The Day I let the Smoke Out!
ack in 1957, my buddy Don, KN8OEY, and I were a couple of goofy kids, just getting into ham radio and willing to try anything. We built my first transmitter following the plans given in the Radio Amateur’s Handbook. It was a little two-tube oscillator rig that lots of us got started with in those days; it used a 5Y3 rectifier and a 6V6 oscillator and was crystal controlled. It put out maybe 15 watts if we were lucky. Then, we made the big trip to Fair Radio in Lima, Ohio, and loaded up Don’s Willies with WWII surplus gear … Command sets/ARC5s, BC-454s, BC-455s,
