What was your first ham station setup ever?

[W0BG]

My first station, when I was a novice, was a Kenwood TS-820 with a straight key and dipoles for 40 and 15 meters.  Also had a general communications receiver, a Realistic DX-160 with a long wire...

So when you had your DX-160 did you ever use it as a ham receiver or for just SWL?  I had a DX-150 (still have it) and used it for my ham receiver for a short time. Selectivity of course was a big problem. I used it for ham reception for a very short while and picked up the Hammarlund HQ-110 which was when I started working my first DX. I'm guessing I wasn't hearing it before.

[N0JAA]

So when you had your DX-160 did you ever use it as a ham receiver or for just SWL?  I had a DX-150 (still have it) and used it for my ham receiver for a short time. Selectivity of course was a big problem. I used it for ham reception for a very short while and picked up the Hammarlund HQ-110 which was when I started working my first DX. I'm guessing I wasn't hearing it before.

I used it for both.  My DX-160 had some good sensitivity on SSB and CW, plus there are the BFO and the band spread for fine tuning.  It also has the stand-by switch so that  I could turn off the receiver when transmitting.

[m0wao]

my first station, when i was a foundation/intermediate*, was a icom ic-730 bought from a club member with a snowdonia radio company src hf-360 antenna.

* i did both foundation & intermediate test at the same day so i never used the foundation callsign as i passed them both.

[WB4WAU]

My first "rig" was a Globe Scout AM xmtr with a Heath SB-303 rcvr that I bought as a kit, in 1972. I had a ham friend rig up the T/R relay, and used the "key" on cw for a month before I got the nerve to get on phone. I was surprised how well it did with only 25 watts. My first cw contact was a big surprise and I nervously got out of the chair and walked around the room before getting the nerve to reply. A few months later I managed to get on "big time" with a Heath SB-401 SSB transmitter. I had a homemade dipole for an antenna and worked only 75 meters for a long time. This experience got me started in "radio" and 2 years later built my own FM radio station and operated it as "broadcast engineer" for 14 years.

[KD5NR]

A black-face Tempo One ( Yaesu Ft-200), Heathkit HW-8, Icom IC-21A. Made my first contact on my first CQ on the HW-8 into a 15 meter coaxial dipole.

[K0HB]

Homebrew transmitter.  S38A receiver.

[py1eo]

My first station setup was Delta500 http://www.rigpix.com/mischam/delta_500.htm
250W 80m-10m big mouth, small ears...

[N5MDV]

  FIRST RADIO WAS A CLUB LOANER IT WAS A HW101 AND A G5RV ANTENNA, LATER GRADUATED TO A TS520 FROM A FRIEND N5FFY (SK) AND THEN ON TO MY FIRST OWNED RADIO A BRAND NEW TS140

[ZL1DAS]

Hello everyone! My very first setup in 1970 comprised of a TRIO JR500 receiver and a Heathkit HX20 transmitter [it had a very stable VFO as I remember] into various dipoles and in 1971 also a vertical for 20-15-10m mounted on the rooftop. At that time I was also active on 2m, 70cm and 23cm with totally homebrewed equipment including antennas. It was all converted down to and up from 10m using my HF rig. In 1972 I built a PA for 2m with a 4CX250R and did a lot of meteor scatter up to 2000km QRB...That was real fun. I built an audio machine from an old tape recorder and used pre-recorded tape loops operating a Reed relay for CW up to 150 wpm....Good old times! Schedules for MS had to be done well in advance by letter as there was no internet and there were no phone numbers available. I worked 18 countries that way and made the 2nd contact ever to UB5 [Dnepropetrovsk] from DL.  [This relates to my time in DL].

[KD5COJ]

I guess my very first was mobile RCI 2950 in my van with a Penetrator II antenna. My first base set up was a Yaesu FT 101 EX, M106 & Antron 99. Before that it was an old borrowed hand held but I can't remember the name of the radio.

[G4OTU]

FT101ZD with matching ATU and a  5 band Vertical .This is back around 1980. The FT101ZD stayed with me till 1995 when I went QRT (Lack of time, lost interest etc).

Back on the air in 2010, initially with an ancient Sommerkamp  FT767DX(aka Yaesu FT707)..,.now have Ft1000 MkV.

[n1ald]

I'd been a SWL off and on since 1959, but didn't get my ticket until 2001.  Got my code speed up to 18 WPM and went down and got my general in one day.  Did not have a transmitter, but did have a Yaesu FRG-8800 rx, so I built one of the cheap qrp kits from QST for 40 meters and put up a wire.  It worked, and I actually made my first contact by touching two wires together to send code.  Later I bought a TS-520 at a flea and a FT-450.