It’s “Who you know” that got me a Great Job in High School Electronics
Good Luck or What?
My youngest son says “that’s old school” when I tell him of some of the things I did long ago. Well something that’s old and never fails is the potential result from “who you know”. Sometimes the results from “who you know” are far reaching and long lasting.
“Back in the day” as a teenager I was heavily involved in electronics. My uncle Kenneth, who lived upstairs from us fixed radios, TVs, and other electronic equipment and I just sucked it all in. Electronics was running out of my brain.
As a teenager I got an Amateur Radio license and a CB license. We used to talk to people from my friends house on the Citizens band. I did the same, on a much grander scale, talking to people around the world on my “Ham Radio.”
I wanted to go to the Newest, Best Technical High School in Chicago
In my second year of high school I learned of a brand new technical high school. They had recently finished building it in Chicago where I lived. However, I was out of the district. There was no way I could go there.
I was way out of the district although it was a straight shot from my house, on the same street, some 60 blocks away. The school was said to be the best vocational school in the city. I really wanted to go there and take electronics.
One day on my “ham radio” I heard a powerful signal that over-rode all the other signals on my shortwave radio. As it turned out, it was another amateur radio operator a few blocks away. I had to meet him. I didn’t know there were any other “hams” near me. Well a few days later I did meet him.
He was a much older, sophisticated gentleman. When I saw his radio equipment I did a double-take. His setup was the most expensive and complete of any amateur radio operator I had ever met. I thought maybe one day maybe I could afford such an expensive top-of-the-line Collins equipment.
Sometime later I was at his house and had a talk with him. I explained my deep interest in electronics. I had extensive knowledge of electronic repair and my desire to go to Dunbar, the new tech high school. By this time he knew I was sharp in electronics.
He asked me if I knew anyone that lived close to Dunbar. I said yes. He said something to the effect “leave it to me”, just do as I say. I did, and within a week or so I was enrolled there. Wow! What luck! That was only the start.
Learning Electronics was a Breeze – so I Repaired Electronic Equipment
I used to diagnose/repair Aircraft Avionics (for jets)
Not only those but also appliances (i.e. toasters, irons, and other kitchen appliances) and virtually anything electrical. This was really a part-time job within the school. The good part of it was we charged money to repair the electronics and got paid to do so.
It wasn’t a lot, but who could complain at 16 yrs old, We got paid to fix TVs, radios, and all sorts of electric appliances (nowadays people just buy a new ones instead of fixing broken electronics or small appliances).
It was great experience. In addition to that, the school had a powerful ham radio station which we both used in our free time. It was like a dream come true. In fact it was so good; I was able to complete a year’s worth of electronics lab in a couple of months.
Then I assembled most of the test equipment the lab used, Heathkits, and became an expert at assembling electronics devices.
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That Fortunate Meeting of that Older Gentleman Surely changed my Life
Later after high school we moved to Pasadena, California where I went to Junior College there. I enrolled in their two year electronics course. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised to find it was the exact same classes I had just had in high school two years previous.
So instead, I opted to take computer science classes since computers were new at the time. Because I had so much experience in electronics I also opted to take a prep class for getting an advanced commercial license.
It was a First Class Radiotelephone License. That was the license that allowed a person to operate any radio or TV station transmitter in the USA. I got it and still have that license, a rare lifetime license they no longer issue.
Later I become a senior electronics technician diagnosing and repairing aircraft navigation electronics. 
I had jobs at several companies over the years. They included Xerox, Bendix Electrodynamics, Electro-optical systems, and Hoffman Electronics.
Oh yes I still have my “ham” license too – for over 50 years. As they say I’m “an old-timer.” Not only that, but I still have an expensive (“in its day”) ham transmitter and receiver, which are now bonafide antiques.
Just who was that gentleman who changed my life? I didn’t know it when I first met him, but later found out that he was the assistant principle of the high school I ended up going to. He was the one who pulled the strings for me. It’s who you know that makes all the difference in the world. Knowing him certainly changed my life.
Was that Good Luck, or what?
Copyright © Charles L Harmon
