"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Thu, 6 Nov 2008 17:04:10 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"D.Duck" wrote in message
...

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
http://tinyurl.com/5hkot4

Hmmmm....used to have one of those.

Bit of nostalgia...

My first, circa 1955

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/bapix/S20R.html

Here's the one I used to play with:

http://www.geocities.com/technician4/ronw1.jpg

Got to play with the exciter of one once when I worked some MARS phone
patches back in the day. I couldn't talk the Chief into letting me
fire up the finals on the big guns though. :)

I did get to play with an Air Force station at full power once though
- blasted a signal right below the lower end of the 20 meter ham band
on a phone patch to the East Coast - MARS again.

That was cool. :)

Man, we could get away with some stuff back then on MARS.


After I completed my initial and short introductory phase of military
service, I came back to the states and was offered electronics schools in
IL. I had been a Radioman and had a TTY repair job code, so my "watches"
during school was manning the base Mars station once every four days. I
didn't know much about Mars when I first started, but got the hang of it
after a while. It was always a busy watch, being the only military
representative on the net. Even did a few watches as "net control" a few
times.

That was a long, long time ago. Now everybody uses cell phones, I guess.

Eisboch

On Thu, 6 Nov 2008 23:40:24 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
On Thu, 6 Nov 2008 17:04:10 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:


"D.Duck" wrote in message
...

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
message ...
http://tinyurl.com/5hkot4

Hmmmm....used to have one of those.

Bit of nostalgia...

My first, circa 1955

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/bapix/S20R.html

Here's the one I used to play with:

http://www.geocities.com/technician4/ronw1.jpg

Got to play with the exciter of one once when I worked some MARS phone
patches back in the day. I couldn't talk the Chief into letting me
fire up the finals on the big guns though. :)

I did get to play with an Air Force station at full power once though
- blasted a signal right below the lower end of the 20 meter ham band
on a phone patch to the East Coast - MARS again.

That was cool. :)

Man, we could get away with some stuff back then on MARS.

After I completed my initial and short introductory phase of military
service, I came back to the states and was offered electronics schools in
IL. I had been a Radioman and had a TTY repair job code, so my "watches"
during school was manning the base Mars station once every four days. I
didn't know much about Mars when I first started, but got the hang of it
after a while. It was always a busy watch, being the only military
representative on the net. Even did a few watches as "net control" a few
times.

The Navy radio guys were great to work with. Not a small amount of
hams back then either on the shore side stations - they had some great
base club stations too - all Collins equipment of various types.

I stayed with MARS for a long time after, but with the advent of new
technology, it became something of an after thought.

That was a long, long time ago. Now everybody uses cell phones, I guess.

Yep - that's the way of it. I try to explain to my kids sometimes
about the fun they missed back when cell phones didn't exist and they
just don't get it.

On Nov 7, 6:44*am, Tom Francis - SWSports
wrote:
On Thu, 6 Nov 2008 23:40:24 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
messagenews:ru07h4lcf4ep03sc85hci9m6ka6toi7561@4a x.com...
On Thu, 6 Nov 2008 17:04:10 -0500, "Eisboch" wrote:

"D.Duck" wrote in message
...

"Tom Francis - SWSports" wrote in
messagenews:jlm6h4tcqiqi2d0s1cm1aoe12f7ir8mi3i@4ax .com...
http://tinyurl.com/5hkot4

Hmmmm....used to have one of those.

Bit of nostalgia...

My first, circa 1955

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~postr/bapix/S20R.html

Here's the one I used to play with:

http://www.geocities.com/technician4/ronw1.jpg

Got to play with the exciter of one once when I worked some MARS phone
patches back in the day. *I couldn't talk the Chief into letting me
fire up the finals on the big guns though. *:)

I did get to play with an Air Force station at full power once though
- blasted a signal right below the lower end of the 20 meter ham band
on a phone patch to the East Coast - MARS again.

That was cool. *:)

Man, we could get away with some stuff back then on MARS.

After I completed my initial and short introductory phase of military
service, I came back to the states and was offered electronics schools in
IL. * I had been a Radioman and had a TTY repair job code, so my "watches"
during school was manning the base Mars station once every four days. *I
didn't know much about Mars when I first started, but got the hang of it
after a while. *It was always a busy watch, being the only military
representative on the net. *Even did a few watches as *"net control" a few
times.

The Navy radio guys were great to work with. *Not a small amount of
hams back then either on the shore side stations - they had some great
base club stations too - all Collins equipment of various types.

I stayed with MARS for a long time after, but with the advent of new
technology, it became something of an after thought.

That was a long, long time ago. * Now everybody uses cell phones, I guess.

Yep - that's the way of it. *I try to explain to my kids sometimes
about the fun they missed back when cell phones didn't exist and they
just don't get it.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I remember living in the sticks in western NY and listening to AM late
at night. Never having been much of anywhere yet (Rochester, NY was an
adventure to us!) we'd get skip from WWVA in Wheeling, WV. To us it
was like listening to radio from another planet!

On Fri, 7 Nov 2008 08:09:42 -0800 (PST), wrote:


I remember living in the sticks in western NY and listening to AM late
at night. Never having been much of anywhere yet (Rochester, NY was an
adventure to us!) we'd get skip from WWVA in Wheeling, WV. To us it
was like listening to radio from another planet!

Reminds me. Stopped somewhere in Tennessee and the AM band scan only
caught one channel, a preacher singing the bible in a weird chant that
had me smelling sulphur and seeing rattlesnakes.
The radio would go all round the band and only stop there.
I made real sure to double lock the motel door and turned on the cable
TV. Might have put a chair under the door handle too.
For some reason in the '60's WLS Chicago would come in good most
nights in Norfolk VA. Had to dial in 890 just right.
The New Yawkers especially appreciated that rock n roll channel when
I clued them in. It was 50k watts.

--Vic

On Nov 7, 4:23*pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Fri, 7 Nov 2008 08:09:42 -0800 (PST), wrote:

I remember living in the sticks in western NY and listening to AM late
at night. Never having been much of anywhere yet (Rochester, NY was an
adventure to us!) we'd get skip from WWVA in Wheeling, WV. To us it
was like listening to radio from another planet!

Reminds me. *Stopped somewhere in Tennessee and the AM band scan only
caught one channel, a preacher singing the bible in a weird chant that
had me smelling sulphur and seeing rattlesnakes.
The radio would go all round the band and only stop there.
I made real sure to double lock the motel door and turned on the cable
TV. *Might have put a chair under the door handle too.
For some reason in the '60's WLS Chicago would come in good most
nights in Norfolk VA. *Had to dial in 890 just right.
The New Yawkers especially appreciated that rock n roll *channel when
I clued them in. *It was 50k watts.

--Vic

I love surfing the am channels when I'm on the road, especially at
night! You can find some freaky stuff!