Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

Wow! This looks like military grade something!

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I had an R390 for years as part of my Collins station until I acquired a 51J4 - it is VERY heavy, but an excellent radio, complete with a “digital” dial.

I got my first real radio, a Hallicrafters S40A, at about 12 - rode my bike across Jacksonville Florida and brought it home on my book carrier. A year or so later, after skipping school that day to build a 27 MHz dipole out of wood and plumbing pipe, I heard Sputnik about 2AM and was hooked for life.

photodoc16

Ah, I do remember my HAM radio days in a small town in eastern MA. K1MPF was my handle. I built my own transmitter (a company beginning with an "H" made the kit), bought a receiver and made an antenna to put on the roof. I rotated it by reaching out of an upstairs window. Got a bunch of call letter cards and sent them out to folks I had contacted. HAMS used to do that for each other and then decorate our walls. This was all in high school in the 60's. I also remember going on overnights with other HAMS for DX contests. I was using a string of beer cans soldered together as an antenna and contacted Belgium one morning on my "Belgian Beer Can" contraption. I also was given a CB radio by the local 'Civil Defense' organization and I relayed messages from armed forces personnel overseas to their families in my town. That was a good time. I'd go back.
Photodoc16

BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

At one point, I had a full wave 40M dipole with the apex at ~85 ft in the air.
I fed it with 600Ω open ladder line into a Johnson KW Matchbox, then into the preselector.
This particular one has the ability to attenuate and switch in, or out, a broadband adjustable gain preamp.

I always had the approach that if you can't hear them, it doesn't matter if you can talk to them.

Gonset G-76 set to low power on 11M was the best CB rig I ever had.
Gonset Twins in a VW squareback running on 6V was my mobile rig.

stanlittle Loc: Oakland, Arkansas

In the '70s I had a Teaberry Stalker 101. I had a digital frequency expander added (200 channels), Astatic power mic, and a K-40 scatter stick.

I enjoyed working the skip.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Never got into CB but did some Ham radio in the early 60's and that's a sizable investment at certain levels but I grew tired of it quickly and moved to cameras in 68 during the war and have stayed faithful to that hobby since then.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

Wow. That’s powerful. I am humbled by your service.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Thank you. Now for the translation

Hybrid Smoker, Hybrid Smoker = general net call any station

Hybrid Smoker Oscar(zero) = HQ base station calling

Romeo Charlie over = request radio check standing by for reply

Hybrid Smoker Oscar, Hybrid Smoker Six = base this is the CO's radio(in his jeep the commanding officer's radio was always Six) if it was actually the CO and not his driver it would be Hybrid Smoker Six Actual

5 by 5 Lima Charlie = strength 5 (of 1-5) by clarity 5, Loud and Clear

Hotel Mike over = how do you hear me, standing by for reply

Hybrid Smoker Six, Lima Charlie = unit 6 I hear you loud and clear We might add Tango Yankee (thank you)

Oscar out = base ending transmission, no reply needed

And when you got multiple units on multiple networks it really got complicated. Once we had a Navy LST with racks of rocket launchers in the bay firing on a target inland, aircraft acting as spotters and the unit being supported on different frequencies and we were relaying between them - our Tactical Operations center had multiple radios so we could do things like that. A good operator could handle all the radios but usually we had multiple operators with the ranking person in Tac Ops at the time telling the operators what to say if it wasn't part of routine or simple "pass it along".

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I'm afraid that most people think that rules are for others.

NJphotodoc Loc: Now in the First State

I still have my Lafayette 23 channel SSB transceiver packed awayin my garage as well as some Cobra and Midland radios. We loved them when we went camping and in our car caravans with friends.
Now they are all in a carton somewhere in the garage. The development we moved to does not allow outdoor antennas (even satellite dishes) and a whip on my SUV won't clear the garage door.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I have one or two in may garage, but I don't think I have an antenna. I wonder what I did with them.

kerry12 Loc: Harrisburg, Pa.

LOL. There are those that do make you wonder.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

You just have to know the lingo good buddy

BBurns Loc: South Bay, California

This has become a long QSO, so 3's & 8's & I'm 10-7. -30-

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

QSL.
73
DE K4CKB