I got my Novice license Kn6SMD, when I was 13 while living in Covina CA. I made quite a few contacts on 40 meters with my Hallicrafters S40A and a home built 6L6 oscillator. My dad had a temporary consulting job in San Diego so I operated there for a month in the summer of ’56 in an apartment with an antenna strung around the ceiling. I remember working Kn6OBS who was pretty close to the apartment and I visited him a number of times. He had a Viking 2 and an NC-101X and a bamboo 15 M meter beam on the roof of his garage (which he turned with a rope). I was impressed with how well his NC101 worked and how many contacts he made on 15 (he must have been using a converter for 15). While I was in SD I passed my General exam just before I entered high school.
When my licenses (finally) arrived I immediately got on 40 meter phone by using an ACDC phono amplifier to screen modulate my 2 tube rig (6ag7 6DQ6)
In high school my dad bought me a used NC-173 from Henry Radio and I built an AM transmitter using a pair of 807’s with 1625 modulators. This was driven by a Meissner EX Signal-Shifter. I worked all over the world with 100W AM mainly on 10 and 15 , 20 AM wasn’t for us low power boys.
I did some experimenting with the SS barefoot. It put out about 5 watts + another 1/10th watt or so of harmonics. With the SS I worked quite a few guys on 15 CW as well as many TV sets.
I also used the barefoot SS with an audio amp plugged into one of the key jacks. I could talk across town to my friend Mike (K6SMB) on both 75 and 11 meters. We worked full duplex this way.
I built a lot more elaborate projects. I still have a few of these:
Some of my ham friends were Mike K6SMB (no longer licensed) , Sandy K6VWE, Walt K6STV, Andy K6RYN (now K6RY) and many more that have let their licenses expire.
more to come