Oct 1980

Description

A woman adjusting her amateur shortwave radio, about to speak into the microphone. This photograph shows Valda Trenberth using her Kenwood shortwave radio in October 1980. Her 'call sign' was VK3VUO, and next year Valda received her full call sign VK3DVT. Valda could speak to her sister Marlene (call sign VK5QO) and Marlene's husband Brian (call sign VK5CA), and to others all around the world. Users could talk all hours of day or night, for as long as they wanted, but you never knew who was listening in. To use amateur radio, Valda, Marlene and Bill had to pass official exams. According to Marlene, quite a lot of people don't get their full call sign even now. Valda had just acquired her licence in this photograph. Brian had achieved his licence during World War II, and helped Valda and Marlene get theirs.