Greetings and Salutations

Hi everyone, Pete here.

Or if you like NS0D.

I think since this is the first post here, introductions are in order.

Everyone calls me "Pete", although my real name is Robert.  I still answer to Robert, since that's my legal name, but there were/are a lot of Roberts in my family.  I've been called Pete since I can remember, I'm told it is my older sister's fault that I have that moniker, for the same reason Theodore Cleaver was called "Beaver" - she couldn't pronounce "Robert".  I think I made out better than Beaver did though.

I'm in my 50's and live in the middle-western suburb of Independence, Missouri.

The topic here will mostly be centered around Amateur or "Ham" Radio.   Mostly about my interests, and current doings, although we may take a siderail or two.

I've been a "Ham" for over 40 years now.  My ham career started in 1972 when my Junior High School teacher decided to start a Radio Club.  In those days I was big into clubs - I was in Chess Club, and Science Club, so why not Radio Club too, I thought?

But why Radio?  Well the story involves the end of a team and the start of another.

I had been interested in Radio since 1969, when the Kansas City Royals started.  My Dad (another Robert) had taken me to A's games in the 60's, still remember how green Municipal Stadium was in the middle of a concrete city, how the people around the park would rent out their yards to people parking for the game and sell memorabilia on the sidewalks around the park.

By 1968 Charlie O. Finley, the owner of the A's, had demanded a new stadium for years.  Although it still seemed possible, he had decided to take his team and leave town.  I guess it was appropriate, its not like Kansas City was where the A's started - they have been in Philadelphia before, so they moved on.  But thanks for the influence of some prominent Missourians, Kansas City was dealt another team, to be name the "Royals".

In 1969 they started and I listened to almost all of those games.  I had a clock radio - a tube type - that would glow and project the tube filaments on the ceiling as I listened every night before bed.  Its funny that I can still remember individual games from that season, 45 years later.  The day Mo Drabowsky pitched a 1-hitter.  The night the Twins and Royals played an 18 inning game that ended with Lou Piniella playing first base.

But I also listened to that radio after the games and found that on Sunday nights the big flamethrower stations would go off the air for testing, and stations from other places would come in.  I was hooked!!

I got a kit for Christmas in 1971 - a crystal radio set.  Was able to listen without my Dad being able to say I was wasting electricity.  Later I found that my parents had a radio that had shortwave bands on it.  Soon the BBC, Radio Moscow, the Happy Station and HCJB were playing and I was requesting QSL cards.  The FBI probably has a file on me since I regularly corresponded with Moscow and Havana.

So anyway back to 1972-1973 and the Radio Club.  In those days people starting in Ham Radio had to get the Novice license.  It was good for 2 years and non-renewable.  We called that era "upgrade or else" because you had to take the test again if you didn't upgrade so you could keep a Novice license.  But it wasn't that bad - a few years before that the law used to say you couldn't hold any license for 2 years after your Novice ticket expired!

The Novice test had to be proctored by a licensed ham, and I was ready by 1973.  My mentor (Joe, K0DMN) sent away for the test materials and I was able to pass the mandatory 5 wpm code test and took the written.  Joe couldn't tell if I had passed or not - well he probably could tell, but he didn't grade the test and couldn't indicate to me one way or another.

A glorious day in late 1973 came and I was licensed as Novice License WN0LCW.  I had two years to get upgraded.

To be continued......