K5KV Benson J. 'Benny' Owens Star, TX A1-OP BUG # 2 DXCC (CW) (348/336) FISTS # 2397 FOC # 2043 SKCC # 1952S QCWA # 28006

I UPLOAD TO LOTW AND EQSL FREQUENTLY. PLEASE UPLOAD TO LOTW, IT’S FREE.

AS A SCHOOL KID MY JOB WAS TO WALK TO THE POST OFFICE AFTER SCHOOL BRINGING THE MAIL HOME. PASSING THE RAILROAD DEPOT TO AND FROM THE POST OFFICE, I HEARD THE TELEGRAPH SOUNDERS OPERATING. THE RAIL ROAD HAD FOUR TELEGRAPH LINE IN OPERATION. ONE WAS A WESTERN UNION LINE THAT THE OPERATOR LET ME PLAY WITH. THE OPERATOR WELCOMED ME TO VISIT OFTEN AND I WENT TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARY AND WROTE DOWN A COPY OF THE CODE HOPING TO LEARN ENOUGH TO GREET THE OPERATOR IN CODE.

ONE DAY I WAS PROUD OF MY SELF AND ASKED PERMISSION TO SEND ON THE WESTERN UNION LINE. SENDING “HELLO MR MARTIN” I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR THE WORDS “YOU LEARNED THE WRONG CODE, BOY.” UNTIL THAT MOMENT I HAD NO CLUE MORE THAN ONE MORSE CODE EXISTED.

MR. MARTIN WAS USING A GREY BASE VIBROPLEX ORIGINAL STANDARD MODEL BUG. ON HIS VACATION WEEKS, HE LOANED ME HIS BUG WHICH I HAD HOOKED TO A HOMEMADE SOUNDER OR A BUZZER. A FEW YEARS LATER I GOT A NOVICE HAM TICKET FOLLOWED THREE MONTHS LATER BY A GENERAL TICKET. A NEW GENERAL GOT HIS OWN FIRST BUG. A FEW MONTHS LATER MY FIRST VIBROPLEX, A GREY BASE LIGHTNING BUG.

I HAVE BEEN USING BUGS EVER SINCE AND YOU CAN SEE THE CURRENT THREE VIBROPLEX ORIGINAL STANDARD BUGS LIKE MR. MARTIN’S I USE TODAY ON QRZ.COM. I HAVE TRIED ALMOST EVERY BUG EVER MADE AND STILL LIKE THE FIRST BUG I EVER SAW. FANCY CHROME AND GOLD BUGS LOOK NICE BUT GREY BASE BUGS WORK BEST ON OUR DUSTY TEXAS RANCH

I WAS QSL MANAGER FOR SEVERAL STATIONS YEARS BACK BUT NO LONGER MANAGE QSL CARDS FOR ANYONE BUT MY OWN AND PREFER LOTW.

73, CW4EVER

BENNY K5KV

73

CW4EVER

July 2, 2022