Jim Young - VA7JY - NAQCC # 3082
Hi i'm Jim , VA7JY , # 3082. I got my license in 1970 at age 16. My first call was VE7AZO and I owned it for 30 years before changing it to my present callsign. Just after I got my license I built my first QRP xmtr. The plans came from Electronics illustrated magazine called the "Bare Essentials" transmitter by Jim White W5LET. This xmtr featured a 50C5 vacuum-tube final. The handful of other parts, resistors, capacitors, etc. I scrounged from other local hams with their blessing. This little xmtr worked very well on 40 meters. In just a couple of months I made 75 QSO's all over North America, and the best DX was ZL and KH6. I had a lot of fun building this xmtr and such fantastic experience making all those contacts. This little breadboard xmtr - I like to show it off to everyone and explain that I was only 16 years old when I built it. I'm still active today on CW but with a much more modern Icom xcvr, and an antenna at 100ft. But I am very interested in those TUNAFISH CAN transmitters and I may just build one next. I do believe CW is a fun pastime and QRP CW makes it even more fun and rewarding.