Amateur Radio

I became interested in amateur radio while in high school and received my novice license in 1957. A year later I absolved my general requirements.

Unfortunately, time has been at a premium since I began working, so that my ham activity has been sporadic at best. I have always been intrigued by QRP-DX, that is, contacting other hams far away using the least amount of input power possible. During the early 80's I strung up a large rhombic antenna in my neighbor's field and warmed it up with a whopping 2.5 watts! With much tenacity (and some patience on the part of my indulgent wife :) I was able to contact other hams in all 50 states (WAS/QRP) and in over 100 countries (DXCC/QRP) in all continents (WAC/QRP) of the world. I will never forget my elation the day I contacted Australia on QRP. I sat in wonder that with half the power in a night-light I could reach someone near the antipode (i.e., "down- there", not "out there" :) I was walking on clouds for the rest of the day.

As I approach retirement, I hope to be able to devote time once again to this challenging and rewarding hobby.

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