Amateur Radio

 

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Little Piggy Mic.

I studied Science in two-yeared high school, although my favorite subjects were languages.  No doubt that I got grade C in almost all the science subjects (only 1 B) but A in all others. 

When I knew that I would go to the Communication Art in the university, I dropped all the science subjects to spend the time studying what I needed to pass the entrance examination.

The place I like the most was under the pine tree beneath a small pond in front of the study building.  One day, while reading a book, s piece of chalk fell from the 4th floor of the building.  I looked up.  The Hydro Static teacher was standing there.  He was the invited teacher from the soldiers’ school.  He shouted to me.

“Hey Leader, come back to the class”

 I was the leader of the class.  I tried to tell him that I had dropped the subject but he insisted me to come up to the class.  He said,

“Although you have dropped, I won’t let you miss my class.  You must study. OK?” 

What can I say?  This is the only science subject that I got B any way..

I was and I am not good at math since I was young.  I could understand all kind of subjects so far as there was not math concerned.  So all kinds of static, electromagnetic, physics, calculating chemist, were getting through my brain like Mercury, no trail left.

You might understand the reason I considered myself very clever to understand that V=IR, or how to calculate the wave lenge to make an antenna..

One day, one of those who went to buy the radio in Singapore together had called me.  They were going to build a Slim JIM antenna at a place not so far from my house.  I went to join them. 

I looked closely the way they build the antenna and some other things.  I did not understand about the antenna at all but it was fun to see.  I watched a friend tapped the coil of the telescopic antenna.. and asked all kind of silly questions. [for example, ‘can we make the antenna from fork and spoon?’]

I had astonishingly seen for the fist time the tiny condenser mic and was excited to see such a tiny switch.  I had learned how the switch could made the circuit on and off..

Next Sunday, I was very brave to go to the electronic shop alone to buy a mic, switch and mic jack.  The shop was very far from my house.

I came back home, trying to make my own microphone for my IC-02N. Ah ha, it worked.  Wow, how I was proud of myself.  I looked around, finding something to hold the mic.

There it was.. My little piggy mic.  You had to squeeze its tummy and talked to its nose.

That was the first toy of a YL, and this simple little thing was the first step of electronic interest.  However, I have never been good in electronic so far.

I brought more of the mics, switches and jacks, and played with what the put them in.  I made a smiling monk with plaster and put the mic inside and the tiny switch at the naval.
I then put the jack into the mic socket of the radio.  I was on the air right away without touching the switch.  There must be something wrong.  What a pity..

But to my surprised, it worked fine after it dried.. Oh.. because the plaster was still wet so it was shot circuit.. That was my second electronics lesson.

I tried to paint it colorful so that it would not look so similar to a monk but it was still similar so I did not use it.

Making a microphone gave me quite a funny imagination.  I’d like to make a mic in something that looked like sandwich with one bite, so that when I talked in the car, people might think I was chewing.. hi hi

My favorite mic was put in Yakult bottle.  It was light and easy to be held in the hand and easy to pressed the PTT switch.

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We had hams’ trip one day.  My car was in the middle of the line of almost a hundred cars.  The frequency was unusually quiet until I put my handbag to the back seat.  The voice of HS1HB, RAST’s president at that time came out clearly.

“HS1ASC, you have been accidentally on the air for 10 minutes.  Mind your keying..”

How lucky I did not say anything bad about anyone and no conversation that would embarrassed me more than that carelessness.

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