Thank you for allowing me to be a member of CWops.
My father John Howard – K0MHZ (SK) was the chief broadcast engineer at the WIBW TV & FM radio transmitter site in Topeka, KS where I was born. At age 14, I became a Novice, WN0QFV in September 1975 and got my General in 1977 to become WB0QFV. Instead of going out and getting myself in trouble as a teen, I spent my evenings in the basement workshop working with my father on different ham radio and computer projects.
In 1984, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Kansas State University and went to work as an electromagnetics engineer for a military fighter aircraft company in Fort Worth, TX. Shortly after college, I got my Advanced and then Extra license to become KG5OA. I recently retired after a 37 year career in electromagnetics.
There have been many aspects of amateur radio in which I’ve been involved over the years. Of course I’ve always loved contesting and DXing, and was one of the charter members of the North Texas Balloon Project. Amateur satellite communications was my main ham radio activity for some years. Currently I’m working to improve my antenna farm on my 5 acre lot with a 9-circle receive array for the low bands. My 50 ft. tower has a Hy-Gain TH6DXX, a WARC dipole, 2 m & 70 cm horizontal Yagis, and 2 m -70 cm homebrew J-pole. The 100 ft. tower has a Force 12 EF-420/240 and a Hy-Gain LJ-155CA. There is also a 15 ft. tower for my satellite antennas. All towers will soon be fed with 7/8” hardline and I will soon lay a good radial field as a counterpoise for a shunt feed on the 100 ft. tower for 160 m and phased transmit elements on 80m.
The main radio is an Elecraft K3, but I also have an interest in building a T41-EP Software Defined Transceiver. My wife Cheri is K5CAH but she only uses a microphone. Richard – K5ANR and Jim – W0UO have been instrumental in helping me construct the towers and raising antennas. W0UO has been providing me with a great deal of valuable advice and suggestions to improve my CW and contesting skills which has included operating in the CWops CWTs and CW Open.
Outside of amateur radio, I am an avid distance runner. I am also a licensed (but not active) private pilot and SCUBA diver. I am a Life member of ARRL, AMSAT, and now CWops.
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.