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<blockquote data-quote="Vipersan" data-source="post: 852662" data-attributes="member: 325666"><p>Oh ..boy ..</p><p>This will dredge up a few memories.</p><p>Took the RAE exam whilst still at school ..and eventually passed ...night school classes with many others ..but I was the only kid...</p><p>I even began to learn Morse ...and got my send speed up to about 20 WPM ..but never managed to read at more than 8 or 10 ..</p><p>All wasted though ..as I was heavily involved with a group of Pirates ..</p><p>We numbered over 24 at the peak ...and I'll never forget being on my homebrew rig chatting to a guy in scandinavia below medium wave ..</p><p>and just a bit higher than the marine distress frequency ..when my bedroom door opened ..and in came 2 guys and a policeman ...whereupon they charged me under the official secrets act ..</p><p>Back then it was the GPO that did this tracking and charging.</p><p>I was sh!tting myself ..when my dad lightened the mood and made the policeman laugh by saying ..'there you go son ..your first brush with British Democracy'..</p><p>Well ..I never did get my licence/callsign...as somehow it lost it's allure after that ..</p><p>I went to court ..where I was up in front of the beak ..and terrified ..</p><p>Yes I cried ...more for all the gear I'd bought or constructed ..and thought never to see again..</p><p>Some of it I did actually get back ..</p><p>My R209 ex military reciver ahem ..classed as portable ..if you were built like Geoff Capes ..that is ..</p><p>..and my Ex Navy WW2 Cr100 ..which was refurbished fully about 10 years ago ..and still works perfectly.</p><p>I was fined £5 for the first offence ..and £10 for the second ..plus court costs.</p><p>My dad made me pay it back ..all of it ...and twas a helluva lot of money back then ..</p><p>I hadn't started work yet ..and my first weeks wages was only £12</p><p>Half of which I had to 'tip up' for my keep.</p><p>So ..I never got a licence ..and migrated to CB ..</p><p>I wanted and eventually got a Colt210 ..imported from the USA in somebodies suitacase ...</p><p>I invested in a DV27 Twig and a SWR meter ..</p><p>..and I was back on air..</p><p>I spent many hours up at night ..chatting ..and turning up for school with my eyes propped open with matchsticks..</p><p>Falling asleep in class etc..</p><p>Of course these Early days of CB used AM rigs ..and again ..totally illegal in the UK ..but eventually enough pressure was put on the govt of the day ..and we got our own CB band (27mghz) ..BUT ..FM not AM..</p><p>The reason ...less interferance to TV and radio users ..so ..I had to save up again ..and get an FM rig..</p><p>...Later in life I discovered Satellite ..which in the early days was resticted to the wealthy wadded ...as equipment cost in the £1000s ..but Rallies provided access to much sought after gear at prices even I could afford ...</p><p>Tech has been my life ...and still is ..</p><p>Once hooked ...you spend the rest of your life dangling on that wire.</p><p>From repairing TV's as a saturday job aged 11...and still doing it at 57 ..and all the years in between ..</p><p>For me it's a passion ...a hobby ...and a living .</p><p>One things for sure ..it keeps the grey matter ticking over ..cos there's ALWAYS something new to grab you by the neurons ..and squeeze your creative juices.</p><p>rgds</p><p>VS</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Vipersan, post: 852662, member: 325666"] Oh ..boy .. This will dredge up a few memories. Took the RAE exam whilst still at school ..and eventually passed ...night school classes with many others ..but I was the only kid... I even began to learn Morse ...and got my send speed up to about 20 WPM ..but never managed to read at more than 8 or 10 .. All wasted though ..as I was heavily involved with a group of Pirates .. We numbered over 24 at the peak ...and I'll never forget being on my homebrew rig chatting to a guy in scandinavia below medium wave .. and just a bit higher than the marine distress frequency ..when my bedroom door opened ..and in came 2 guys and a policeman ...whereupon they charged me under the official secrets act .. Back then it was the GPO that did this tracking and charging. I was sh!tting myself ..when my dad lightened the mood and made the policeman laugh by saying ..'there you go son ..your first brush with British Democracy'.. Well ..I never did get my licence/callsign...as somehow it lost it's allure after that .. I went to court ..where I was up in front of the beak ..and terrified .. Yes I cried ...more for all the gear I'd bought or constructed ..and thought never to see again.. Some of it I did actually get back .. My R209 ex military reciver ahem ..classed as portable ..if you were built like Geoff Capes ..that is .. ..and my Ex Navy WW2 Cr100 ..which was refurbished fully about 10 years ago ..and still works perfectly. I was fined £5 for the first offence ..and £10 for the second ..plus court costs. My dad made me pay it back ..all of it ...and twas a helluva lot of money back then .. I hadn't started work yet ..and my first weeks wages was only £12 Half of which I had to 'tip up' for my keep. So ..I never got a licence ..and migrated to CB .. I wanted and eventually got a Colt210 ..imported from the USA in somebodies suitacase ... I invested in a DV27 Twig and a SWR meter .. ..and I was back on air.. I spent many hours up at night ..chatting ..and turning up for school with my eyes propped open with matchsticks.. Falling asleep in class etc.. Of course these Early days of CB used AM rigs ..and again ..totally illegal in the UK ..but eventually enough pressure was put on the govt of the day ..and we got our own CB band (27mghz) ..BUT ..FM not AM.. The reason ...less interferance to TV and radio users ..so ..I had to save up again ..and get an FM rig.. ...Later in life I discovered Satellite ..which in the early days was resticted to the wealthy wadded ...as equipment cost in the £1000s ..but Rallies provided access to much sought after gear at prices even I could afford ... Tech has been my life ...and still is .. Once hooked ...you spend the rest of your life dangling on that wire. From repairing TV's as a saturday job aged 11...and still doing it at 57 ..and all the years in between .. For me it's a passion ...a hobby ...and a living . One things for sure ..it keeps the grey matter ticking over ..cos there's ALWAYS something new to grab you by the neurons ..and squeeze your creative juices. rgds VS [/QUOTE]
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