01/05/2005 | WB This year I carefully dug the Novice Transmitter out of the closet which my Dad and I built in 1970.
We carefully followed an old January 1957 QST, to build Lew McCoy's "6L6GBs in a 2-Stage Novice Rig". Parts for the power supply came from an old 40's Wurlizer Juke Box. Many parts were donated by local Hams around my small town of O'Neill Nebraska. Some came by mail order from the old Lafayett Radio Electronics store. We fabricated the shielding enclosure from a flat sheet
of aluminum from the local hardware store, etched it to a bright
surface, and then sealed it with clear paint.
At the age of 13, I learned about Hi Voltage, winding coils,
the math behind meter shunts, hot soldering irons, dangerous chemicals, and the excitement of making a contact with a bunch of parts that once stood loose on a work bench. It was a joy to use the old rig this year, which gladly came to life for SKN2005, adding a few more hours to it's already dedicated service during my 2 years as a Novice.
The accompanying photo shows the Novice Rig (up front on the right) and the Signal Electric Mfg. Co. Key (to the left).

-- WB