New Hobby - Amateur Radio = Ham Radio

[CheckSix]

Made my longest voice contact to date, today... using just 100W of transmit power and a simple, 39' wire antenna in my attic. Over 8700 miles, to Cape Town, South Africa. 100% copy on both sides.

I also made contact with a Cuban gent, in Havana. Not a long distance big deal but Hams there are fairly scarce.... especially compared to the number of Hams in the US and Canada.

[Old Folder]

Being that you are a Pilot and Ham Radio enthusiast Dave, I thought you would get a kick out of the below technology.
We went to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley Ca. a few days ago to see the "Titanic" exhibit before it moves on this January 7th.
They have the Presidents actual Air Force One aircraft which served President Reagan and six other Presidents. It is on permanent display.

This is a replica of the Titanic as it was discovered in 1985 and photographed on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Here we have the Titanic's 1912 "Marconi Room" State of The Art Transceiver able to reach over a whopping 250 miles across the sea in Morse Code only.
You have a simple, 39' wire antenna in your attic with 100% copy on both sides over 8700 miles, to Cape Town, South Africa.

[Quick Steel]

Old Folder, Thank you for those very interesting photos. I saw President Truman's plane, a DC 6, in Arizona. Tiny compared to today's Boeings.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Hey Old Folder - we must be neighbors. I live about 40 minutes from the RR Library.

[Old Folder]

Old Folder, Thank you for those very interesting photos. I saw President Truman's plane, a DC 6, in Arizona. Tiny compared to today's Boeings.

Thanks Quick Steel.
The public is allowed to take the tour through Air Force One at the Reagan Library, it is a walk through from front to back. Very interesting. Funny, that the press had to stay in the very rear of the aircraft and could not mingle anyplace forward of their own seating. Hopefully, those rules have not changed.

I would love to take a tour of the current Air Force One pictured below. And I believe there is a new Air Force One in the works.

[Old Folder]

Hey Old Folder - we must be neighbors. I live about 40 minutes from the RR Library.

Yes, I think we are almost neighbors. We live in Santa Clarita.
You still have until Jan. 7th to see the "Titanic" exhibit, original artifacts and Titanic movie props.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Hey Old Folder - we must be neighbors. I live about 40 minutes from the RR Library.

Yes, I think we are almost neighbors. We live in Santa Clarita.
You still have until Jan. 7th to see the "Titanic" exhibit, original artifacts and Titanic movie props.

Ahh - I'm on the other side in Ventura. Too darn hot in the Summer in Santa Clarita! Although, a few weeks ago it got WAAAY too hot around Ventura!

[CheckSix]

Being that you are a Pilot and Ham Radio enthusiast Dave, I thought you would get a kick out of the below technology.
We went to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley Ca. a few days ago to see the "Titanic" exhibit before it moves on this January 7th.
They have the Presidents actual Air Force One aircraft which served President Reagan and six other Presidents. It is on permanent display.

IMG_0011.JPGIMG_0009.JPGIMG_0008.JPG

This is a replica of the Titanic as it was discovered in 1985 and photographed on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

IMG_0001.JPGIMG_0003.JPGIMG_0004.JPG

Here we have the Titanic's 1912 "Marconi Room" State of The Art Transceiver able to reach over a whopping 250 miles across the sea in Morse Code only.
You have a simple, 39' wire antenna in your attic with 100% copy on both sides over 8700 miles, to Cape Town, South Africa.

IMG_0005.JPGIMG_0006.JPGIMG_0007.JPG

Dan,
Awesome of you to post this! Loved all of it! It still amazes me, that Marconi, et al... figured it out back in the day. And then there was Einstein and Bohr, figuring out the other major ideas too!

A friend in the radio club is an airline pilot. We were discussing airplanes (of course) and I shared with him one of my favorites I have flown and took aerobatic instruction in... made around 1941... it has a 9 cylinder P&W R-1340 Wasp radial engine, producing 600hp at WOT. Weight is around 6000 lbs (read: heavy). This is a North American SNJ-3 (very much like an AT6). Fun to fly, a little under-powered for it's weight but very stable in flight and just chugs along. Drank quite a bit of fuel, and costs quite a bit per hour of flight time.... i.e. not very efficient but major mojo.

[CheckSix]

Well, this is a fun photo down below...
....My 1960 Heathkit HA-10 Warrior 1kW SSB RF amplifier... with my vintage NorCal 40 QRP CW rig and Bencher BY-1 iambic paddle in front of the "boat anchor". QRP means 5W or less. In this case, the NorCal 40 is a 3W Morse code transceiver for the 40 meter band, that a friend of mine built 30 yrs ago and gave to me. The Warrior amplifier is gigantic and weighs 100 lbs. It uses four 811A output tubes. A classic golden era vintage amp.

[jerryd6818]

Heathkit was really something in it's day. Early '70s I took a television repair course on the GI bill. Part of the course was a Heathkit 23" color TV we had to build. Once it was finished (just in time for the summer Olympics) I drove into the suburbs and bought a cabinet for it. I even got to keep it in the divorce.

[ScoutKnives]

Very neat old setup .

[CheckSix]

yes, Heathkit was awesome. I was involved with kits back in the 70's with my father.

The last 2 days I have spent time learning Morse Code, even though it isn't required anymore... using a freeware download app, called "Just Learn Morse Code". It's like learning a new language. My goal is to be competent by June.