1955: Dave Germeyer, W3BJG






1966: Brian Wood, W0DZ

1961: Richard Pumphrey, WN9DDV

1962, Walt Beverly, W4GV

1961: Rick Roznoy, K1OF

1962, Steve Meyers, W0AZ

1951: Bill Weinhardt, W9PPG

1955: Paul Johnston, W9PJ

1964: Michael Betz, WB8ZFQ.

1967: Pete Malvasi, W2PM

1962: Terry Schieler, W0FM

1969: John Kosmak, W3IK

1953: Dan Girand, W5ARB

1975: David Collingham, K3LP

1961: Jim Cain, K1TN

1957: Bill Tippett, W4ZV

1961: Bob Lightner, W4GJ

1956: Bernie Huth, W4BGH

1952: Dick Bender, W3SYY

1951: Dale Bredon, W6BGK

1963: "Sig" Signer, NV7E

1958: Jeff Lackey, K8CQ

1953: Dan Bathker, K6BLG

1961: Rick Tavan, N6XI

1956: Bill Penhallegon, W4STX

1958: John Miller, K6MM

1959/1993: Tom Carter, KC2GEP

1966: Kelly Klaas, K7SU

1976: Mary Moore, WX4MM

1970: David Kazan, AD8Y

1957: Paula Keiser, K8PK

1971: Charles Ahlgren, WB6IYM

1952: Tom Webb, W4YOK

1964: License Manual - Chapter 2, Novice

1964: Advertisements

1970: Jim Zimmerman, N6KZ

1987: Matt Cassarino, WV1K

More - Mike Branca, W3IRZ (sk)

1953: Bill Bell, KN2CZZ

1952: Ron D' Eau Claire, AC7AC

History - 1950s: The Beginning

History - 1960s: Mid-Peak

History - 1970s: Late Peak

(sample story) My Elmer

1954: Novice Logbook (Dick Zalewski, W7ZR)

1961: Carl Luetzelschwab, K9LA

1953: George Marko, K2DWL

1964: How to Become a Radio Amateur

1967: ARRL Handbook

1963: Learning the Radiotelegraph Code

1955: Jack Burks, K4CNW

1979: Ann Santos, WA1S

1952: Ron Baker, WA6AZN

Welcome to the Novice Historical Society Home Page!

1952/1955: The CQ Twins (Clint, W9AV & Quent, W6RI)

1956: Mike Branca, W3IRZ

1959: Don Minkoff, NK6A

History - 1980s: Early-Decline

1990-2000: The End

1976, Rick Palm, K1CE

1978: Larry Makoski, W2LJ

1961: Gary Yantis, W0TM

1955: Al Cammarata, W3AWU

1951: Bob McDonald, W4DYF

1951: Charlie Curle, AD4F

1953: Kenny Cassidy, WN2WNC

1951: Jim Franklin, K4TMJ

1953: Rick Faust, N2RF

1973: Greg Harris, WB9MII

1957: Mickey LeBoeuf, K5ML

1957: Jim Cadien, KC7ZMV

1976: Tom Fagan, K7DF

1953: Fred Jensen, K6DGW

1957: Tony Rogozinski, W4OI

1961, Novice Roundup Award (Art Mouton, K5FNQ)

1956: Woody Pope, ex-KN5GCM

1967: Larry Rybacki, WA2ARA

1955: Gene Schonrock, W6EAJ

1955: Dave Germeyer, W3BJG

1983: Harry Weiss, KA3NZR

1970: Paul Huff, N8XMS

1976: John Yasuda, WB6PTC

1953: Alvin Burgland, W6WJ

1966: Neil Friedman, N3DF

1976: Lyle Heide, WB9VTM

1968: Leigh Klotz, Sr., N5LK

1956: Ken Barber, W2DTC

1977: Keith Darwin, N1AS

1959: Tom Wilson, K7FA

1956: Wayne Beck, K5MB

1984: Paul Conant, WQ5X

1970: Ward Silver, N0AX

1982: Christopher Horne, W4CXH

1953: Paul Signorelli, W0RW

1954: Ray Cadmus, W0PFO

1957: Norm Goodkin, K6YXH

1959: Glen Zook, K9STH

1970: Ken Brown, N6KB

1962: Fred Merkel, AK7D

1972: Rob Atkinson, K5UJ

1955: David Quagiana, K2MTW

1952: Sam Whitley, K5SW

1967: Frequency Chart

1983: William Wilson, AB0VG

1953: Jim Brown, W5ZIT

1958: Al Burnham, K6RIM

1952: Gary Borri, K9DBR

1961: Bill Husted, KQ4YA

1955: Dan Schobert, W9MFG

1976: Charles Bibb, K5ZK

1979: Bill Brown, KA6KBC

1965: Ken Widelitz, K6LA / VY2TT

1975: Tim Madden, KI4TG

1972: Steve Ewald, WV1X

1969: Mike "Jug" Jogoleff, WA6MBZ

1964: Phil Salas, AD5X

1954: John Johnston, W3BE

1968: Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU

1975: Last of the Distinct Novice Callsigns (Cliff Cheng, AC6C; ex-WN6JPA)

1987: Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV

1966: Tom Morgan, AF4HL

1954: Dan Smith, K6PRK

1954: Novice Callsign History License (Dan, K6PRK's License)

1975: First of the Non-distinct Novice Callsigns (Cliff Cheng, AC6C; ex-WA6JPA)

1957: Doug Millar, K6JEY

1954: Dick Zalewski, W7ZR

1962: Steve Pink, KF1Y

1975: Cliff Cheng, AC6C

1966: Tom Napier, AI4QV

1965: Novice Code Test (Ken Widelitz, K6LA / VY2TT)

1954: Bob Brown, W4YFJ

1977: Russ Roberts, KH6JRM

1958: Jeff Wolf, K6JW

1964: John Shidler, NS5Z

1972: Rick Andersen, KE3IJ

1977: Barry Whittemore, WB1EDI

1967: Grover Cordell, WB5FSP

1959: Val Erwin, W5PUT

1953: Bob Rolfness, W7AVK

1953: Paul Danzer, N1ii

1969: Dennis Kidder, W6DQ

1971: Jonathan Kramer, W6JLK

1959: Chas Shinn, W7MAP/5

1961: Mark Nelson, AJ2K

1978: Alice King, AI4K

1965: Gary Pearce, KN4AQ

1988: James Kern, KB2FCV

1958: Jay Slough, K4ZLE

1954: L.B. Cebik, W4RNL (sk)

1997: Novice Question Pool.

1952: Steve Jensen, W6RHM

1989: Michael Tracy, KC1SX

1979: Matt Tinker, AA8P

1965: Dan Gaylord, W7IDG

1956: Chuck Counselman, W1HIS

1976: Scott McMullen, W5ESE

1961: Joe Park, WB6AGR

1955: Jack Schmidling, K9ACT

1969: Bill Continelli, W2XOY

1962: Bob Roske, N0UF

1963: Glenn Kurzenknabe, K3SWZ

1969: Phyllis Webb, WN4IIF

1956: Dan Cron, W6SBE

1954: Carl Yaffey, K8NU

1967: Ted White, N8TW

1982: Penny Cron, W6SBE

1961, Kent Gardner, WA7AHY

1970: Brad Bradfield, W5CGH

1976: Steve Melachrinos, W3HF

1994: Brian Lamb, KE4QZB

1958: Operating an Amateur Radio Station

1965: AL LaPeter, W2AS

1961: Rick Swain, KK8o

1956: Keith Synder, KE7IOW

1951: Elmer Harger, N7EL

1987: Lou Giovannetti, KB2DHG

1966: Dave Fuseler, NJ4F

1976: Marcel Livesay, N5VU

1965: Bob Jameson, N3LNP

1951: Byron Engen, W4EBA

1956: Cam Harriot, KI6WK

1965: FCC Exam Schedule

1962: Joe Trombino, W2KJ

1956: Ray Colbert, W5XE

1964: Geoff Allsup, W1OH

1977: Tom Herold, N9BUL

1951: Hank Greeb, N8XX

1959: Dean Straw, N6BV

1970: Alan Applegate, K0BG

1957: Richard Cohen, K6DBR

1971: Ronald Erickson, K0IC

1965: Jan Perkins, N6AW

1953: Charlie Lofgren, W6JJZ

1960: Art Mouton, K5FNQ

1955: Dan Marks, ex-K6IQF

1958: Mike Chernus, K6PZN

1960: Bob Silverman, WA6MRK

1951: Richard Schachter, W6HHI

1953: Joe Montgomery, W1DWJ

1958: Richard Dillman, W6AWO

1968: Bob Dunn, K5IQ

1988: Jamie Markowitz, AA6TH

1952: Jim Leighty, W6UJX

1955: Matt Wheaton, W1EMM

1957: Dick Newsome, W0HXL

1956: Slim Copeland, K4KCS

1959, 1993: Tom Carter, KC2GEP

1968: Bill Byrnes, AB9BD

1971: Jeff Angus, WA6FWI

1956: Dean Norris, K7NO

1972: Dennis Drew, W7RVR

1958: Stan Miln, K6RMR

1958: George Ison, K4ZMI

1978: Fred Soper, KC8FS

1956: John Fuller, K4HQK

1961: Riley Hollingswworth, K4ZDH

  


1955: Dave Germeyer, W3BJG


Dave Germeyer, W3BJG (formerly WN3BJG, 1955)

Did you ever think that at the age of 10 or 11, you would look forward to going to a junk yard and spending several hours looking thru piles of (war surplus) residue for some goodies that appealed to you at the time but that you had no worldly need for?  That's most likely what got me into Ham Radio.  We lived near a very large Air Force base that serviced aircraft during WWII and when the hostilities were over and the base downsized, everything related to the war effort was sold for scrap at ridiculous prices.  I mean everything from pieces of aircraft fuselages, gun turrets, tools, electronics, spare parts, leather jackets, furniture and anything else under the sun.  No matter what you picked out as something you absolutely had to have, the going price was 10 cents a pound!

These expeditions continued until the mid 50's when I entered the Navy but were picked up again after I returned home.  However by that time, the scrap yard business was highly automated and there were few yards left that allowed you to paw thru their goods before they were turned in different piles of materials to be processed.

During these intervening years, I was introduced to crystal sets and bed spring antennas, super-regen and TRF receivers.  One year at Christmas, when I was only 10 or 11, I received a radio kit with a real tube (1D8GT) with which I could build several different  electronic projects.  By the way, I still have that tube!  The Boy Scout's magazine Boys Life introduced me to the world of SWL'ing and I got bit by that bug.  Spent many hours listening to the short wave radio, attempting to get QSL's (confirmation) from as many short wave stations as possible.

At the time, (late 40's) our family doctor became a Ham, and I was introduced to the world of Ham radio thru him.  He was one of my mentors and in fact was the one who gave me my Novice exam.  He in turn, introduced me to several other Hams in the area and I was off to the world or Amateur Radio.  Made many trip on my bicycle, visiting several Hams around my home town.

Eventually, by the time I was in high School, I decided that Ham radio was for me and I started to practice the code.  Built a Heathkit AR-1 receiver and listened to ARRL's W1AW and a private code practice station, W9UIN from the Chicago area.

Before I graduated from high school, I was working at a local Radio & TV shop, learning the ropes, so to speak on repairing radios and TV's.  This was before color TV and most stations were on the air only a few hours a day. Eventually, I discovered that one of the local electronic parts delivery men was also interested in Ham Radio and was himself studying and practicing his code.  With someone else in the same mode as myself, we became rather close and out of the blue, he offered to sell me a complete Novice rig, complete with power supply and all set to put on the air when I got my ticket.  I didn't know anything at all about surplus rigs, just parts and it turned out that what he had to offer was a 2M rig (ok for Novice use) that was a converted SCR-522.  As I recall, he wanted about $50 for the complete package and I paid him a little each week when he dropped off supplies for the Radio & TV shop where I was working.

Anticipating the time when I had my ticket, I fabricated a 2M antenna and brought the feedline into the shack and connected to a double pole, double throw knife switch as an antenna change over switch.  The other poles of the knife switch were connected to a light bulb as a dummy load. 

I would fire up the rig and practice sending code with the knife switch in the dummy load position.  Many time I would practice sending CQ, etc., and didn't realize that the RF was leaking across the switch and actually I was transmitting to the world.

Eventually, one of my mentors called me and asked if I knew anyone in the area who had a 2M rig on the air.  Seems that several other Hams had heard this clandestine signal and trianglelated it to the town where I was living at the time.  I explained what I was doing and he called the other Hams and indicated that he didn't know where the boot leg signals were coming from, but guaranteed that it wouldn't happen again.  He was a diplomat as well as a doctor!

Eventually after much practice, I felt I was ready to take the Novice test and sent off for the test.  Don't really remember all of the details, but I think my mentor gave me the code test and  was the proctor for the written portion.  Some where around the same time frame, I also took the Technician class test. 

At that time (late 1954) it took quite a while for the test results (and ticket) to come thru and I was at the mail box every day the rural carrier made his delivery, expecting to get that much anticipated envelope.  Finally, sometime in February 1955, IT finally arrived and I was ready to go on the air as WN3BJG.  I already knew the rig was working so I fully expected to get my first contact that evening but alas, it didn't work out that way.  Probably related to my operating procedure, (or lack of it) etc.  After another night or so of disappointments, I got my first contact!  

Most of my first initial contacts were hams I already knew from other activities such as club meetings, hidden transmitter hunts, and some of whom worked in electronic parts stores.

I didn't have any HF equipment at the time I received my Novice ticket so all of my operating was done on 2M voice (the only Novice band that voice was authorized).  I did operate MCW with several other hams that were willing to use this mode to allow me the practice necessary to build up my code speed.  At the time, the Novice class was only good for a year and was not renewable so I had my work cut out for me.  The one year limitation was a good incentive.

The next code requirement was 13 WPM so I had a lot of practicing to do before I made the trip to Baltimore for the TEST.  The evening before I went to Baltimore, I copied the ARRL Code Profiency test run at 15 WPM so I felt pretty confident in passing their code test but I had to overcome the written portion which included both reading and drawing schematics.

Almost all of my Novice activity was on 2M but I did occasionally get on the HF bands with CW although I don't now remember what my transmitter was.  I was enjoying my first Hamfests, Field Day, club meetings and hidden transmitter hunts (usually starting at midnight.)

After spending a year on 2M, I was convinced that the VHF bands were for me and my only HF activity was done at various Navy club stations, usually running phone patch traffic.

I passed the General test on the first trip to Baltimore early in 1956, not too long before I entered the Navy and I was now W3BJG !  As I recall, my Technician class license arrived shortly after my General license arrived.  Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of my Novice license as I think I had to turn it in when I upgraded.

Thru the ensuing years, I did upgrade thru the Advanced Class and now hold the Extra Class license so I have held all the different class of licenses as they were originally defined at the time the Novice class was established.

As a footnote, Ham radio determined my career.  Because of my amateur experience, the Navy guaranteed me an electronics school and after my Navy hitch was over, I spent over thirty (30) years in the Quartz Crystal and Oscillator Industry and eventually retired from a small Liberal Arts college where I was in charge of their own CATV system.

Now, being in retirement, I have purchased my first HF rig and I'm in the process of getting an antenna installed and look forward to getting back on the CW bands.  Oh, I neglected to mention that I was an Airborne Radio Operator in the Navy-99% CW operation.

 

73

 

Dave Germeyer, W3BJG

 

PS  Note, same call for over 50 years-no need for a vanity call.

 

 

 

(c) 2008, Cliff Cheng, Ph.D., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!