My ham career began in 1958 at the age of 13 when I obtained my Novice license, KN0PNC. My first rig consisted of a National NC-98 receiver and a homebrew 15-watt crystal-controlled transmitter inside a cigar box. The following year I upgraded to General Class and also upgraded to a Heathkit DX-40, a 3-element 10 meter beam, and a homebrew 600 watt amplifier. Unfortunately, life activities and a heavy work schedule edged out ham radio and I let my license expire in 1985.
Retiring early I began a ten-year adventure in Ecuador followed by another ten years in Mexico. While in Mexico, my neighbor, a fellow ham, rekindled my interest in the hobby. Unfortunately, it was not possible to obtain the government’s permission to operate in Mexico. It was only when I moved to New Mexico in 2019 that I was able to get on the air again.
CW rag chewing has always been my mode of choice but I soon found out that my my CW skills needed serious improvement. I enrolled in the CWOps CW Academy which was a big help and allowed me regain acceptable proficiency and confidence. Enrolling in the Academy also led to the weekly CWTs which have become an unexpected pleasure and introduced me to the world of contesting.
Currently, my station consists of a Kenwood TS-890S, a SunSdr2 DX, and a Hermes Lite with a Hardrock 50-watt amplifier. I am working to upgrade my 40-meter end-fed half-wave antenna later this year.
It is important to me to keep physically active and participate in a variety of sports as well as being an avid runner. Even though I seem to run slower with every passing year, I still manage to get in 20 to 30 miles each week. Most of the time I am listening to literary classics in CW on those runs.
I am incredibly grateful to Hanz, YL3JD (AKA Yl1DOG — see his qrz.com page), for being my CW Academy advisor and nominating me for membership; to Mary, VE3INE, who sponsored me and provided inspiration to get my feet wet in the CWTs. And, of course, special thanks to Doug, KR2Q, and Will, WJ9B, for their sponsorship.
I’m thrilled to be a part of the CWops community and excited to see where this renewed passion for ham radio will lead!
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.