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It took over 30 years for Peter to get his ticket. Growing up in Boston, he
was mesemerized by the people he heard talking on his fathers short wave radio.
He didn't know at the time, but he had stumbled upon an AM chat on 80 meters in
western Massachusetts. He was hooked, hook, line and sinker.
No one else in the family even had the smallest inkling as to what this was. So
he had to wait until high school. he found out a lot more, but also got swept
up in the cb craze although not in the traditional modes. You see, Peter is
always a tinkerer. Before CB, he was working on old tvs, restoring old radios
and the like. Once he even taped a fax transmission and played it back to a old
western union fax machine he bought from a surplus store. Boy he was suprized
to find out it was a weather map. Ther drum was spinning and the spark kept
generating the image (it was a very old fax machine!) Deeper and deeper he
went!
In high school and without a drivers license, no one was able to help with
code, so Peter went to CB instead. At first with an old crystal controlled 5
watt Johnson transceiver and then eventually to the Johnson viking and valiant
transmitters. Lets face it, the output from 3 6146B's is a force to be reckoned
with on any band!
Soon CB fell by the wayside for love and I'm sure you know the rest. Now as his
kids have grown up, POeter has found the time to return to one of his first
passions. He aced the technician exam and was pressed into taking the genearal
theory, he passed that too!
Although still not knowing the code, Peter is studying and listening to tapes
know. never in his wildest dreams did he expect to pass the general theory
test.
As is with most, there is always a mentor. Peter's was Larry Wood, K1UDT, a
silent key since 1975. He saw the potential in Peter and helped nurture it and
make it strong. A man of many talents, he was an accomplished engineer, pilot
and ham. He helped many, not just Peter. He spent time teaching theory, how to
video tape, how to do oscar work and so much more a teenager needs to stay on
the straight and narrow. This licens is a tribute to him. Larry, you made a
difference, you are sorely missed.
When not listening to the radio, Peter is an accomplished realto in the SE
Michigan area. His hope is to eventually save up enought to put a 2 meter rig
in his car. he has lots of time to rag chew between showing houses. Feel free
to reach him at pete@petemaxfield.com!
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