I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and was first licensed at the age of 9. My dad and older brother went to a class in the spring of 1960. They obtained their Novice tickets in May. I picked up the code from them as they practiced together at home. With help from Dad, I learned enough to pass the written test and received KN4BSK in August.
There are many great memories of growing up with ham radio in the 60s. Dad (K4WOQ), older brother Jim (K4WOP) and I enjoyed many radio projects, local club activities, Field Days, and hamfests together. Of course, Dad is now SK. But my oldest son Eric took his granddad’s call after getting his Technician license a number of years ago. Brother Jim and I have maintained a weekly schedule, usually on 40 meter CW, all our adult lives.
I graduated from Georgia Tech in 1973 with an EE degree. Upon graduation, I moved to the Charlotte NC area, where I have lived since. I retired in 2019 after working 46 years with Duke Energy in power plant design and operational support.
I live in a town called Matthews, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte. I work mostly CW on the HF bands. I enjoy my modern rigs: an IC 7610 and an OMNI VII. I also enjoy giving air time, especially during classic radio events, to my other set ups: Kenwood TS440S, Drake TR-3, Collins 32S3 and 75S3B, and a Heathkit Apache transmitter paired with an HQ-120 receiver. The TR-3 and HQ-120 were in our family in the 1960’s. I only have wire antennas: dipoles and a G5RV.
My wife Renda and I have a “get away” QTH near Lexington, Virginia. When there, I usually use a small Yaesu FT-897D. That house is on a nice hilltop, enabling me to learn more about the VHF and UHF bands – something that is not practical at home due to local geography challenges.
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.