My mother worked at the laundry. I was only eight years old and they didn't want me to stay in the house by myself. They thought I would get into trouble. They were probably correct. So they took me to the laundry and ordered me to sit in a metal chair for hours.
For an eight year old, this was torture. So my father dug up a copy of the Amateur Radio Relay League (now called the American Radio Relay League) handbook for amateur radio operators. He gave it to me to read to alleviate the boredom. It was very interesting, but mostly over my head. But I learned about simple things like Ohm's Law, capacitive and inductive reactance, and resonance. Beyond that, my brain had to grow a bit more to take it all in.
When I was age nine I built electronic projects on a square-foot board. This was before transistors, so I used three vacuum tubes. One was an OZ4, a full-wave, gas power rectifier in a metal can. I don't recall the types of the other two tubes.
When I was 13, my father was taking electronics classes in Richmond, going to night school there. I asked him if I could go. He said it would be okay. So we attended class together. I took all the exams, and my grades were generally in the "B" category. You had to be age 16 to officially enroll in the class, so I received no credit for attending, but the class was interesting and I learned many things.
Also at age 13, I took the amateur radio license test and I passed it. So I began operating my own amateur radio station. I used Morse code, not spoken language, to communicate.
When I was 13, my father was taking electronics classes in Richmond, going to night school there. I asked him if I could go. He said it would be okay. So we attended class together. I took all the exams, and my grades were generally in the "B" category. You had to be age 16 to officially enroll in the class, so I received no credit for attending, but the class was interesting and I learned many things.
Also at age 13, I took the amateur radio license test and I passed it. So I began operating my own amateur radio station. I used Morse code, not spoken language, to communicate.
Also at age 13, I delivered the morning newspaper and spent two afternoons and a Saturday morning collecting payment for the papers and the delivery, so 13 was a busy age for me.
I wonder what 13 year olds do these days.
1 comment:
Greetings
Your training surely started early for the electronics field. It sounds like your Dad was a very smart man and he sure raised one too.
But you must have had an amazing appetite for learning over and above his help. I can't imagine wanting to read those manuals at such a young age.
However, I remember my early school days -- I loved reading and doing my homework. I remember spending hours in the library picking up the classics. At a very early age I read The Agony and The Ecstasy -- but now I can't even remember anything about it. I read The Grapes of Wrath -- same -- I imagine if I picked it up now --I would not even like it.
Nevertheless, I was a ferocious reader of all kinds of genres. But it did not yield the type of helpful information in my life that your electronics reading did in yours.
Great stories -- thanks for sharing.
Best, LL
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