I really enjoyed your journey today. It took me right back to my childhood with radio. I was a very lucky boy because my father worked in the radio and electronic test room at Vosper Thornycroft in woolston. One day he came home with a CR100 for me. What a great start. Thank you for sharing your memories. Terry
All the hams I’ve talked to you on the head bands are admitted appliance operators I have to come to TH-cam to get any real knowledge on how to build stuff for ham radio
Thanks for a wonderful and absorbing chat...far better than anything on tv :-). I started with a cat’s whisker crystal set back in 1966...and on through several Philips Electronic Engineer sets, to building a valve re-gen radio with EF91’s covering Top Band and 80. Eventually got hold of a CR100 when I was 16 - they’re still great receivers...I still have one too!
Great listening to your stories Ray, Brings back memories of how I started, I remember I must have been 12 or early teens and had a wartime civilian receiver MW only and after reading all the radio books from the local library. I started moving the oscillator coil cores in the hope of getting to work on the trawler band, to my surprise I started hearing , what turned out to be local hams on top band I was fascinated at that age that you could do that, and ended up joining the local amateur radio club. Look forward to your next one Ray Thanks
Love this Ray. I think a lot of us who are amateurs/SWL's all have a similar experience as a child where the magic of radio excited and inspired us. Hard to explain to the modern mobile phone generation though!
Memories, Ray, oh those memories! I was the same as you. Started cadging old radios from about five, taking 'em to bits, bit nothing that actually worked. Then at about 9 I got a tiny Hong Kong made transistor radio for Christmas. I was over the moon and would listen to that thing all day long then under the bedclothes at night! When my sister got married when I was 12 or 13, she asked me if I wanted to take over a Granada AM transistor radio she'd been renting for a shilling a week with free PP9 battery whenever needed. I jumped at the chance and got through more batteries than I ever paid in rent for the radio! We'll, I couldn't resist taking a look inside, and was soon tweeking the IF, twisting this, adjusting that. Then one day, the thing just stopped, and no matter what I produced it wouldn't work. So off I went the the Granada service centre and handed it in, complaining that it had just stopped, no warning, it just stopped! Then I got a message out was ready about a week later. I was there at the counter when the engineer came storming out with the radio shaking in it's handle in his hand. He shouted "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOUR BEEN DOING WITH THIS? IT'S TAKEN ME THREE BLOODY DAYS TO GET IT GOING, THREE. BLOODY. DAYS!". As new slammed it down on the counter he blurted out "AND DON'T DO IT AGAIN, LEAVE THE BLOODY SCREWS IN!". Then he stormed off into the workshop shouting to his mates that it was a bloody kid who broke it. So I gingerly took it home and it seemed to work fine. But then I plugged in my super dooper long wire aerial into it and, oh my god, it was getting top band! Ray that was my introduction to amateur radio! The rest is history! Take care, Nigel. G4RZX.
Hi Nigel, Great story! Thanks for sharing it with me. Love the super dooper long wire aerial! Top band was great in the days before horrendous interference. Cheers for now, Ray.
Nice one Ray brought back memories I remember the Mercury vaper valves Ray we are from the old school remember Loran . not the same as it was in our day . keep the videos coming 73 de G6JMX
what great stories, enjoyed it, thanks! saw your video about the antenna and radio switch and build my own, video is on my channel. keep up the good work!
Hi Ray. Your talking about the Heathkit Twoer brought back memories of the twoer I built in 1966 on our kitchen table. I was in my late teens and wanted a rig to check into the Topeka Kansas Pi net on AM and with a XTAL change get on the Army Mars net. I built up a 4 element beam and arm strong rotated it on top a 15 foot 2 by 4. I had ropes to pull it around. lol . One thing about the twoers the regen receiver would radiate the regen noise. hi hi. Checked into the Pi net and Army Mars nets weekly for a long time when in high school. Yes those were all special days and fun times learning the bands and making do with modest gear. I still have the assembly manual for that twoer but not the rig. Oh I mounted the xtal socket on the outside of the front panel.
Brilliant video Ray I could listen to you all day long mate love all your videos I started of in radio when i was 10 years old listening to shortwave stuff, I am now 60 years old and still doing it all love kit making still and doing all different ham radio stuff,, 2eobhc
Boy did your account get my own memories going for me! My experiences tuning around the bands were rich. Included listening to Morse on Liverpool shipping channels. BTW next time you visit North Foreland Lighthouse, be invited to do what I did and ask to buy a discarded 3kilowatt light bulb from your tour guide lighthouse keeper. My light bulb ended up in the Museum of Science and Technology in Liverpool Street, Manchester.
Really enjoyable "ramble", thanks for sharing your stories. Home-brewing/construction is still happening. Some GQRP members are doing a group build of a 17m "Sudden" SSB transceiver. The Soldersmoke blog is a great place to hear about people doing similar. 73
Ray what a fantastic story into your journey to the mad world of amateur radio.I also as a 6 year old was fascinated by what I could hear on my parents radio as I tuned around the bands.I also listened to the military AM signals and was totally hooked.As a teenager I built transmitters for the medium wave bands and broadcast music and eventually got raided by the DTI here in Eastbourne.😀.After many years of broadcasting on shortwave/medium wave and then the VHF FM bands I decided to stop the pirate radio operations. In 1990 I became G7HFS and I still love our hobby as much now as I did back in the 60's/70's. 73...Ian G7HFS/PA3IKH... ps....Regards the noise on Topband etc that's why I operate mobile/portable Ray from Beachy Head as its virtually noise free.😀
Hi Ray, thanks for sharing your radio experiences from the "good old days". I actually got into radio DX back in the early 1960's using my dad's old Oceanic valve MW/SW radio. We set up a long wire antenna along the picture rail around the lounge room. We started recording AM DX in 1966 made in Sydney NSW, back at our previous family home. The first station we recorded was 570kHz 2YA Wellington New Zealand. It was originally recorded on open reel tape and copied to cassette tape in recent years. The original open reel tapes were deteriorating quite quickly. Fortunately, all the recordings were saved before the originals became unusable. I have never had an FRG-7, but I did have an FRG-7700, which eventually stopped working and was then traded in for a newer radio. My first transistor radio was a Tokai 8 transistor radio, which was bought in 1967 and still works today. I have a sample video of it on my TH-cam channel, when I was celebrating 50 years of radio DX. These days, we have a huge lot of static, especially on AM. I have no clue as to what is causing it. the static can be heard throughout the house, even with everything else switched off. Anyway, wishing you the very best. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
Hi again Rob, I wish I’d kept all my old reel to reel tapes from the early days. I had some fantastic recordings, sadly all gone now. I shall check out your TH-cam channel. As for static, it’s worse than ever here and there’s nothing I can do about it. Cheers, Ray.
@@raysrants i Ray, we receive a lot of static on the AM band here in Melbourne, especially the low end. Not sure of the effect on the SW band, though I will check that when time permits. I am wondering if it is all the WIFI around these days?? All the best, Rob.
You covered so much ground, it’s difficult to know what to comment on! Very interesting, and brought back memories. I cut my teeth on a 19 set (with carbon mike) - cost £5 from one of the many local radio junk shops. I remember listening for the static crash on the LF bands when storms were due - often coming in at S9 and more. Also, ship to shore radio with the sailors phoning back home to the wife. :)
Ah, the great 19 set! My first one cost one pound ten shllings, a bargain! The ship to shore calls were interesting. Sadly, most of it has gone now. But there's still a lot to listen to on the short wave bands. Cheers, Ray.
Enjoying your channel today for the first time. Just built the dipole aerial for our ICOM A20 Transceiver. My son is getting into it, starting with walkie-talkie and marine band.
@@g4nsj we are in Lewes. We live in a valley so it has certainly improved reception. We are listening to Gatwick Approach quite clearly now but Shoreham is still weak. I'm thinking of making another for Marine band so we can listen to shipping.
Ray a Marvellous video bought a lot memory’s I have been addicted to Radio etc since when was boy similar to you I got my Amateur licenses limited license was very active on 2 Meters built all local radio club repeaters both 2 and 70 I was Repeater Officer for over 30 years I then decided to upgrade passed Receiving but the nerves got to me and failed the Sending test I said bugger it and then a old Amateur friend told me to have another go at sending he gave some coaching from him I then passed the exam by they way I was licensed in 1982 as Limited Call I have my full call since the late 1980s I had 19 set also but I got a Panda 120V it uses a pair 807 in the final modulated by pair 807 in class AB2 is matched by Eddystone 680X what well healed British Amateur would have in late 1950s Enjoy your memories Mate I have wrote you a letter re you podcasts 73 Ian.
I still use Kilocycles Ray. Two reasons, one, after being educated about cycles nobody asked me for permission to rename it, and two, because "cycles" is exactly what they are. Those Volts and Ampères and Henrys and Ohms were used to name measurements that hadn't existed before, so a name for them was needed, unlike "cycles".
Thanks! I broke and played radios in 60's but only got the RAE in 94. I was just too lazy. I do telecoms for a living, busman's holiday as they say.I should be retired but keep on going.
Hi again Ray. Just watching this video again. So many stories I can relate to. I was laughing about your neighbors florescent lights blinking with your modulation. hihi. Yea you know I deal with a lot more interference here more than ever. Some switching power supplies and also plasma TV set throwing out spurs. I also use remote SDR receiver on the internet to hear some of my friends over East of me when I cant here them at my QTH. Ive though about using a loop antenna for RX for nulling out noise. 73s Ray. Take care. Keep you vids coming
The business about the lights was funny. A friend of mine's mum had a washing machine that you could pick up Radio Moscow on - presumably somewhere around 41m, although we never fathomed out quite what caused it! :)
I've watched your videos for a few years on and off, it would be great if there was someone like you near me to chat radios with. I'm an SWLer, and have a collection of radios which I use, I started with tuning around on my grans MW/LW/SW receiver.
Great to hear from you, Matt. I’m often on 25.555. It gets busy when conditions are right. I think the illegal to listen idea came from the 1960s when Radio Caroline and London were transmitting. The idea was to frighten people. Cheers, Ray.
I enjoyed that....so much of it similar to my journey starting around 1955. Those exotic names on radio dials....army surplus....many years as a radio tv engineer....73 de G4JVF
Lovely video Ray, I thoroughly agreed with so many things u said.. 4m around here "Poole" is very active too, but sadly I suffer horrendous QRM on it. Hope to catchup sometime on the IOW repeater. 73. 2e0vov
Ahh, so great to hear your memories from the past Ray.. There's so many of us that lived and experienced similar stories from youth. I build my first small AM transmitter with an 6SN7 and a 6L6 with a 5Y3 rectifier when I was 13 y.o. I managed to survive several HT shocks, mainly from discharging caps until I learned about 'bleeding' resistors! 😃 And, later on when the 807s and 6146s came into use, RF burns of my fingers were not uncommon. I loved looking at the 'arcs' when I touched the antenna output with my bare finger! Anyway, always a pleasure to relate such old stories. Keep those videos coming Ray! 73's from Aus.
Love then stories Ray keep them coming I'm a mechanical engineer and I work on Sunday when the factory isn't running so it's just me and another mechanic so u love listening to your stories in this time
Great story Ray, I enjoy listening to you talk about how things were years ago and building stuff. A fair few old HAMS are on 11 meters where I live, regularly chat to them about building antennas and other radio things. They keep saying I should go for my foundation but I’m mostly a shortwave listener and there’s enough chat on CB/11 meters for me. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nice to hear about your fascinating journey into radio. I love these old stories Ray. I can relate to the interference on neighbours speakers when I used a long wire years ago. I think we all share some similar experiences to some degree. Your video brought some of my old memories back. Thanks for sharing 73...M0DAD David
Superb story Ray, reminds me of when I was a kid & my dad would also listen into the trawler band activity, that would have been on his CR 100 or AR-88, both of which I still have, although the CR 100 no longer works. I can just remember there was still a few of those Army & military surplus shops around Portsmouth in the early 80's. Going back a few more decades there would have been many more, in the early 1950s, my dad built a home brew TV using various army & navy radar units & associated equipment! You've got a nice set up there in the workshop, Your CR 100 looks in great condition too!
I love to hear your stories Ray.. I remember listening to the big valve radio that had all the bands on it at my uncles house in the 60's when I was a kid.. So exotic.. all those foreign voices.. I used to dream of traveling the world.. But soon got involved with other things.. wish I had that radio at my home.. maybe I would have grown (like you did) to love the RF way.. Still I love old stories of our younger days.. carry on my friend.. and ramble to your hearts content.. I will always listen...
Hi, great video, I've just lost my dad who was a G4 and I'm a 2E0, I wa hoping to do my last exam before dad passed away but life got in the way. I'm in the south of England not far from you and could do with some help with a particular radio if your interested. Dad had a stroke 3 years ago and developed vascular dementia, so by the time I bought this rig he was too far gone to help sadly, he would have loved to be involved to sort it out. David
@Radio Workshop Hi Ray, it's not a repai. it's brand new, but I can't get it to work properly. It could be me or the radio, I just need some help determining which. If it's the radio, I can return it. David
Some of us still build some of our own kit. I built a GS-35B linear amplifier, earlier in the year. Was that G4UPE on the web SDR? I've spoken to him on 60m many times.
What a good video thank you so much , currently im building your example of the G4NSJ dipole antenna (airband) would it be wise to put 2 ferrets in the pvc pipe at the bottom where the cables come in ?
Well the problem with 80m today in the USA is its full of Free banders talking all kinds of profanity I'm talking all kinds of shit that reminds me of CB in the eighties
@@g4nsj also Ray don't feel like your Rambling nonsense I'm a 30 years old and I love hearing about the old days and what you did I take all that info in and save it and learn also I Enjoy hearing you talk about whatever when it comes to radio keep these videos coming buddy
![บุษบา - เมนทอล [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IGnWPokSEis/mqdefault.jpg)
The truth is we’d all love to hear you rambling on for as long as you’re happy to … thank you.
That's really nice of you. More ramblings on the way!
I really enjoyed your journey today. It took me right back to my childhood with radio. I was a very lucky boy because my father worked in the radio and electronic test room at Vosper Thornycroft in woolston. One day he came home with a CR100 for me. What a great start. Thank you for sharing your memories. Terry
A CR100... a great receiver. I still use mine every day!
All the hams I’ve talked to you on the head bands are admitted appliance operators I have to come to TH-cam to get any real knowledge on how to build stuff for ham radio
Same here but I was twelve when I got hooked on SW Listening then heard my first local radio amateurs .. hooked forever ....Thank you Trig GM4NNC
Hi Trig, Great to hear from you. They were fantastic days when short wave was humming with stations!
Thanks for a wonderful and absorbing chat...far better than anything on tv :-). I started with a cat’s whisker crystal set back in 1966...and on through several Philips Electronic Engineer sets, to building a valve re-gen radio with EF91’s covering Top Band and 80. Eventually got hold of a CR100 when I was 16 - they’re still great receivers...I still have one too!
Happy days! I really miss them. Yes, the CR1-00 is a great receiver. I use mine every day. Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Ray.
Great listening to your stories Ray, Brings back memories of how I started, I remember I must have been 12 or early teens and had a wartime civilian receiver MW only and after reading all the radio books from the local library. I started moving the oscillator coil cores in the hope of getting to work on the trawler band, to my surprise I started hearing , what turned out to be local hams on top band I was fascinated at that age that you could do that, and ended up joining the local amateur radio club. Look forward to your next one Ray Thanks
Top band was always busy back then, no interference in those days!
An enjoyable Saturday evening listening to you talk about your radio journey
Thanks!
A Happy Ham. This man is a treasure to the world.
Thanks, Harry!
Love this Ray. I think a lot of us who are amateurs/SWL's all have a similar experience as a child where the magic of radio excited and inspired us. Hard to explain to the modern mobile phone generation though!
Indeed, I couldn't agree more!
Love these old anecdotes and stories thanks OM ….from an old G6…
An old G6… excellent!
@@g4nsj well 1983 😂
Memories, Ray, oh those memories! I was the same as you. Started cadging old radios from about five, taking 'em to bits, bit nothing that actually worked. Then at about 9 I got a tiny Hong Kong made transistor radio for Christmas. I was over the moon and would listen to that thing all day long then under the bedclothes at night! When my sister got married when I was 12 or 13, she asked me if I wanted to take over a Granada AM transistor radio she'd been renting for a shilling a week with free PP9 battery whenever needed. I jumped at the chance and got through more batteries than I ever paid in rent for the radio! We'll, I couldn't resist taking a look inside, and was soon tweeking the IF, twisting this, adjusting that. Then one day, the thing just stopped, and no matter what I produced it wouldn't work. So off I went the the Granada service centre and handed it in, complaining that it had just stopped, no warning, it just stopped!
Then I got a message out was ready about a week later. I was there at the counter when the engineer came storming out with the radio shaking in it's handle in his hand. He shouted "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOUR BEEN DOING WITH THIS? IT'S TAKEN ME THREE BLOODY DAYS TO GET IT GOING, THREE. BLOODY. DAYS!". As new slammed it down on the counter he blurted out "AND DON'T DO IT AGAIN, LEAVE THE BLOODY SCREWS IN!". Then he stormed off into the workshop shouting to his mates that it was a bloody kid who broke it. So I gingerly took it home and it seemed to work fine. But then I plugged in my super dooper long wire aerial into it and, oh my god, it was getting top band! Ray that was my introduction to amateur radio! The rest is history! Take care, Nigel. G4RZX.
Hi Nigel, Great story! Thanks for sharing it with me. Love the super dooper long wire aerial! Top band was great in the days before horrendous interference. Cheers for now, Ray.
I sure enjoy all your videos. 73 SIR
Excellent, thanks!
oh the hours I spent in GWM radio, they where heaven!!
Happy days!
You sir are amazing ! I think we are lucky to learn so much from your experiences
Thanks!
right on :-}
Love your radio story! Thanks for sharing.
Always enjoy your videos.
Thanks!
Nice one Ray brought back memories I remember the Mercury vaper valves Ray we are from the old school remember Loran . not the same as it was in our day . keep the videos coming 73 de G6JMX
Thanks Barry. Love the old school. Cheers, Ray.
what great stories, enjoyed it, thanks! saw your video about the antenna and radio switch and build my own, video is on my channel. keep up the good work!
Excellent, I'm glad you built the switch.
Hi Ray. Your talking about the Heathkit Twoer brought back memories of the twoer I built in 1966 on our kitchen table. I was in my late teens and wanted a rig to check into the Topeka Kansas Pi net on AM and with a XTAL change get on the Army Mars net.
I built up a 4 element beam and arm strong rotated it on top a 15 foot 2 by 4. I had ropes to pull it around. lol . One thing about the twoers the regen receiver would radiate the regen noise. hi hi. Checked into the Pi net and Army Mars nets weekly for a long time when in high school. Yes those were all special days and fun times learning the bands and making do with modest gear. I still have the assembly manual for that twoer but not the rig. Oh I mounted the xtal socket on the outside of the front panel.
Yes, the regen receiver did radiate noise. Happy days! I really miss them. Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Ray.
Brilliant video Ray I could listen to you all day long mate love all your videos I started of in radio when i was 10 years old listening to shortwave stuff, I am now 60 years old and still doing it all love kit making still and doing all different ham radio stuff,, 2eobhc
Thanks John, great to hear from you. I was about 10 when I started tuning around. Cheers, Ray.
Boy did your account get my own memories going for me! My experiences tuning around the bands were rich. Included listening to Morse on Liverpool shipping channels.
BTW next time you visit North Foreland Lighthouse, be invited to do what I did and ask to buy a discarded 3kilowatt light bulb from your tour guide lighthouse keeper. My light bulb ended up in the Museum of Science and Technology in Liverpool Street, Manchester.
OK on the light bulb, I'll remember that! Glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.
Really enjoyable "ramble", thanks for sharing your stories. Home-brewing/construction is still happening. Some GQRP members are doing a group build of a 17m "Sudden" SSB transceiver. The Soldersmoke blog is a great place to hear about people doing similar. 73
Thanks, I'll check out the soldersmoke blog.
Great video Ray. Loved every minute of it. 73 Joe
Thanks Joe!
Ray what a fantastic story into your journey to the mad world of amateur radio.I also as a 6 year old was fascinated by what I could hear on my parents radio as I tuned around the bands.I also listened to the military AM signals and was totally hooked.As a teenager I built transmitters for the medium wave bands and broadcast music and eventually got raided by the DTI here in Eastbourne.😀.After many years of broadcasting on shortwave/medium wave and then the VHF FM bands I decided to stop the pirate radio operations.
In 1990 I became G7HFS and I still love our hobby as much now as I did back in the 60's/70's.
73...Ian G7HFS/PA3IKH...
ps....Regards the noise on Topband etc that's why I operate mobile/portable Ray from Beachy Head as its virtually noise free.😀
Ah, pirating on medium wave... Great days! Perhaps we should try it again!
You should of carried on! I was really enjoying that trip down memory lane listening through a nice pair of Grado headphones.
Hi Ray, thanks for sharing your radio experiences from the "good old days". I actually got into radio DX back in the early 1960's using my dad's old Oceanic valve MW/SW radio. We set up a long wire antenna along the picture rail around the lounge room. We started recording AM DX in 1966 made in Sydney NSW, back at our previous family home. The first station we recorded was 570kHz 2YA Wellington New Zealand. It was originally recorded on open reel tape and copied to cassette tape in recent years. The original open reel tapes were deteriorating quite quickly. Fortunately, all the recordings were saved before the originals became unusable. I have never had an FRG-7, but I did have an FRG-7700, which eventually stopped working and was then traded in for a newer radio. My first transistor radio was a Tokai 8 transistor radio, which was bought in 1967 and still works today. I have a sample video of it on my TH-cam channel, when I was celebrating 50 years of radio DX. These days, we have a huge lot of static, especially on AM. I have no clue as to what is causing it. the static can be heard throughout the house, even with everything else switched off. Anyway, wishing you the very best. Rob in Melbourne Australia.
Hi again Rob,
I wish I’d kept all my old reel to reel tapes from the early days. I had some fantastic recordings, sadly all gone now. I shall check out your TH-cam channel. As for static, it’s worse than ever here and there’s nothing I can do about it. Cheers, Ray.
@@raysrants i Ray, we receive a lot of static on the AM band here in Melbourne, especially the low end. Not sure of the effect on the SW band, though I will check that when time permits. I am wondering if it is all the WIFI around these days?? All the best, Rob.
@@raysrants Incidentally, have you ever received any Australian AM stations via DX from your location?
@@RGC198 sadly, no. Too much interference here.
@@RGC198 could well be wifi.
You covered so much ground, it’s difficult to know what to comment on! Very interesting, and brought back memories. I cut my teeth on a 19 set (with carbon mike) - cost £5 from one of the many local radio junk shops. I remember listening for the static crash on the LF bands when storms were due - often coming in at S9 and more. Also, ship to shore radio with the sailors phoning back home to the wife. :)
Ah, the great 19 set! My first one cost one pound ten shllings, a bargain! The ship to shore calls were interesting. Sadly, most of it has gone now. But there's still a lot to listen to on the short wave bands. Cheers, Ray.
enjoyed this ray you have some wonderful memories and stories
Thanks!
Your journey into radio is very similar to mine, really enjoyed your rambling! I am G4LMN and I use my middle name Ron on the air.
Thanks Ron, Happy days! I really miss them. Cheers, Ray.
Great video.brought back so many memories. Did my cw at north foreland. Nikki G4YTI
Ah, North Foreland... happy days!
Enjoying your channel today for the first time. Just built the dipole aerial for our ICOM A20 Transceiver. My son is getting into it, starting with walkie-talkie and marine band.
Excellent! Glad you built the dipole, it’s a great aerial. Let me know how your son gets on. Cheers, Ray.
@@g4nsj we are in Lewes. We live in a valley so it has certainly improved reception. We are listening to Gatwick Approach quite clearly now but Shoreham is still weak. I'm thinking of making another for Marine band so we can listen to shipping.
Really interesting, thanks.
Ray a Marvellous video bought a lot memory’s I have been addicted to Radio etc since when was boy similar to you I got my Amateur licenses limited license was very active on 2 Meters built all local radio club repeaters both 2 and 70 I was Repeater Officer for over 30 years
I then decided to upgrade passed Receiving but the nerves got to me and failed the Sending test
I said bugger it and then a old Amateur friend told me to have another go at sending he gave some coaching from him I then passed the exam by they way I was licensed in 1982 as Limited Call I have my full call since the late 1980s
I had 19 set also but I got a Panda 120V it uses a pair 807 in the final modulated by pair 807 in class AB2 is matched by Eddystone 680X what well healed British Amateur would have in late 1950s
Enjoy your memories Mate I have wrote you a letter re you podcasts
73 Ian.
A pair of 807s in the final modulated by pair 807s... Excellent! Glad you got the Morse in the end. OK on the podcasts, thanks for that. Cheers, Ray.
I still use Kilocycles Ray. Two reasons, one, after being educated about cycles nobody asked me for permission to rename it, and two, because "cycles" is exactly what they are. Those Volts and Ampères and Henrys and Ohms were used to name measurements that hadn't existed before, so a name for them was needed, unlike "cycles".
Yes, the word cycles has meaning.
Thanks! I broke and played radios in 60's but only got the RAE in 94. I was just too lazy. I do telecoms for a living, busman's holiday as they say.I should be retired but keep on going.
Great to hear from you, Dave. A busman's holiday, I like that. Cheers, Ray.
Hi again Ray. Just watching this video again. So many stories I can relate to. I was laughing about your neighbors florescent lights blinking with your modulation. hihi. Yea you know I deal with a lot more interference here more than ever. Some switching power supplies and also plasma TV set throwing out spurs. I also use remote SDR receiver on the internet to hear some of my friends over East of me when I cant here them at my QTH. Ive though about using a loop antenna for RX for nulling out noise.
73s Ray. Take care. Keep you vids coming
The loop antenna is a good idea. So much noise here it drives me mad. More videos coming soon.
The business about the lights was funny. A friend of mine's mum had a washing machine that you could pick up Radio Moscow on - presumably somewhere around 41m, although we never fathomed out quite what caused it! :)
Great video Ray. I thoroughly enjoyed it, as per normal. Yes, please do make another one once you pull together enough material.
Thanks! More videos on the way.
Ray I have no idear what on earth your on about but I love listening to you,
Your legend.👍
I don’t know what I’m talking about, either! Happy days! Cheers, Ray.
Really interesting video, I enjoyed it a lot
Great days,nothing like a bit of nostalgia,keep the tales coming Ray!
Thanks!
I've watched your videos for a few years on and off, it would be great if there was someone like you near me to chat radios with. I'm an SWLer, and have a collection of radios which I use, I started with tuning around on my grans MW/LW/SW receiver.
Great to hear from you, Matt. I’m often on 25.555. It gets busy when conditions are right. I think the illegal to listen idea came from the 1960s when Radio Caroline and London were transmitting. The idea was to frighten people. Cheers, Ray.
Great!
I enjoyed that....so much of it similar to my journey starting around 1955. Those exotic names on radio dials....army surplus....many years as a radio tv engineer....73 de G4JVF
Happy days! I really miss them. Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Ray.
Lovely video Ray, I thoroughly agreed with so many things u said.. 4m around here "Poole" is very active too, but sadly I suffer horrendous QRM on it. Hope to catchup sometime on the IOW repeater. 73. 2e0vov
Yes, we'll catch up on IW some time. I often monitor the repeater when I'm in the shack.
Ahh, so great to hear your memories from the past Ray..
There's so many of us that lived and experienced similar stories from youth. I build my first small AM transmitter with an 6SN7 and a 6L6 with a 5Y3 rectifier when I was 13 y.o.
I managed to survive several HT shocks, mainly from discharging caps until I learned about 'bleeding' resistors! 😃
And, later on when the 807s and 6146s came into use, RF burns of my fingers were not uncommon. I loved looking at the 'arcs' when I touched the antenna output with my bare finger!
Anyway, always a pleasure to relate such old stories. Keep those videos coming Ray!
73's from Aus.
13 years old... there's nothing better than starting young! Well done.
You are soo right Ray.They were," The Good Old Days " . 73 and i love your stories,pretty much a mirror image of myself LOL :)
Thanks, it's nice to hear from you.
Thanks Ray, great video
Thanks!
Love then stories Ray keep them coming I'm a mechanical engineer and I work on Sunday when the factory isn't running so it's just me and another mechanic so u love listening to your stories in this time
That's great, thanks for commenting. More coming soon. Cheers, Ray.
Great story Ray, I enjoy listening to you talk about how things were years ago and building stuff.
A fair few old HAMS are on 11 meters where I live, regularly chat to them about building antennas and other radio things. They keep saying I should go for my foundation but I’m mostly a shortwave listener and there’s enough chat on CB/11 meters for me.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
CB is quite active here. There's a good crowd on ch 19.
Nice to hear about your fascinating journey into radio. I love these old stories Ray. I can relate to the interference on neighbours speakers when I used a long wire years ago. I think we all share some similar experiences to some degree. Your video brought some of my old memories back. Thanks for sharing 73...M0DAD David
Hi David, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Great memories and happy days.
Superb story Ray, reminds me of when I was a kid & my dad would also listen into the trawler band activity, that would have been on his CR 100 or AR-88, both of which I still have, although the CR 100 no longer works. I can just remember there was still a few of those Army & military surplus shops around Portsmouth in the early 80's. Going back a few more decades there would have been many more, in the early 1950s, my dad built a home brew TV using various army & navy radar units & associated equipment!
You've got a nice set up there in the workshop, Your CR 100 looks in great condition too!
Portsmouth would have been a great location for listening to the ships. Just over the water from Niton Radio. Cheers, Ray.
I really enjoyed your video thank you
Thanks!
I realy enjoyed watching your video it brings back memories for me hope to see more of your videos
John g0wzj
Thanks, glad you like the videos.
Magic times,...thx for sharing 😉
Ha, cool I been to Worthing, Link-Miles , been gone a long time now, cheers
Thanks!
Hi I still build radio gear, good videos many thanks.
I love to hear your stories Ray.. I remember listening to the big valve radio that had all the bands on it at my uncles house in the 60's when I was a kid.. So exotic.. all those foreign voices.. I used to dream of traveling the world.. But soon got involved with other things.. wish I had that radio at my home.. maybe I would have grown (like you did) to love the RF way.. Still I love old stories of our younger days.. carry on my friend.. and ramble to your hearts content.. I will always listen...
Happy days! I really miss them. More videos are on the way. Cheers, Ray.
Hi, great video, I've just lost my dad who was a G4 and I'm a 2E0, I wa hoping to do my last exam before dad passed away but life got in the way. I'm in the south of England not far from you and could do with some help with a particular radio if your interested. Dad had a stroke 3 years ago and developed vascular dementia, so by the time I bought this rig he was too far gone to help sadly, he would have loved to be involved to sort it out.
David
Hi David, sorry to hear about your dad. I don't carry out repair work on radios but I'm happy to answer any questions, if I can. Cheers, Ray.
@Radio Workshop
Hi Ray, it's not a repai. it's brand new, but I can't get it to work properly. It could be me or the radio, I just need some help determining which. If it's the radio, I can return it.
David
@@outbackmotorcyclesandengin867 OK, so what is the problem with the radio?
Dear Ray, please keep rambling on for another hour.
Incidentally, a friend and member of our local club is Peter, G8CUG - licensed just before you?
More ramblings on the way. Yes, I was G8CUH so just before me.
Some of us still build some of our own kit. I built a GS-35B linear amplifier, earlier in the year. Was that G4UPE on the web SDR? I've spoken to him on 60m many times.
I think it was G4UPE. Hope to hear you on 60m some time, Cheers, Ray.
What a good video thank you so much , currently im building your example of the G4NSJ dipole antenna (airband) would it be wise to put 2 ferrets in the pvc pipe at the bottom where the cables come in ?
Hi Stefan, Ferrite might help. It's certainly worth a try. Cheers, Ray.,
Well the problem with 80m today in the USA is its full of Free banders talking all kinds of profanity I'm talking all kinds of shit that reminds me of CB in the eighties
Such a shame.
@@g4nsj also Ray don't feel like your Rambling nonsense I'm a 30 years old and I love hearing about the old days and what you did I take all that info in and save it and learn also I Enjoy hearing you talk about whatever when it comes to radio keep these videos coming buddy
done the same makeimg a good 80 dipole square and vertical long dx made my day G7GRU
Excellent!
Great show thanks for sharing de 2e0ree
Thanks, Andy.
enjoyed!!! de KI7MJU
Thanks!
I truly love your energy when you talk about radio.. de KK4LGL DERRICK
Thanks Derrick. It's nice to hear from you. Cheers, Ray.