W5SJC Lawrence L. 'Lyeal' Amos Bethany, OK QCWA # 30062 Chapter 63

I became interested in electronics in grade school and built some crystal radios and one-tube super-regenerative radios. Then I listened to people on the ham bands on a Zenith short-wave radio. In April 1953 while living in Iowa, I went to the FCC office in Kansas City where I took and passed the 5 wpm code test, the Novice exam and the Technician/General class exam. So my first licenses were a WN0NRZ Novice license and a W0NRZ Technician license. A few months later I went back to Kansas City and passed the 13 wpm code test and was upgraded to a W0NRZ General class license. When I moved to Oklahoma in April 1970 my General Class license was reissued as W5SJC. A few years later I passed the Advanced Class License test in Oklahoma City, and then in March 2000 I passed the test for Extra Class including the 20 wpm test, but the license was granted after only 5 wpm was required so it is not obvious I met the 20 wpm requirement.

While I was getting my BSEE at Iowa State University I bought a used car radio and converted it to a 6-meter 5-watt AM crystal controlled transmitter, along with a transistorized super-regenerative receiver with which I checked into a local weekly net. But for many years my favorite ham activity was operating CW with a home-built 35-watt transmitter and a National NC-125 receiver that I used while a Novice and continued using as a General. Eventually I used a Heath mobile 90-watt transmitter that I built for my CW contacts and the same receiver (I still have that old receiver and it still works.) When I moved to Oklahoma I expanded my interests to some HF SSB phone and to 2-meter repeater FM contacts. I continued building equipment, bought some commercial rigs, acted as net manager and net control on a 2-meter local net, and have been a Director for QCWA Chapter 63, and have done the website for some time. Amateur radio has been fun for me for these more than 60 years.

September 27, 2015