I received a post-comment from John Boyd who mentioned that he recalled working a WN4SON back in the day. While I’ve misplaced my log and original license (I know they are packed in a box from one of my moves), I have never lost track of my QSL file box. Sure enough, I found John’s QSL card, which I’ve scanned to share:
WN4UFJ QSL from 1971 (front)
WN4UFJ QSL from 1971 (back)
This was a card confirming John’s first contact as a Novice. (My first QSO had happened just a couple of months prior. Back then my log was full of “Called CQ, no response”, or “Called WN4XYZ, no answer” entries, so I probably didn’t have a large number of contacts under my belt either. Note the Home Brew transmitter with 35 watts of input power (back then very few people had the capability of measuring SWR, let alone output power). And the 5 cent stamp catches my eye too!
This is the second time that I’ve run across a ham friend from the past. When I started these blog ramblings a couple of years ago, I never would have guessed that others might stumble across them. But it happens, and when it does, it is like opening a window to the sights and sounds of a simpler time that created many fond memories.
Sure enough, John and I both managed to upgrade our license and both are still active as hams today, 42 years later.
