First, thank you to the men who sponsored me into the club: K4AEN, K1EBY, K5UV and NE5A.
The process began as it should. During a QSO with Tom K4AEN I was asked if I was a member of CWops. I replied “not yet,” and the rest is history!
I was first licensed in 1971 as WN9HPM, Whiskey November Nine Hiram Percy Maxim. Great call! After 2 years I attempted to upgrade to General but failed the written exam after passing the 13 wpm code test. I tested for another Novice license in 1983, successfully, and was issued the callsign KA9QNN, another ham radio suffix that those involved in nets will understand! A few years later I upgraded to General and became N9LGP, and then a couple of years ago applied for and was issued the call K9HIM.
All along my journey I’ve always preferred and enjoyed CW. I particularly enjoy putting on the headphones and immersing myself into the world of Morse code. Occasionally I will pick up a microphone or work a little FT8, but CW will always be my favorite mode.
By the way, I’m currently enrolled in an Advanced CW Academy class. My advisor, Buz AC6AC is an excellent advisor and mentor, along with Shirley M0WXG and Rich N4DPM. I highly recommend CW Academy for anyone interested in improving their CW skills, both head copy and sending. The structure is outanding. Kudos to the developer(s)!
My favorite activities include working CWT, SST, contesting and chasing POTA as a hunter. I also love to ragchew while continually fine tuning my conversational skills. CW, as we all know, is a language in and of itself. That’s what draws me to it, the art of conversation.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this great hobby for over 40 years and hope to continue enjoying it for many more, Lord willi
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.