Touched By The Joy - Dave Goodwin VE7DWG
December 1950 I got my first radio. It was only AM, but I soon found that I
could tune up past 1500 kHz and listen to one end of the ship to shore conversations
and other weird and intriguing sounds from the speaker. The next year my grandfather
introduced me to his RCA Victor Globetrotter, Radio Australia would enthrall
us for hours. I was hooked and got an old Hallicrafters with my paper route
money.
Short-wave listening provided me with my first QSL cards, and whetted my appetite
for further knowledge. An antenna went up, and ground stake went in and I wound
my first coil for a crystal set. With everything hooked up I put on the headphones
and tuned with a variable cap. suddenly music was pouring into my ears, a magic
moment and an indelible memory.
Most library books were about radio repair and TV trouble shooting, then I
discovered QST magazine. I was on my way! Victoria sent me radio and wireless
30 and I attended a night school class taught by an amateur. Morse came next
and the continental code while I was training as a testing and regulating chief
for the C.P.R. This was the sputnik era. I spent a year in a commercial radio
ops course in Room 19 at King Ed and had my code down, sixteen wpm cypher and
20 wpm plain language.
Thirty three years later, I decided to get my ticket. Found the North Shore
Amateur Radio Club and they lent me a rig, gave m lost of help, examined and
passed me at 12 wpm. Jack, VE7DBK, lent me and old Yaesu, and another elmer,
Brian, VE7QH, assisted me by land line with my first nervous CW QSO on 20. I
went on and had two QSOs with California before Jack checked up on me and told
me I was running six watts, hi.. I was happy. Made a contact with Brian, VE7BLC,
and was bemoaning the fact that the radio club was a 2-meter club. So he put
me on to tom, VE7BNI, and the BCEN.
Tom trained me and I became assistant net manager for three years. At this
time I graduated to the Idaho-Montana Net with Ed Reeves, WB7VYH, and Bill,
W7GHT, tuning me up. I got more education from Vic, W7VSE. QNI five to seven
nets the two evenings a week I'm committed to NCS and liaison duties and the
reward comes in delivering a message to a loved one, and I get touched by the
Joy---God Bless you all, and thanks.
Dave Goodwin VE7DWG
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