Jan Perkins, N6AW
(formerly WN6PNB, 1965)

In my own case the novice exam was administered at Scott Radio Supply in Long Beach.  A few weeks later, in May, 1965, WN6PNB arrived.  My electronics instructor in High School, Mr. McClenathan, gave me a Hammarlund SuperPro receiver (war surplus).  I found a schematic of it at the main library in downtown Long Beach, determined its power requirements, and built a power supply for it.  My transmitter was built from the 1964 ARRL handbook; 75 watts using a 6DQ5.  Over 90% of the components came from an old TV that I canibalized; meters, chassis, crystal & socket, etc. had to be purchased.  I was a novice three months before I passed the general exam.  In that time I worked 25 states and a very few countries.  Then with a pair of 813s from my instructor I built a 1-kW amplifier (another handbook design) with parts mostly from J.J. Glass surplus.  So I had a crystal-controlled kW for some months (usually 7010 or 14020 kHz).

In those days most TV repairmen were hams.  If you dropped by a broadcast station the chief engineer and many of the technicians were amateurs.  Ditto for electronics instructors.  So there was a large support group around available for ideas, technical advice, etc.

In my senior year I built the Heathkit SB-300 receiver and SB-400 transmitter.  Then I gave the SuperPro back to my instructor.  When I built a 4CX1000A linear amplifier I gave the 813s back also.