Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

Hey Guys,

Just for a bit of fun, I thought I would start a new threat about how,
and why, people here first started their hobby/love affair with
shortwave and or ham radios. I guess I will be first cab off the rank,
seeing as this thread is my idea heh.

Although I am only relatively new to the hobby, I think part of the
fascination for me is being able to have the ability to listen into a
huge variety of wonderful and wacky broadcasts from many regions of
the world. I have been quite an avid listener using my friends simply
beautiful AOR AR8600 Mark II, and I guess you could say from that, the
urge to get my very own unit was well and truly born. I also believe
it is a wonderful way to meet lots of friendly and interesting people
(as I can say I truly HAVE here on rec.radio.shortwave). Just from my
short time here, I can already feel a tremendous sense of camaraderie
amongst enthusiasts, and the willingness to offer each other guidance
and pass on one's knowledge is something I haven't experienced on
other discussions boards to date.

Well guys, I would really love to hear some of your stories - how long
have you been listening to shortwave, why did you start, and what are
some of your more memorable listening experiences?!

Kind regards and I hope everyone here has a fantastic day/evening,
Brian

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Aug 6, 2:37*pm, Brian Anasta wrote:
Hey Guys,

Just for a bit of fun, I thought I would start a new threat about how,
and why, people here first started their hobby/love affair with
shortwave and or ham radios. I guess I will be first cab off the rank,
seeing as this thread is my idea heh.

Although I am only relatively new to the hobby, I think part of the
fascination for me is being able to have the ability to listen into a
huge variety of wonderful and wacky broadcasts from many regions of
the world. I have been quite an avid listener using my friends simply
beautiful AOR AR8600 Mark II, and I guess you could say from that, the
urge to get my very own unit was well and truly born. I also believe
it is a wonderful way to meet lots of friendly and interesting people
(as I can say I truly HAVE here on rec.radio.shortwave). Just from my
short time here, I can already feel a tremendous sense of camaraderie
amongst enthusiasts, and the willingness to offer each other guidance
and pass on one's knowledge is something I haven't experienced on
other discussions boards to date.

Well guys, I would really love to hear some of your stories - how long
have you been listening to shortwave, why did you start, and what are
some of your more memorable listening experiences?!

Kind regards and I hope everyone here has a fantastic day/evening,
Brian



*******You've got a captive audience here Brian, they;ve fallen for
your act hook, line and sinker.
No more birdwatching or knife making eh???

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Wed, 5 Aug 2009 19:48:56 -0700 (PDT), LarbGai
wrote:

On Aug 6, 2:37*pm, Brian Anasta wrote:
Hey Guys,

Just for a bit of fun, I thought I would start a new threat about how,
and why, people here first started their hobby/love affair with
shortwave and or ham radios. I guess I will be first cab off the rank,
seeing as this thread is my idea heh.

Although I am only relatively new to the hobby, I think part of the
fascination for me is being able to have the ability to listen into a
huge variety of wonderful and wacky broadcasts from many regions of
the world. I have been quite an avid listener using my friends simply
beautiful AOR AR8600 Mark II, and I guess you could say from that, the
urge to get my very own unit was well and truly born. I also believe
it is a wonderful way to meet lots of friendly and interesting people
(as I can say I truly HAVE here on rec.radio.shortwave). Just from my
short time here, I can already feel a tremendous sense of camaraderie
amongst enthusiasts, and the willingness to offer each other guidance
and pass on one's knowledge is something I haven't experienced on
other discussions boards to date.

Well guys, I would really love to hear some of your stories - how long
have you been listening to shortwave, why did you start, and what are
some of your more memorable listening experiences?!

Kind regards and I hope everyone here has a fantastic day/evening,
Brian



*******You've got a captive audience here Brian, they;ve fallen for
your act hook, line and sinker.
No more birdwatching or knife making eh???


And apparently, no more Ning.....

Cheers,

Good soldier
(goodsoldierschweikatgmaildotcom)

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Aug 6, 6:11 pm, Bob Dobbs wrote:

Started listening to late night AMBCB (KDKA, KMOX, WHO etc.) in the mid
40s then got santa claus to drop off a SW portable one year (don't
remember exactly when, late 40s early 50s). All the noises and unusual
dialects it delivered set the hook plus the glow in the dark shack of a
neighbor HAM served as a force multiplier to my interest in over the air
phenomena.
A memorable moment came early (January) 1991 when radio Iraq's 25m
english language broadcasts warning severe consequences to hostile
airmen was followed by silence the following days. This was all
proceeded by an intensification of MARS RTTY traffic from the then
extant Chollas Hill facility and a noticeable void afterwards.
In one of my more intense periods of SW involvement during the 90s
before the Chollas facility got Xed there were a bank of six log
periodics as well as a conical all appearing to function down into 40m.
This was confirmed by the 6MHz MARS activity at night and 13MHz daytime.

I haven't any idea as to your age but SWLing can easily become a
lifetime avocation.

Good luck!
Operator Bob
Echo Charlie 42

Dear Bob,

Well what can I say, apart from many many thanks for posting your
story. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the read, particularly your
reminiscing of days gone by. I had a good ol' chuckle to myself when
you mentioned your neighbor's 'glow in the dark' ham....what a sight!
heh. Bob I find it fascinating (and maybe this is due to me being new
to the game) that one can sit in their own backyard shed and listen to
simply fascinating broadcasts from all corners...modern technology
never ceases to amaze does it!

Just in regard to your question Bob, I will be 66 years young this
year and I only wish I had of discovered the outright joys of
shortwave radio and hams many many years ago. Well I intend to make up
for a lot of lost time regardless, and am eagerly awaiting the
purchase of my very first unit tomorrow afternoon - the Grundig G6
Aviator (Buzz Aldrin Special Edition). I hope to contribute my own
listening experiences over coming days and months once I have my hands
on this little baby heh.

Kind regards and all the best Operator Bob (Echo Charlie 42),
BK (short for my initials Brian Keith and thought it makes a neat
little on-air handle)

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

Bob Dobbs wrote:
Brian Anasta wrote:
I will be 66 years young this
year

We're very close to the same vintage.

Ah, but was it a good year??

I bumped the 70 mark last year.
Definitely a good vintage.

Krypsis

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Aug 6, 10:29*pm, Bob Dobbs wrote:
Brian Anasta wrote:
I will be 66 years young this
year

We're very close to the same vintage.

--

Operator Bob
Echo Charlie 42



*******Heh heh.... Looks like you've got one in Brian. ;-)

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Aug 6, 10:59*pm, Krypsis wrote:

I bumped the 70 mark last year.
Definitely a good vintage.

Krypsis


*******Bull****. Sour and corked much like you Krypto.

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Aug 6, 4:11*am, Bob Dobbs wrote:
Brian Anasta wrote:

Well guys, I would really love to hear some of your stories - how long
have you been listening to shortwave, why did you start, and what are
some of your more memorable listening experiences?!

OK, I'll bite;
Started listening to late night AMBCB (KDKA, KMOX, WHO etc.) in the mid
40s then got santa claus to drop off a SW portable one year (don't
remember exactly when, late 40s early 50s). All the noises and unusual
dialects it delivered set the hook plus the glow in the dark shack of a
neighbor HAM served as a force multiplier to my interest in over the air
phenomena. This was back when WWV only used morse, RHC was a
flamethrower in the southeastern USA, and just prior to the golden era
of payola when XERF hosted the Wolfman at night from Del Rio TX
(actually Ciudad Acuña MX).
My first modern era digital RCVR was the venerable ICF-2010 in 1988
followed by its successor an ICF SW-77 in the mid 90s then a bit of a
lull until 2005 and my acquisition of, in my estimation, the finest
portable ever offered, the ETón E1Xm.
A memorable moment came early (January) 1991 when radio Iraq's 25m
english language broadcasts warning severe consequences to hostile
airmen was followed by silence the following days. This was all
proceeded by an intensification of MARS RTTY traffic from the then
extant Chollas Hill facility and a noticeable void afterwards.
In one of my more intense periods of SW involvement during the 90s
before the Chollas facility got Xed there were a bank of six log
periodics as well as a conical all appearing to function down into 40m.
This was confirmed by the 6MHz MARS activity at night and 13MHz daytime.
This was after the famous OTH HF radar station Russian 'Woodpecker' was
replaced by the American 'Foghorn'. In addition to routine UTE searching
some friends and I would also go either to the local mountains with long
wires at night or over to the beach to hunt NDBs.
Nowadays I only sporadically fire up one of the Amateur radios to do a
cursory scan of the bands at night if none of my friends have showed up
on 80m. Oh, and when the urge strikes, I'll take the E1 to a local park
away from noise, toss out the wire reel and see what all happens to be
out there.
I haven't any idea as to your age but SWLing can easily become a
lifetime avocation.

Good luck!

--

Operator Bob
Echo Charlie 42

That was a great post Bob.:-) I remember back when
Iraq was lobbing those scud missiles over into Israel and hearing
Israel on shortwave.

I don't remember who it was that was talking but they
said if Iraq didn't stop that "they would launch the
biggest airstrike the world has ever seen."

That's a pretty clear statement IMO.

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Aug 6, 6:59*am, Krypsis wrote:
Bob Dobbs wrote:
Brian Anasta wrote:
I will be 66 years young this
year

We're very close to the same vintage.

Ah, but was it a good year??

I bumped the 70 mark last year.
Definitely a good vintage.

Krypsis

That is the beauty of the internet, I had no idea
the age of you guys....Bob/Brian and Krypsis.

I like to respect my elders because I know how much
I loved to hear my grandpa tell me his stories and
now, of course, my Dad.

Somehow, I have the feeling that the world as we
know it now, won't be around when I am seventy.

Our Love of Shortwave and Ham Radios - Your Story
 

On Aug 6, 7:00*am, LarbGai wrote:
On Aug 6, 10:29*pm, Bob Dobbs wrote:

Brian Anasta wrote:
I will be 66 years young this
year

We're very close to the same vintage.

--

Operator Bob
Echo Charlie 42

*******Heh heh.... Looks like you've got one in Brian. * ;-)

Hey Larb, I wrote down your email. Is it valid?