although the 69 cent key that I bought at Lafayette Radio when I built that transmitter is long gone.

[KG6JTB]

My very first QSO was as a MARS station operator in Saudi Arabia. I got interested in ham radio because the MARS station on my ARMY post in Germany was halfway between the battalion HQ and my barracks, and I couldn't avoid hearing the radios!

I would hang out there and learn about the technology, and I was allowed to work the station under supervision of the retired civilian &quot;ham&quot; who had this awesome shack to himself. For the life of me, I can't remember his name, but I would say he was my first and only elmer.

When my unit deployed to the gulf in 1990, my BN commander knew of my interest in MARS and asked if I would be willing to run a station for our unit when we were deployed. I went to Sports City to get my call, AEM3XA. I took a Kenwood rig and a wire antenna with me.

My first solo QSO was between me and the station in Germany AEM1FGT at my post. I put everything together right the first time. I immediately had a line of soldiers behind me wanting to talk to their wives.

Sometime the phone-patched contacts were rather emotional. I only did this for a while, but it was my best duty in the ARMY.

Dave - KG6JTB

[WB2RJR]

First rig 6dq6 home brew oscillator, 80, 40 and a very very chirpy 15, made from mostly trashed tv parts on a stripped old radio chassis, had to buy that VR tube and meter,what a bummer. Receiver Hallicrafters S-107 (what an overpriced piece of trash), antennas twin lead folded dipoles with a B&amp;w air wound Balun on 80, 40 and 20(couldn't do 20 but was planning ahead). First contact, 40 meters, central Ohio about 250 miles from just south of Buffalo...Best Dx with this rig ...Actually worked Texas but very rough copy.

First really good antenna...a 3 element telrex beam for 15 meters bought from a senior in high school for $10, seems his neighbor had an old tv with a 21 mhz IF and finally had it with his operating on 15, so came out one day and blew the crap out of it with his shotgun. I fixed it by cutting up old lawn chair aluminum which didn't quite fit, but it worked. This was about ! /1/2 years later and I had a DX-60, worked about 60 countries on AM with this set up, no rotor(U-100 cost $20), I had bought a chinney mount and ran outside to pull two ropes to move the antenna arround....in FEb with 2 ft of snow, and to get that DX, no time to put my shoes on... amazing what you will do when you're 15.

73, Marty K7RKR

[n7wsb]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (K2PG @ Aug. 27 2002,15:45)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">October 3, 1968 was a Friday. When I got home from school that afternoon, I asked my mother if my license came yet.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Thats an amazing story. The only thing I can remember date wise about my amateur radio license was that it was early 1992 and I was 15. I can't even remember when I finally passed element one - second week of the month August I think...

My first QSO admitedly was on K7CCH 147.61 repeater - I was using a Kenwood TM-221A - I think my dad still has it.

My first HF QSO was on 80 meters a week ago I was using an Icom 730 - and it was with w7ixz in lagrande oregon. Still the same state, but the interesting thing was he was calling cq in am. Found out talking later he was using RCA broadcast equipment (RCA BTA-1K as I recall - sounded great!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif. QSO was difficult because there were lots of static crashes (something I've found is common place on 80 meters during august).

It wasn't DX - I have yet to actually talk to a ham in another country yet actually. But I think for a first contact it was kinda unique.

[ve5abf]

Reading the various replies,I feel like I must have come over on the
Mayflower!
My first qso was in May 1950 and was cw on 80 at3.607 (Istill
have the original crystal 3.607The rigs were all homebrew,the xmtr
was a single 6L6 in a Jones oscillator circuit.This was the rig
featured in ARRL handbook 1950 and was built in a wood frame
with plug in coils and xtals.The receiver was also homebrew 3 tube
regenerative complete with cheap earphones.All built on an old
broadcast radio chassis. The antenna was 134ft offcentre fed
longwire with single line feeder.Incidentally the first qso was with
my elmer across the city.

[ae1x]

Hi,

I remember my first QSO. My original call was WA1PYZ and in March 1972 I made my first contact with a Lafayette HA-460 6m rig and a Halo outside my basement room at my parent's home. The equipment was on loan from my best friend at the time and ELMER, Jim WA1GPO. I worked a station in Plymouth Count MA (WA1KPH). I think I even still have the QSL card somewhere in my collection.

Becoming a real HAM was something I never expected would happen. I didn't think I could ever get that code down and my father was not big on the hobby. His boss' son was a HAM and he had far too much money tied up in a hobby. That hobby stuff was for the wealthy. He changed his mind when he heard me work my first 6m DX, I think it was an 8 near Cincinnati Ohio. He was impressed that I could work someone that far away with only about 20-25w of power and a small antenna. Today, I'm an Amateur Extra with the call AE1X and CW is one of my favorite activities. I think my dad would be proud of me today if he were here to see it.

AE1X

[n4tia]

My first QSO? It was a little over a year ago, I had my ticket in my hand {I was 13 and in Junior High school} and I remember going around school for a week showing anyone and everyone my license, about a week later I was at a Civil Air Patrol meeting when the squardren communication's officer {who had just gotten his license 1 month before me} asked me if I wanted to buy a Yaesu FT-2200 VHF rig for $100.00, I remember begging my mom for te money, she finally gave it to me, I ran in and got that radio and hugged it every minute from that moment to 1 week later when I saved up $40.00 to go to radioshack and buy an antenna, well I ran back to the car hooked it all up, and tuned around for about 10minutes giving my callsign everyother memory channel, I hit a local repeater on one of those tries and a nice old man came back and told me to give my call slower. It took me about 8 times for him to finally get my call right, but I said I was brand new to ham radio and we just talked for about 10 minutes then he cleared and I sat in the car with a grin from ear to ear. Now a year later I have a radio club started in my high school and enjoying everyday of ham radio!
Alexander KG4OGN 73!

[zl3nb]

Seems like yesterday...But it was August 66 under the original call of WN3GLX in Philadelphia..The Xtmr was a Heathkit DX40 and the reciever was a Hallicrafters S120...The antenna was supposed to be a 40m dipole but living in a rowhouse (or townhouse as they say now a days) with a 18x36' foot roof..did present a few problems and compromises...but with Dad's help (remember now its his roof) and being a electrician got some conduit and made a mast up...everything was fine except their was about 10 foot of wire left (luckily the negative side)..well Pop said sorry we cut that off as it is not going to run down the back of &quot;my&quot; house...Well funny enough...that set up and wire worked on 80/40/15 quite well...first contact was on 80 with another local across town....Those were certainly the days!..but the main thing is that ham radio is still a &quot;Buzz&quot; to me.
73's/Cul de Bill ZL3NB

[KC7HDE]

My first qso was on 10m with my RCI 2950 I had gotten cheap with a 200 watt amp. I made a contact with a ham in Nucla, CO. back in 1995 when I was a Tech plus.

I have sence got rid of that nasty RFI Bleeding rig and have a proper grounded and aligned Rig that only puts the RFI at the Antenna. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Make it fun
HAM IT UP!

[KC9CQJ]

Well, I made my VERY first QSO yesterday, in fact, about six hours after I called the ARRL and found out that I had a license grant. I didn't catch the gent's call correctly, but I do recall that we were working the IRLP Indiana Reflector (I was working the local 443.375 K9IP repeater tied to the Reflector) and he was down in Orlando, FL. Did it with a little Icom W2A HT with about five watts out. Signal was great, five-nine and all that.

73,
KC9CQJ
J.C.

[w0tdh]

DX-20, BC-453 rcvr es a dipole. Key was a J-38 #- 1958

Novices back then upgraded or lost their license. It took 90 days for the license to arrive. No operating until you had the license.......no computers either to check to see if it was issued. Instant isn't always better. It gave me time to put the DX-20 together.

Tom - K0PJG
Life Member ARRL

[w4kv]

My first QSO was in 1954 as KN4BEB, in Frankfort, KY. #I don't remember the frequency, but I know it was on 80 mtr CW with my grandfather W8TIS, in Huntington, WV. #Xmtr was a Heath AT-1, which I had built myself when I was 13. #I believe that the rcvr was an RCA military aircraft AM/CW job that drifted several kc/min. #Antenna was a dipole between the corner of my house and a clothesline pole.

I still have the AT-1 and the xtals. #Still works. #Junked the rcvr years ago.

I remember the jitters I felt when I would call CQ, and somebody would come back. #I had to keep turning the dial to keep the other guy audible. #What a kick!

John
w4kv

[KB1IRR]

My very first CQ was made on a Visar ht borrowed from a friend. My first contact was made on the local 2m repeater.

[KB9BVN]

My very first licensed QSO was on a 2m repeater system in Indianapolis in 1988.


My very first licensed CW QSO was in 1998, on Labor Day. I had just gotten the QRP bug and had finally finished getting my Wilderness Norcal 40A all tuned up and actually putting out RF.

I was sitting on the picnic table on my back porch, the antenna was two hunks of phone cross connect wire that I had thrown over my roof. I was putting out about one watt into my home made ZM-2 antenna tuner.

I was running about 5 or 6 wpm and I threw out a CQ about 50 times in the novice portion of 40m. N4EWO in Mississippi answered me and I've been hooked on QRP and CW since.

[KG4PWO]

My First QSO???

YESTERDAY!!!!!! I got a recieve only am/fm/tv/shortwave radio at a hamfest a few months ago for 5 bucks (over-paid for it #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif ), but bought my first real radio (2 meter Yeasu VX-150) about 2 weeks ago. I picked up a SWR meter from Radio Shack and made a 1/2 wave dipole that hangs on my front porch (out of sight).

I joined a net here in Stone Mountain, GA. Now that I've gotten over the fear of talking... I'm hooked! #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[K2UOD]

In 1974 as a Freshman in High School, I got my Novice ticket - WN2UOD. Bought a used Heath HW-16 and had the help of a Senior in High School (my Elmer) to put up a 40 meter dipole. Had about 5 QSOs before having to leave for a week on a family vacation. Came back to 5 QSL cards in the mail. I was hooked. What a feeling!

Just returned to HF CW this year and again am having a ball.

73,

Keith K2UOD

[n8emr]

My first qso was before I got my license. I was at my elmers home and work a pa3 using a kenwood ts-520.

My first qso with my own license was with a
dx60 transmitter, hg10 vfo and hr10 receiver

My second qso with my own license was from a ham 1/2 mile away complaining about my dx60 transmitter, hg10 vfo and hr10 receiver. Seems it couldnt make up its mind if it was on 15m or 40m.. -http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KO2R]

(ca. 1978) The first QSOs I ever had were from the station of my Elmer, W1BAH, with Fred as teh control op. He had an Icom 22A for 2m and a Kenwood TS820S. I remember talking to someone on 2m.

(Spring 1979) Novice classes every week for about 10 weeks through a club in Middle Island.

(June 1979) After the endless wait of about 6 weeks, my first ticket arrived in the mail on a Friday. So happens that was the day before Field Day 1979. Got up early on Saturday morning and rode my bike from Coram up to Bald Hill. First QSOs were on 75M phone from the W2DQ Field Day site.

(August 1979) Found a Heathkit HW101 for sale through the weekly want ads put out at Grumman. From working all summer and selling some 11m equipment, I pulled together the money for it. Had an old Navy key from father and strung up a 40m dipole between some trees in the backyard. Used some RG-59 we had lying around. The dipole gave me 15 and 40. An 11m vertical became the 10m ant. I have no idea who the first contact was as the earliest log book I have starts in Sept 1979. Novices not having phone privledges at that time, I burned up the airwaves with my straight key completing my WAS and getting to 20WPM before upgrading to General a year later.

Most Memorable QSO: In 1980 and 1981 KA2ETG and myself held regular QSOs with Henry Portnow (UK5XBA). We even became &quot;pen pals&quot; (remember pen pals in days before email?) sending letters back and forth while Henry completed his studies in Moscow and I finished high school and started college. It was somewhat surreal to be in high school being taught to &quot;duck and cover&quot; and all about the &quot;evil empire&quot;, while carrying on a continuous series of friendly exchanges on the air and through the post.

[AG3Y]

My first station consisted of a Mulit-Elmac AF-67 &quot;Trans-citer&quot;, and a Hammarlund HQ-110C receiver. #One of the most disturbing aspects of operating this station was putting up with the infernal, intolerable drift, which I attributed primarily to the receiver. #At least I hoped that it was the receiver that was doing most of the drifiting, although I could never be totally sure! #I can remember keying &quot;CQ CQ&quot; and then manually switching everything from &quot;transmit&quot; mode to &quot;receive&quot; ! The &quot;TX&quot; B+ would get switched off, the &quot;RX&quot; B+ would come back on and the antenna would get knife switched from the transmitter to the receiver side! #Then after finding someone who was actually calling you back, it took several seconds to make sure everything was in the right position before you pressed the key, again! #If you neglected to put the receiver in &quot;standby&quot; your mistake would be loudly announced to anyone within hearing distance (which could be quite a long ways away!) by the rauchous &quot;squawk&quot; put out by the speaker. #You were thinking , &quot;God I hope I don't really sound THAT bad!&quot; #And then, back in the receive mode, you had to search for the station you were in contact with all over again because that !@#$% receiver had gone so far off frequency again!

Things improved immensely when an old timer (my Elmer, God Bless Him!) let me use his &quot;spare&quot; Central Electronics 100V and Collins 75A4 ! #I was in Ham Heaven all the time I had that station in my possession, and I have never operated another station that gave me such a thrill and feeling of satisfaction! #The only reason I ever gave that station up was that I was moving from the Midwest out to the East Coast.

I was fortunate enough to obtain a KWM-2 after I got out here, but as good as it was, it never came close to generating the excitement I felt when running those old boatanchors!

See you on the bands with my &quot;modern&quot; setup, an Icom 720A being fed digital audio with &quot;homebrew&quot; 120 MHz Pentium II computer! # You can see that I like to remain &quot;state of the art&quot; ! #

Oh, BTW, I could tell you all about my adventures with the Model 15 and 28 teletype machines, but that is another story for another day!

73 # , #Jim AG3Y

I won't even try to top ac7ux's first one!!!
My first qso was with a lettine 240 transmitter and national nc 270 receiver at K1KBO/AA1KBO MARS
station at Fr. Devens, Mass. Around 1965.