SWL Report

[k4kyv]

Here is another SWL report from someone who says he heard me on the radio many years ago, and that helped motivate him to get his ham licence:

Dear Mr. Chester,  we have never worked each other via radio, but I wanted to share something with you.  I am 51 years old and early in my teenage years I became interested in radio and I saved some yard mowing money to purchase a Knight-kit StarRoamer shortwave receiver.  It was a four tube radio and covered the shortwave bands and of course the amateur bands.  It did not have a bfo to allow me to listen to ssb but only am.  Well there weren't many hams on am, but you were one of them I could always count on hearing! I remember you always had a very strong signal with great audio here in McMinnville.  Just wanted you to know I heard you many times back then and it encouraged me to continue on with my hobby eventually finding some local hams and getting my own ticket.  Your call just popped into my head and I was amazed I remembered.  I remembered your QTH was Woodlawn, Tennessee.
Thanks for having such a great signal and allowing a guy to get interested in radio.  I do some hf and 2meter/440 work.  It has never gotten old.  Hope you are still enjoying the hobby too!...

I seem to get these periodically.  AM is probably one of the best advertising media for ham radio there is.

[W1RKW]

I've never had the experience of someone telling me that I motivated them to get their license but for me it's just the reverse.

I've always had and interest in radio starting off with CB and listening to SW.  Sometime back in the late 70's when I was a teen I went on a ski trip and rented a condo for a week in northern Vermont with a bunch of my buddies.  As luck would have it the place happened to have this old wooden radio which had a SW band.  I flipped in on to see if it woulld work.  Sure enough it did.  I started tuning around in the 80m band area and lo and behold I'm listening to a bunch of AM'ers.  One AM'er who stood out was Henry-LR.  I think Tim had the strongest and nicest sounding signal. I don't remember who was in there at that time as it was a very long time ago but what stuck with me were the Tim-ism's.  I listened for a while then turned it off.  When I got home I bought a little SW radio.  From that point I was hooked.  It wasn't until 1982 that I finally landed the ticket.  I spent most of the years playing with CW and SSB but never stopped listening to the guys on AM.

So yes, AM is definitely a great way to advertise a mode.

If it wasn't for Tim and that gang that evening and AM in general I think I wouldn't be here right now typing this message. Thanks Tim.

[W1IA]

Here is another SWL report from someone who says he heard me on the radio many years ago, and that helped motivate him to get his ham licence:

Dear Mr. Chester,  we have never worked each other via radio, but I wanted to share something with you.  I am 51 years old and early in my teenage years I became interested in radio and I saved some yard mowing money to purchase a Knight-kit StarRoamer shortwave receiver.  It was a four tube radio and covered the shortwave bands and of course the amateur bands.  It did not have a bfo to allow me to listen to ssb but only am.  Well there weren't many hams on am, but you were one of them I could always count on hearing! I remember you always had a very strong signal with great audio here in McMinnville.  Just wanted you to know I heard you many times back then and it encouraged me to continue on with my hobby eventually finding some local hams and getting my own ticket.  Your call just popped into my head and I was amazed I remembered.  I remembered your QTH was Woodlawn, Tennessee.
Thanks for having such a great signal and allowing a guy to get interested in radio.  I do some hf and 2meter/440 work.  It has never gotten old.  Hope you are still enjoying the hobby too!...

I seem to get these periodically.  AM is probably one of the best advertising media for ham radio there is.

Very nice Don....people are always listening!

Brent W1IA

[The Slab Bacon]

I have gotten letters and other responses from SWLs, all which were a very positive experience. But the absolute best was when one looked me up on QRZ, then looked up my fone numba and called me on the telefonium to add some info to a technical conversation that I was having on the air! It was a very positive experience and he knew what he was talking about. I tried to talk him into getting a ticket, but he just didnt feel like learning the code.
                                                                                  The Slab Bacon

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

I had a ham call me on the phone recently to reply to some comments made in the QSO I was in at the time.    Ya never know who is listening.

[The Slab Bacon]

I had a ham call me on the phone recently to reply to some comments made in the QSO I was in at the time.    Ya never know who is listening.

Or Talking see my post in the tech section !!

                                                                                the Slab Bacon