I was first licensed as a Novice in 1960, given the callsign WV2NXP. The impetus came from my older brother Jeff (then WA2CLQ, now K1ZM / VY2ZM). My license expired after one year, and I remained off the air until sometime in the early 1970s. When my younger brother Peter got a license (WB2JAM, now K3ZM), I simply HAD to get back in the game.
Over the years I have had the distinct pleasure of participating in a number of DX contests from famous contest stations. I cut my teeth on multi-operator contesting from W1ZM in Connecticut, participating in a number of international contest efforts from that famous station. I also had the pleasure of operating from K1OX in New Hampshire and from W2PV in New York.
My first opportunity to participate outside the U.S. was to be the 80 meter operator at KP4EAJ in a multi-multi effort in CQWW CW in 1977. I went back to Puerto Rico in 1980 to be the second-chair 80 meter op with Jeff at NP4A, also in CQWW CW.
After a number of years staying home, I was invited to join the ZX0F CQWW SSB team at Fernando de Noronha in 1999. We re-configured Andre’s station for multi-multi and had a fabulous time. I got to do some serious operating during this contest, actually starting the contest as the 20 m op. The following year it was off to A61AJ’s station in Dubai for CQWW CW, where I helped build Ali’s 160M four-square array and enjoyed using that antenna as second op on 160M, again with Jeff. These two operations allowed me to meet and work side-by-side with some of the most famous contesters in the world!
To be honest, to this point all of these opportunities came my way because I am Jeff’s brother, but I think I held my own.
A number of contest operations from the Caribbean followed, including WP2Z, V47DM, J7DM, V26DM, VP2MZM (Peter’s call), VP2MDG and now VP2MDM. I have built quite a contest setup at the Gingerbread Hill guest house on Montserrat, and I get down there at least once a year. The photo is from October 2017 on Montserrat.
After my wife passed away from cancer in 2014, I was very blessed to meet and marry a wonderful woman, Karen Erickson. Then a non-ham, Karen has since passed the Technician, General and Extra class license exams and holds K4ZDM. Stymied by the antenna restrictions in our retirement community, we recently bought a place just outside The Villages. We now have three towers sporting a Bencher Skyhawk, a Cushcraft XM-240, wires, and a small 6 meter Yagi. A number of fellow CWops members have operated from the station in the last year.
I am an active member of The Villages Amateur Radio Club and the Florida Contest Group.
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.