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| First set of cards |
This post is in response to
the post on PA2RF Ron's blog. Oh, yes I'm one of those amateurradio operators that started the hobby at end of the seventies on CB. I started the hobby with just a pair of walky talkies on CB. The thing was that CB was still illigal in the Netherlands in 1979. First legalisation was in 1980 when it quickly became a hype here. I remember that there was a lot of QSL card swapping at school. With 12 years of age was too young for a CB license unfortunately, you had to be at least 14. But in the mean time I already collected QSL cards and listened on my walky talky. I even designed my own QSL which was copied and multiplied with an old stencil machine at that time. I had a lot of fun and almost couldn't wait till I was 14 and buy a license and real CB radio (in the Netherlands we called it "27MC bakkie"). By the time I was 14 I had no money of course, CB radios were far too expensive. So I had to wait till I saved money and bought a second hand one from a classmate. I was already 15 at that time. But wow, what a joy I had. Unfortunately I was mike shy, I wasn't a talker anyway. So this was an issue, I only listened for a year. When 16 another friend had no problems to talk, he took the mike and talked to a complete stranger in the neighbourhood. He didn't know what to say when the stranger asked questions like "what is your QTH" and "What are my S-points". So I grabbed the mike and told the stranger what he wanted to know as I knew the CB language from listening. Away was my fear and the real fun begun...
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| My first 1979 CB walky talky, still have it. |
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| Second set of cards |
I soon "specialized" in DX. First on FM, later on SSB....but that is another story.
Hey Bas, hope you’re well. I wish I’d had your confidence in the 70’s but I didn’t. I was very mic-shy even though I was well acquainted with all the terminology. Even now I sometimes find myself hesitating. 🤷🏻
ReplyDelete73, Tom, M7MCQ.
www.m7mcq.com
Hello Tom, well it was a huge thing at that time. Personally I think the CB radio hobby at that time did change me a lot in my youth. I got more confidence talking to other people and engage into a conversation. It certainly helped me a lot. Actually I'm still having a chat on CB sporadically, the nice thing is that some of the stations from that tim in the eighties/ninetees are still on. 73, Bas
ReplyDeleteBas, your posting made me do a search for my old CB used in my pre-ham days. One is available on eBay but it's beat all to hell, looks like it's been through a war. I never had QSL's at the time and never heard them mentioned on CB. I did have a callsign though: KJS-2255. How/why I remember that, I have no idea!
ReplyDelete73,
John
Hello John, interesting to read that you were on CB as well. Strange you never exchanged QSL with CB contacts. I'm shure swapping cards was populair in the USA as well. 73, Bas
ReplyDeleteMooi verhaal Bas. Spannend toen he. Vond ik ook. 73 de Titan2
ReplyDeleteBedankt Ron, jouw verhaaltje sprak me wel aan. Erg leuk. Ben zelf niet echt in de AM tijd begonnen. Alhoewel mijn porto's waren wel AM. Maar echt zo een bakkie met kanalen had ik niet. Wel een hele mooie tijd. Vind het nog steeds zo leuk dat ik toch af en toe weer aktief ben op 27MC. 73, Bas
ReplyDelete