KD2QAR

My brother and I had walkie talkies when we were kids which we used to talk to each other. We tried to talk to the astronauts but they never talked back. However, one day we did get answered by someone who said he was 'the president'. We were amazed at the time!

Later, I got a Tandberg radio which had shortwave bands on it. I was facinated by all the stations I could pick up! I even found the WWV frequency and would always set my clocks to it's cryptic signal. It was fun tuning around to see I could find.

CB radio was big back then and I remember my mom getting a license from the FCC before they removed the licensing requirement for citzens band. All you had to do was fill out an application and they sent you a callsign.

Later, in the army, my job was to read and interpret transcripts of radio communications. We were trained on radio propagation, callsigns and Q and Z codes and a variety of other radio topics that were fun to re-visit years later during ham radio classes. Some of my morse-op buddies got their ham licenses, having already surmouted the code test hurtle. I was particularly fascinated by the idea that they could make a phone call from their vehicle through a 2m repeater using the radio. (yes kids, phone calls from your vehicle was a novelty in the 1970s).

Recently, a ham (WA2FKV) came the boy scout troop ,where I am the scoutmaster, to teach the radio merit badge. He mentioned that he was starting up a technician license class. My wife and  I signed up and now here we are.

The obligitory Antenna photo. Needs updating.
There are a lot more strings and wires dangling
there now.

Our very modest 'ham shack' consists of:

• Two Chinese HT radios
• Yaesu FT-4XR HT
• An RTL-SDR dongle
• Yeasu FT-991A with an Alinco Power supply
• Yeasu FT-818 qrp portable
• Yaesu FTM-7250 mobile
• An ICOM IC-24AT handheld
• uBITx QRP radio kit ... (I stink at soldering)
• Diamond 2m/70cm X510NJ Antenna at 30 ft
• A magnetic mount dual band mobile antenna.
• Currently operating HF using a 80m/40m/20m fan dipole centered at ~46' in an oak tree. Most of it was purchased at Tractor Supply..
• Home made speaker wire 40m, 20m, 10m dipoles.The 10m is currently hanging vertically from the Sycamore tree.
• Home made 80m/40m NVIS antenna.
• A tape measure 10-20m antenna.

Feb 2020: Best Ham Radio Experience so far was contacting a POTA event station (NC4PC) activiating Moore's Creek National Battlefield where my brother was participating in a Revolutionary War reenactment. (He's the one on the right in the 'funny clothes'. Seated on the left is the operator I was able to contact.). My brother sent me at text about the 'radio guys' operating at the park so searched for them and was able to make a contact from NY.

Note: I occassionally operate from grid FM09il in Garrett County, MD

Operating from my tent at Beaumont Scout Reservation Summer 2019