My first and most favorite hobby.

My first hobby, I remember, involved building various electronic projects (kits, etc.)

and experimenting a lot, in the field of electronics, back in the mid 70's. I used to experiment in Radio Control in small devices, like model cars, and always failed in these experiments. But it was in the experimenting and doing part which never seemed to fail me, as I kept on going from one project to the next, never really giving up.

The first thing I remember building successfully was a Power Supply, where I used pieces of wood to make the case and base with. The various discrete electronic components,

I mounted on a wooden base for this first project. My second project

from here was to redo my first project by placing all the components

in a metal case, and try and make this Power Supply, variable

(both for voltage and current). The basis or Circuits for all my

projects usually came from the then "Electronics Australia" magazine

which I used to buy quite often.

Through the 1970''s '80s and '90s, I build and tested, and experimented

with many different electrical and circuit designs, and systems. Some of these projects

and kits included Power Supplies, Battery Chargers, one basic Oscilloscope

(the kit for which my Dad discovered and sent away for in the U.K).

This Oscilloscope was successfully built and tested by my younger brother,

Christopher and myself. If I remember rightly, it took the two of us

about a year to complete, following all the instructions and doing all the

soldering that was required, back then, in the 70's

Other projects or kits I put together, included an Ultrasonic Car Alarm with

IR Remote Control, a Digital Logic Trainer & Analyzer, a 300W Inverter

and one of my favorites, a 2m 25watt Amateur Radio (HAM Transceiver).

I also remember, building different versions of some circuit designs,

and testing them, to see what results I would get. This I did, for example,

in quite a few of my Power Supply projects, I built.

Out of all my hobby experimenting with different electrical and electronic circuit diagrams, and systems, I noticed I was getting more and more

interest in one particular area and this was in Amateur HAM Radio.

Back in those days (this is now in the late 1990s) I could not afford

a full base station Amateur Radio Transceiver, the best I could do is

build the 2m 25watt Amateur Radio I mentioned above. This particular

HAM Radio I built, was the most complex kit I had put together,

up to that point, it was even more complex than the Oscilloscope.

All I could do was try and prepare myself for the then, Novice License exam

in Amateur Radio, if I was to even get to use the 2m 25watt HAM Transceiver

I had built.

This now brings me to the present time (19 July) where, I find myself

getting back to my days in HAM Radio, trying to learn as much about

the hobby as I can. I have already started preparing myself for the now

Foundation License in Amateur Radio - this will allow me a max. power

output of 10w on any HAM Transceiver I use, on the restricted HAM bands

frequencies which I was allowed to use.

Today (23 Oct 2018) I managed to get my Amateur Radio Foundation license.

I did very well on the Theory and Regulations, on the first go. However,

I didn't do so well on the Practical assessment, on the first go. So, on 23 Oct

I had to re-do the Practical assessment, and this time I did fine.

My new call-sign is VK2FHLP.

Kind regards,

Howard Pew.

19 July & 23 Oct 2018.