Moleculo,
I found your forum while searching on the VX-8R. Great review!
I earned my tech license on 4/21 this year, probably too early to qualify for your 3 chances though. I joined ARRL this month,
and the local ham club last Tuesday. (South Side Amateur Radio Club
S.S.A.R.C.)
ALSO, I will be attending field day! That ought to count for something!!
Alas, though, having no equipment, I am a broadcasting virgin, but a
father nonetheless. Guess that counts me for a single chance, huh?
Actually, I now have a nice radio. I bought the VX-8R last Tuesday and took it to the club meeting. I haven't seen old men drool that much since the last time I went to the nursing home to see grandma just before dinner time.
So far, I am trying to get accustomed to handling the thing, listening to various channels, scanning the different bands, toying with various settings... It's a really steep learning curve, especially when much of the language is foreign to me.
It's been pretty quiet on air. I have only heard two guys chatting about the weather for about 2 minutes in the last two days. Well... tonight I chanced across a net meeting of a club planning for field day. Other than that, it's neen kinda disappoing. I expected to hear lots of traffic. After all, there's a repeater just about 5 miles down the road! Maybe the old timers are out there, just listening, waiting for new blood.
One day soon, though, I'm going to take a big breath, key the mic, and call out my first CQ. One day soon...
- - - - - - - -
OH! I am traveling 5 hours this weekend to relieve my wife's Uncle of his father's "garage full" of ham gear. This guy was top-notch. I'm sure everything he had was state of the art, for the '50's. I'm glad to get it. Maybe I can infuse some new life into the old gear if the mice haven't chewed it up too badly.
WOW! Sorry for such a long post! Say, would this count for bringing in a new guy, (me), and having 20 posts (this hyper-long missive) for an additional two chances in your drawing??? (At last count, this was around 380 words!)
Yeah, I'm a piker, but I had a great teacher... MY dad.
73,
cmdrdave
KD0HKE