When I was a young boy of about 13, I happened upon a Lafeyette portable transistor radio that my Mom gave to my father as a Christmas gift.  As my father was a "tile setter", the radio was covered in cement, glue and tile grout.  The antenna was missing three or four sections and was in terrible condition, primarily because he kept it in his tool box.

Bored one fall evening, I took the radio outside and, sitting on the front steps of my house, turned it on.  It was tuned to a local AM station that played adult standards, music to help him through his otherwise arduous work day.  As I fiddled with the controls I discovered a band selector switch.  I changed bands and slowly rotated the tuning knob.  There was no indication that the radio was changing stations as the internal string had broken some time earlier.

As I was went through the radio's full spectrum of Am and FM, I changed the tuning selector to SW, not really knowing what to expect.  Slowly turning the small thumb-wheel and listening intently, it only took a few seconds before my life would be impacted in a way I could not begin to comprrhend..  There, out of the static, came a voice in a language I was pretty sure to be Spanish!!!!  In a radio world where Spanish broadcasts were virtually unknown in suburban Long Island, I was listening to a station from another part of the world...ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD!!!  And I was listening to this revelation on a portable radio with a broken antenna, broken tuning string, more dents than our Ford Country Squire, covered in enough adhesive products to tile a hospital!

I will never forget that night, but there seemed a lifetime between then and having the ability to afford anything more than that "little radio that could". 

I was married and still living on Long Island.  My father-in-law developed an interest in electronics and radio as a hobby, and undertook a full Heathkit Electronics Course in his attempt to obtain his amateur radio license.  Unfortunately he had a severe hearing disability and his frustration kept him from the ham radio ranks.  Never one to give up, he became very active in 11 meters and developed life long freinds as a result.  His generousity and desire to promote his new hobby prompted him to purchase a Radio Shack CB radio, modifiable, of course, to 11 meters and an antenna which he presented to me as a birthday gift.  We spent many hours talking with each other and other members of the "freeband".  he went on to purchase some very expensive equipment to use on 11 meters, including a modified Kenwood TS-820S.  When he passed, my mother-in-law made a deal with me.  "Pass the examination for your amateur radio license, and dad's radio equipment will be yours".

Well...to make a long story longer, here I am. KB2COP and proud to be a licensed ham radio operator.  My "Radio Links" page has links to some of my favorite radio-related sites.  My "Photos" page displays pictures of some of my equipment, although I am ALWAYS selling and purchasing, so what you see today might not be mine tonight!

Thanks for visiting and I hope you enjoy your stay.

John Schneider, KB2COP