Ham Radio operators were the only link available during several battles of the Pacific during WWII. The Australian Coast Watchers, who were among the bravest individuals on the planet at the time, used HAM radio to communicate with US armed forces and pinpointed Japanese ships and armadas passing through the Tonga Straits, which led to the demise of one of Japan's largest battleships. Australian Coast Watchers and Ham Radio were a key ingredient to the US winning WWII. (I'm old - that's why I know this stuff! )

My greatest achievement in HAM radio, IMO, was when I constructed a single 6L6 transmitter that put out just 2-watts and was able to communicate with another HAM guy in Soviet Russia. In order to do this, I had to string a 161-foot, long-line antenna from the peak of our roof to a tree-top in the nearby wooded area. A couple days later, the antenna was struck by lightning and destroyed both my transmitter and receiver. I served newspapers and circulars for six months and was able to purchase a Halicrafters SX28. It was the neatest thing I ever saw, back then.



Those were the days, my friends, I thought they'd never end,

Gary

Gary