By the time I finished my college days, there was a term "radio boy (a boy who builds his own radio using electronic components)" and "amateur radio" was considered the "king of hobbies".

In fact, until the mid-1990s, before cell phones became popular, those with amateur radio licenses were popular -- at ski resorts.

After all, only those with the license and a handheld radio could keep in touch with their friends scattered all over the ski slopes.

Although there was a type of radio that could be used without a license called civil radio (CB radio), the strength of the radio signal was so different that it was possible to communicate with a much wider range of people, which was one of the strengths of amateur radio.

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When I was in junior high school, the Ebata family was not a wealthy family, so I could not ask my parents to buy me a radio.

I spent my days looking at magazines (CQ magazine) and sighing.

So my parents asked me, 'How much are you going to charge?' I was really surprised.

I think I mentioned the price of a handheld radio (RJX-610), which was the least expensive at the time as a fixed device.

After that, I worked part time on my own to buy a cheap stabilized power supply that was just under the specified amount of current, and when it eventually proved to be useless, I was really frustrated.

From then on, I think I spent my days getting a cheap antenna and coaxial cable, and setting up the antenna at home by myself, and thinking "how to send the signal as far as possible".

To achieve this, I spent my days devising new antennae, making my own power supply, and so on.

I'm still frustrated that I couldn't get my hands on a directional antenna and a rotator to change the direction of the antenna -- I'd rather donate money to me as a child -- or rather, work with me to install the antenna.

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In addition, in order to extend the range of its radio waves, it also obtained a telegraph license -- the so-called Morse code communication.

However, even using Morse code, it was honestly difficult to communicate with out-of-prefecture with the handheld radio I had.

However, when a special ionosphere (sporadic E layer) that occurred locally and suddenly around 100 km above the sky mainly during the daytime from spring to summer occurs, my radio waves could reach distant areas due to ionospheric reflection.

When I received the call sign "JR6" in Morse code, I thought I heard it wrong, but my joy I felt when I received the signal "MI ADR NAHA" (this is Naha City) -- I am sorry but you probably don't understand.

I guess I should say, "The joy I feel, was more than getting a chocolate from a girl I liked for Valentine's Day".

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The question that always bothers me is, "What in the world makes you happy about that?"

In the absence of the Internet, the only way to communicate over long distances was "amateur radio", except for "telephone" calls, which were ridiculously expensive.

Having "the skills to transmit information over a great distance" was something to aspire to.

Even if the information was as trivial as exchanging call signs and exchanging addresses and one's name.

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My call sign at the time, in Morse code, was . --- . ... --- ... --. - ... ....

Incidentally, this Morse code was quite useful for more than just radio communication.

The "underlay with handwritten Morse code" had been especially effective during the periodic examinations.