WI6R

Dave Bottom, WI6R, a second generation amateur radio operator, credits this early exposure to radio and spending his teenage years in Palo Alto, to a stint in the famous Hewlett Packard labs and a lifetime electronics career.  WI6R is a builder of his own rigs, kit rigs, and a restorer of popular vintage rigs.  Dave likes DX, QRP, and operating and is my QSO Today.

Dave’s QRZ page:  qrz.com/db/wi6r
Arlan Communications

Father: Austin Bottom, W6LEH, since 1936
First License: Age 13, 1962,  Novice, WB6BDA
First Rig: 
Heathkit AT-1 Transmitter
World Radio Labs Globe Chief Deluxe Transmitter
ARC-5 BC453 on 40 Meters
Current QTH:  Kingman, AZ

TERMS
Army Aircorps, WW2, Radar School
KPIX, Channel 5, San Francisco
Television Antenna Installation Boom Years
Sputnik, 1957
Palo Alto, California
QST Magazine
CQ Magazine
Popular Electronics Magazine
Crystal Radio Set
Raytheon Electronics, Palo Alto, California
Early Semiconductor History
CK722 Germanium Transistor
AM Radio CK722
1 Tube Receiver using 1S4 Tube
45VDC “B” Battery Vintage
Popular Mechanics Magazine
Sunnyvale, California
J Malan Heslop
Collins S Line
Fremont High School, Sunnyvale
Jean A “Doc” Gmelin W6ZRJ
Hewlett Packard, Summer jobs for family members
2 Meter AM Repeater
Bipolar Transistor
Radio Frequency Harmonics
FET, Field Effect Transistor
Motorola MPF102
Varactor Diode
Microwave Cavity
Charlie Trimble
Trimble Navigation
CAD – Computer Aided Circuit Board Design 
HP Signal Analyzer
Hewlett Packard Laboratories
Voltage Probe
VTVM, Vacuum Tube Volt Meter
Vietnam War Student Deferment
Stanford University
Burroughs B5500 Computer
HP5480 Signal Analyzer
United States Navy Electronics School, Memphis TN
Naval Air Station, Alameda, CA
Valley of Heart’s Delight
Fairchild Semiconductor
Stanford Research Park
Wiltron Test Equipment
Western Electric Company
Yaesu FT101ZD HF Transceiver
Yaesu FV-101 External VFO
HF Vertical Antenna
DXPacket Spotting Network
VHF SSB Operation
Central Electronics SSB Modulator
Swan HF Transceivers
Swan 240 HF Transceiver
Heathkit Mohawk and Apache
Heathkit SB-101 HF Transceiver
Vintage SSB Round Table
AGC- Automatic Gain Control
HP8640B Signal Generator
Tektronix 465 Oscilloscope
Owen Garriet, W5LFL
Space Shuttle
Yuma Hamfest
Cal Poly University, San Luis Obispo
Yaesu FT-1000MP
Stanford Research Institute
Weaver’s SSB Design

Greatest challenge facing amateur radio now: being relevant in today’s world. 

Excited most by: SDR, software defined radio, computers, sophisticated radio equipment that is easy to operate, and it performs better than the older radios. 

Advice to new or returning hams:  you don’t need to go out and purchase a brand new radio, focus on good antenna, and learn about local clubs and magazines.