I'm 70 years old and have been around Monitoring since I was 5 years old, listening to an old stand-up floor model Shortwave receiver. I happened upon it because I was staying at an uncle's house one day while the rest of my family was at a funeral. That day was Rainy, so as a Kid who had to find something to occupy me, and keep me from worrying everyone in the boarding house they owned and ran. My uncle showed me to a room off the main entryway, and in the corner stood this big old radio. Now, at home or my grandparents' house, I was NOT allowed to Monkey with the Radios or TV. But he steered me right toward it, saying that he was going to show me something. He went outside on the big wraparound porch and grabbed a wire he had hanging on a nail on one of the columns and pushed it through a tiny hole in the screen window. Back inside, I watched intently as he attached it to a screw on the rear of the radio console. There was already one on another screw. I asked why the new wire. He told me the one wire was allowed to stay attached because it was a ground wire. I had No Idea what that meant. He said my Aunt would not allow the antenna wire that went out to the old clothesline might bring lightning into the house. He said this was a Spring rain and not a Thunderstorm, so he knew she would not mind, especially if it kept me out from under her feet. As soon as he connected the wire, there was lots of noise coming from the big speaker in the lower half of the cabinet. He promptly turned the Volume down to a dull roar. Then he began to tune the knob that made the big dial needle move. He went up and down the dial, not hearing much other than various noises. He then turned another knob that clicked, and he started tuning again, this time getting several stations, some with folks talking and some music. He told me that this was the Broadcast Stations and that they had different things on them, like we had heard all sent out just for people to listen to. He then informed me that he was going to go back up to the other band, as he called it, where we could listen for POLICE calls! WOW, he had my young attention, REAL Police just like on TV or in the Movies, I was hooked! As he gently tuned the needle, we heard someone talking. He tuned slowly back and forth, getting the signal louder and clearer. Once he had the radio tuned, I sat glued to it for an extended time. My Aunt came in with a plate of food for me for lunch and a big glass of sweet tea. She placed it on a folding TV Table tray so I could stay right by the big radio. I was soon to learn that we were listening to the Atlanta, Georgia, Police Department. That was 2 or 3 hours away, I had been there several times with my parents, and even ridden there on the Train with my Grandmother to visit her Sister. I had no idea where the streets and other locations were that the man kept talking about, but it sure was interesting to listen to. As I said, I was HOOKED! As the day wore on I tired of listening to the same thing. My uncle came in and showed me more about the big radio, saying that it was ok for me to tune around and hunt for other things to listen to. He even showed me that there were 2 other bands on the radio that said on the dial there were Ships and foreign Countries. Now, I did not know much about any of that at my young age, but I did know what Big Ships were and understood that they went on oceans and up and down the Tennessee River just 25 miles north of me. So tune I did, up and down the bands and from band to band. I heard many things that day, most all new to my young ears. The Idea that my Uncle or his wife had to set me in front of the big console radio worked wonderfully for them that day. They did not have me underfoot asking questions all that day, and it started a lifelong obsession with me. In fact it has led me on amazing adventures into a fantastic career that takes me on adventures almost every week. It led me to become a Communications Engineer. I was just in Texas this past week, where the terrible floods happened. In the past, it has taken me to Oak Ridge, Tennessee working as an Electronics Communications Scientist. I've worked as an Engineer for Westinghouse Nuclear, doing design for the Communications systems for Nuclear Power plants, not only all over our nation but all over the world. I have designed and built Cellular Phone Systems. I've designed, built, and licensed various Wireless systems for our nation's Railroad, systems including Positive Train Control that safely controls trains should the Engineer be incapacitated. When that assignment was finished, I worked with one of the world's leading Aerospace companies, building Ground and Space-based communications systems, including specialized Antennas for those applications. Some of these systems are situated around the world, even in Alaska and Antarctica. Even when I am not working I am involved with radio as a Licensed Amateur Radio Operator, a HAM for short. I continue today to design and build new antennas and other equipment as a hobby.
Laurin WB4IVG 73
