Give me a Novice !!

[n2ize]

Give me a novice class license. 75 watts max input to the finale, crystal controlled and cw only. Those were the days.

[al2i]

Those were. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[kl7aj]

Yip. Had a Johnson Adventurer with a single 807. Worked all states with a random wire, before I had a clue what an SWR bridge was. I guess none of those contacts actually counted though, because my SWR was probably about 14:1. You can't make contacts with more than 1.2:1. Don't tell anyone.

[K8MHZ]

Quote[/b] (n2ize @ Feb. 27 2007,08:41)]Give me a novice class license. 75 watts max input to the finale, crystal controlled and cw only. Those were the days.
Why not just slide the little RF power control down about 1/4 of the way, squirt some Super Glue into the tuning control, throw the mike into the trash and fake it?

Dude, THESE are the good ol' days. Just wait 20 years and see what I mean.

[n4sva]

My first rig was the Heathkit twins. You would be hard pressed to find an open frequency on 80 meters in the evening in the novice portion of the band.

[al2i]

Quote[/b] (kl7aj @ Feb. 27 2007,13:55)]Yip. Had a Johnson Adventurer with a single 807. Worked all states with a random wire, before I had a clue what an SWR bridge was. I guess none of those contacts actually counted though, because my SWR was probably about 14:1. You can't make contacts with more than 1.2:1. Don't tell anyone.
Mine was a Johnson Viking Navigator. I always wanted to use the VFO, but I was Terrified of the FCC! I only had two rocks. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[K9STH]

You forgot about 2 meter phone. A Novice Class still had to run no more than 75 watts input power and be crystal controlled. From 1951 until late 1959 Novice Class had 2 meter privileges but Technician Class had NO privileges on 2 meters.

Glen, K9STH

[KF0RT]

Eico 720 and a Heath HR-10B. It's all you need to get up to 20 WPM. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

73, Rob

[va7aax]

Quote[/b] (al2i @ Feb. 27 2007,15:18)]Quote[/b] (kl7aj @ Feb. 27 2007,13:55)]Yip. # Had a Johnson Adventurer with a single 807. #Worked all states with a random wire, before I had a clue what an SWR bridge was. #I guess none of those contacts actually counted though, because my SWR was probably about 14:1. #You can't make contacts with more than 1.2:1. #Don't tell anyone.
Mine was a Johnson Viking Navigator. #I always wanted to use the VFO, but I was Terrified of the FCC! #I only had two rocks. # http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif
i have 5 rocks . i plan to use those in an oscillator

[nq6v]

A Viking Challanger and a Collins 75-A2 with a 40m inverted vee fed with rg8 and no balun. I had some 80m xtals that i used on 40 and 15 as well.

I got hold of some cb xtals and bootlegged am phome on some cb channels. Terrorized the local population with my 65 watts am.

Those were the good old days. My call was WN6SYV.

[wa4brl]

Quote[/b] (n2ize @ Feb. 27 2007,15:41)]Give me a novice class license. 75 watts max input to the finale, crystal controlled and cw only. Those were the days.
Amen brother. #The Novice was the perfect beginner license. #NOT because one had to learn the code to get the license, but because one had to actually USE the code to communicate. #That's a significant difference.

Operating HF CW gave Novices immediate practice in valuable operating procedures, coming at them slowly enough to sink in. #Operating on the novice bands taught one an intrinsic understanding of what propogation to expect out of each band at various times, and the ability to make do with what antennas, receiver, and power one has at hand. #These are all valuable concepts for emergency communications.

Moreover, it was so easy to get a station on the air. #There was (still is!) a huge reservoir of old rigs one could buy cheap, borrow to use, or even have an oldtimer give you to get you on the air. #This is especially importantant in getting kids excited about the hobby.

The most important benefit to come from an HF beginner license is the thrill of never knowing where that next contact might come from. #It may be from across the state, across the continent, or across the world! #You never know. #That's what makes every CQ an adventure! #THAT's what hooked us oldtimers into the hobby for a lifetime. #(It certainly wasn't another in-town contact on the ol' repeater that did it.)

But this is where I see hope. #Perhaps we can start an effort to make the present Technician license the new "Novice" ticket. #Due to the recent changes, the Tech now has HF CW privileges. #If we can successfully promote the HF CW aspect and get new Tech ops active there, they can start out in the hobby with that same thrill and excitement we knew. #Perhaps we can motivate a significant number to start learning the code -- especially now that there's no pressure to pass a test. #They already have their licenses, for crying out loud! #We can hold CW classes locally. #We can organize training nets with NO speed minimums -- everyone welcome! #

We have to play down the whole VHF/UHF experience to beginners, and emphasize the rewards of HF operation. #If we can motivate our fellow operators and our organizations to work on this initiative, we might just spread that old "Novice" magic once again.

[n2ize]

Quote[/b] (kl7aj @ Feb. 27 2007,14:55)]Yip. # Had a Johnson Adventurer with a single 807. #Worked all states with a random wire, before I had a clue what an SWR bridge was. #I guess none of those contacts actually counted though, because my SWR was probably about 14:1. #You can't make contacts with more than 1.2:1. #Don't tell anyone.
Hah !! In the old days a 3:1 SWR was considered superb. And 5:1, 10:1, 14:1 SWR's were not uncommon. Yet signals used to strap. I'll keep the 1,2:1 thing a secret.

[n2ize]

Quote[/b] (wa4brl @ Feb. 27 2007,21:23)]Quote[/b] (n2ize @ Feb. 27 2007,15:41)]Give me a novice class license. 75 watts max input to the finale, crystal controlled and cw only. Those were the days.
Amen brother. #The Novice was the perfect beginner license. #NOT because one had to learn the code to get the license, but because one had to actually USE the code to communicate. #That's a significant difference.

Operating HF CW gave Novices immediate practice in valuable operating procedures, coming at them slowly enough to sink in. #Operating on the novice bands taught one an intrinsic understanding of what propogation to expect out of each band at various times, and the ability to make do with what antennas, receiver, and power one has at hand. #These are all valuable concepts for emergency communications.

Moreover, it was so easy to get a station on the air. #There was (still is!) a huge reservoir of old rigs one could buy cheap, borrow to use, or even have an oldtimer give you to get you on the air. #This is especially importantant in getting kids excited about the hobby.

The most important benefit to come from an HF beginner license is the thrill of never knowing where that next contact might come from. #It may be from across the state, across the continent, or across the world! #You never know. #That's what makes every CQ an adventure! #THAT's what hooked us oldtimers into the hobby for a lifetime. #(It certainly wasn't another in-town contact on the ol' repeater that did it.)

But this is where I see hope. #Perhaps we can start an effort to make the present Technician license the new "Novice" ticket. #Due to the recent changes, the Tech now has HF CW privileges. #If we can successfully promote the HF CW aspect and get new Tech ops active there, they can start out in the hobby with that same thrill and excitement we knew. #Perhaps we can motivate a significant number to start learning the code -- especially now that there's no pressure to pass a test. #They already have their licenses, for crying out loud! #We can hold CW classes locally. #We can organize training nets with NO speed minimums -- everyone welcome! #

We have to play down the whole VHF/UHF experience to beginners, and emphasize the rewards of HF operation. #If we can motivate our fellow operators and our organizations to work on this initiative, we might just spread that old "Novice" magic once again.
Not to mention it was easy enough to build up a homebrew rig. A spare 807 or 6146 or a horiz sweep tube borrowed from an old junked tv, a few spare parts, some coil stock, a crystal or two and you were on the air with a rig you actually made yourself. Didn't have to worry about building a modullator, just a simple keying circuit. Of course you could build up a simple modulator and a vfo and that same homebrew novice rig was ready for AM phone when you upgrade to General. A little more ingenuity and you might even build a balanced modulator for ssb. That was the nice thing about radio. The hobby followed a natural progression of skills.