Like it's 1978

Cleaning the garage, I found this photo of me in my radio shack in 1978.

It was strictly a VHF and UHF operation back then. On the desk was a Gonset Communicator 2-meter AM transceiver (that I have no recollection of owning!), a Motorola UHF commercial transceiver converted for 450 MHz FM and an ICOM IC-230 2-meter FM mobile transceiver (under the antenna rotor control box).

On the shelf was a Wilson 2-meter handheld that was responsible for kicking off my ham radio writing career. I added the Touch-Tone pad to the Wilson and wrote a how-to article that Wayne Green, W2NSD, published in 73 Magazine.

Next to my knee was a Gonset 2-meter 500-watt amplifier. My fledgling beer can collection was on the shelf behind the Wilson.

I still own the Heathkit SWR/power meter and the table under the amp. Everything else is long gone. (Wish I still owned the amp!)

CHOU

Added CHOU to my AM/MW log. On graveyard 1450 kHz transmitting 1000 watts from Montreal, 269 miles to the north. ICOM IC-R8600 was the receiver, Hy-Gain 18AVT/WB-A vertical was the antenna.

One Extreme to Another

My newest loggings present one extreme to another — an FM station 28 miles away and an AM station 1003 miles away.

WGSK on 90.1 MHz transmitting 77 watts from South Kent, CT, 28 miles to the west-northwest.

WEBC on 560 kHz transmitting 5,000 watts from Duluth, MN, 1003 miles to the west-northwest.

Both received on my ICOM IC-R8600 receiver, WGSK with my ICOM AH-7000 discone antenna, WEBC with my HyGain 18AVT/WB-A vertical antenna.

What I'm Reading Now

New York City AM radio has a presence in my neck of the woods. So over the years at different times, I have been a regular listener of WABC, WCBS, WFAN, WINS, WOR and WNBC—AM stations whose daytime and nighttime coverage area included my hometown, Waterbury, Connecticut and thereabouts.

Being a New York City radio fan as well as a student of radio history, I purchased The Airwaves of New York, subtitled Illustrated Histories of 156 AM Stations in the Metropolitan Area, 1921-1996 as soon as I saw it while book browsing books on Amazon recently.

The first chapter of the book concentrates on the history of AM radio in New York City and briefly touches upon the history of FM radio and television.

The second chapter describes the history of each AM station that operated in New York City between 1921 and 1996... 156 stations from WAAM to WZRC. (The book was published 20 years ago, so the history after 1996 is not covered.)

The book is well illustrated with photos of the radio stations and the people who staffed the stations.

I enjoyed reading the book and recommend it.

1600 x 2

Logged two new stations on 1600 kHz last night.

WKWF in Key West, Florida, transmitting 500 watts, 1282 miles to the south-southwest at 0350 UTC

WEJS in Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, transmitting 20 watts, 226 miles to the west-southwest at 0358 UTC

Equipment used: ICOM IC-R8600 receiver and 80-meter inverted Vee antenna.

I heard other stations on 1600 around the same time including a French language station, but I was unable to identify them.