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In the 1950's there was a lot of WW-II radio equipment dumped into the surplus market at prices that were very affordable, less than 10 precent of the prices paid by the military. Most of this equipment was designed by Ham Radio operators. One of the design parameters (unoffically) was that the equipment could be used as-is or with little modification on the Ham bands after the war was over.

Not only was all of this fantastic equipment available cheaply, but there were surplus PARTS! With these parts equipment could be built. In those days, most Ham Radio operators built at least some of their equipment. Some of this surplus stuff is still available at prices a lot higher than they were in the '50's. The high quality of this WW-II equipment makes a lot of it still desirable to the novice and seasoned veteran alike. I still have some of it in use...

In 1957 we observed the highest, at that time, recorded peak in the number of 'sun spots' (records have been kept for over 600 years). Sun Spots are anomalies on the surface of the sun. Large numbers of sub-atomic particles spew forth from these spots, bombarding the earth's atmosphere and producing a layer of electrically charged air, 50 to 250 miles up, called the ionosphere. The ionization density is a function of the number of sun spots.

Radio signals normally travel in straight lines but due to the ability of the ionosphere to bend these signals, those signals that would normally go off into space are bent back to earth, making long distance 'short wave' radio communication possible.

Now if we combine three things: (1) the high sun spot count and the resulting enhancement of Short Wave radio propagation, (2) the low cost of high quality surplus equipment and (3) a teen-ager with an inquiring mind, we get... me... I'm STILL hooked on it...

Some highpoints:

• Finding out that I had passed the test for my license.

• The day my license arrived in the mail.

• My first contact. - I had spent hours building a transmitter. Connected it to an antenna. Turned it on.
  Test and tune-up... Reached for the tellegraph key - Sent 'CQ CQ CQ DE K9ERG K9ERG K9ERG K'. Would anyone hear me? - YES - There, right on my frequency, another station and he's calling ME...

• Hearing my own signals - reflected back from the moon.

• Driving to the mall on Christmas Eve - a few weeks after the wall came down in Berlin - Listening to a station in East Berlin. He signed off with the station he was 'working'. I reached for the microphone and called him - he answered. I asked (in jest) if he had gotten a piece of the wall as a souvenir.

  His reply was, "I not only got a piece of the wall but I also lost my job as a guard on the wall. It was one of the happiest days of my life. Today is also one of the happiest days of my life - today is the first time I can use my Amateur Radio to wish my friends all over the world a Merry Christmas".

  I still get a lump in my throat whenever I remember that brief contact...