"The Breakfast Club"

[WA3VJB]

0915 GMT weekday mornings, 3705Kc

If you're up late or up early, 4:15am EST, will be having first coffee and seeing what the band's doing.

Starting Nov. 8

[AL7FS]

Wow, I keep forgetting what a good time I used to have on the Breakfast Club as a new ham in 1965-1966.  I have lived in Alaska now since 1978 and cannot hear the net on my antenna system.  This also reminds of the times I ran net control for the Midcars net on 40 meters.  Yep, good times.

73, Jim Larsen
Anchorage, Alaska
ex-WAØLPK from Atlantic, Ames and
Iowa City, Iowa 1965-1971

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Wow! People actually get up that early. I'm glad I'm retired. I don't even set the alarm anymore.

[KB2WIG]

" Wow! People actually get up that early "

In some counties, the bars close at 4AM. Not that I would know too much 'boute that.

klc

[KX5JT]

" Wow! People actually get up that early "

In some counties, the bars close at 4AM. Not that I would know too much 'boute that.

klc

Bars CLOSE?  I'm sorry.

[Opcom]

" Wow! People actually get up that early "

In some counties, the bars close at 4AM. Not that I would know too much 'boute that.

klc

Bars CLOSE?  I'm sorry.

When in Europe they'd feed us dinner at 9 PM and keep us up till 1 AM. It's their custom to run into the late hours. Eating their hearty suppers, I could not sleep until late anyway. It was pleasant though to be up talking half the night away with colleagues.

[WA3VJB]

Success !

Nothing quite like a crisp, starry, pre-sunrise morning to walk out back with that first cup of hot coffee, fresh ground whole beans, of course, hit the PLATE switch and watch the signal come up.

And yeah, there was a combination of people who had been up very late, and those who were getting up very early.

Ran across George, K2XL who I haven't talked with in a couple years, 15+ on a 990 @ 20W.  He's into banquet photography using big old film cameras, and was just coming in from a shoot in Manhattan.

Also had Ralph, W3GL, who not only had years of using the same photographic gear, but did so when the stuff was new !

Me, I was able to contribute an old photo from The Rolling Rock Hour at Gaithersburg about a dozen years ago, where George was next to TimTron as I stood on the roof of Norm's truck to take a wideshot of the huge gang.  I forgot to bring a flash sync cord, and manually opened the shutter, left it open, and manually triggered the flash. A classic.


And to Jim --

Wow, I keep forgetting what a good time I used to have on the Breakfast Club as a new ham in 1965-1966.

Do you have the history of the group that issued that certificate?  I got the idea of the current "Breakfast Club" from the name of a VOA shortwave program I used to listen to in the early 1970s.  It was the middle of the night here, but early mornings in Europe, the target audience for the SW broadcast. Always thought it was a neat name, and I used it when Dave, W4QCU and Mike, N8ECR used to meet up around 4am Eastern on 3880Kc.

[K5UJ]

Heavens, surely you all have heard of The Breakfast Club carried on NBC from the Mart (Merchandise Mart) in Chicago and starring Don McNeil?  At one time it was THE show for a Chicago PR flack to book talent on to promote some book, show, movie what have you....they had a theme song--the show started with the cast marching around the breakfast table (there was a real breakfast table style set with a studio audience IIRC), and singing the theme song.  It was broadcast locally on WLS I think.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_McNeill%27s_Breakfast_Club

Nothing beats LIVE radio with a studio audience and give and take between the host and the audience and as far as I know one of the few if not the only, currently running nationwide shows like that is Michael Feldman's Whad'ya Know? broadcast from a theater in Madison Wisc. on Saturday Mornings from 10 a.m. to noon Central time and carried on public radio stations around the country.  It is excellent great Wisconsin style radio and far surpasses that comedy panel show on NPR.

[AL7FS]

WA3VJB - Do you have the history of the group that issued that certificate?

I thought the current Breakfast Club was the Old Breakfast Club.  Apparently that is not the case.  For history I would recommend seeing if any of the charter members listed on the certificate are still alive.  I was 17-18 years old and did not pay much attention to how the Club was started. 
From QRZ, these are the only two still listed from the certificate.  I leave further research to you.

K9CIL  86 years old          K9COB 86 years old
CHATHAM, IL 62629         Sullivan, IL 61951

I would be interested to hear if you learn anything.

73,  Jim, AL7FS

[AL7FS]

I just noticed
from QRZ
WA9ARY Age 84   SPRINGFIELD, IL 62703-4646

He was the one who signed the certificate.

Jim, AL7FS

[WA3VJB]

Thanks, Jim, I'll try to find some references as to whether the WAS-related "Breakfast Club" is still around. I'd like to tip my hat and say there's a gathering by the same name on the air hoping to continue the camaraderie.

A bunch of events and activities have called themselves "The Breakfast Club," over the years, including the iteration from the Voice of America, which was my first knowledge of the name.

The VOA's version seems like what we do on AM, various people stopping by, sitting around, all experts on whatever the topic happens to be, discussing various points. 

The early morning hour just gets the brain going, as far as I'm concerned, powered by COFFEE, good signals, and enjoyable discourse.

[KB2WIG]

'   Bars CLOSE?  I'm sorry.  "


No more batwings for the front door.......



klc

[k4kyv]

The old Breakfast Club had an annual hamfest somewhere in central Illinois, but I forget the name of the town.  They called it the Breakfast Club Picnic.  I attended a couple of times.  That was back when even a small hamfest would loads of goodies, a program and good social ambiance. One of the years I attended they had an ARRL presence with a Royal Order of the Wouff-Hong initiation or something like that. 

[AL7FS]

k4kyv

I find it interesting to hear tidbits about that time period.  I never got to attend events in the 60s and 70s.  College and early days of my Air Force career seemed take up all the time.  Now that I am getting back into BAs, I sure wish it wasn't over 1400 miles just to get to Seattle by airplane.

Thanks for posting your memories.

Jim, AL7FS
ex-WAØLPK

[VE3LYX]

So I am up, tuned in, and waiting. Got 4.85 watts of homebrew AM. Where did everybody go?
Don VE3LYX

[WA3VJB]

Hey Don, I probably could have heard you !
Slept in this morning.

I'll be around on 80, 40 and 10 today/Friday.