My entry into physics was a blend of astronomy and electronics. I grew
up in a small town in eastern Nebraska. There were few street lights
(in the 50's and early 60's) and little light pollution to hinder my
view of stars. I also spent some summers at a location where there
were no street lights. My interest in astronomy led me to a
physics/astronomy major and Ph.D. Our high school science teacher
required students to work on a project. I was interested in radio due
to listening to KDKA AM (from Pittsburgh) at night at my eastern
Nebraska location. For my project I assembled a Knight shortwave radio
from a kit. It didn't work after my poor soldering job, but a local
HAM operator my father knew helped me track down the poor connections
to get it in working order. After grad school I found the time to get
my Advanced license (KD0WG). But I sold my equipment to buy computer
equipment in the early 1980's and only use my ham license for local (2
meter) communication now.
Greg Clements
Midland Lutheran College
Fremont, Nebraska