I wish to thank Walt W0CP for nominating me and my sponsors: W6SX, N5NA, K1DJ, K5UV all of whom I know through CWT and SST.
I am thrilled to be a CWops #3459 but my journey here would not have happened without help and encouragement from many hams. Walt W0CP has been my most influential Elmer. He has guided me for the past 4 years in many ways. I am indebted to Mark K5GQ, my CWA advisor for the past year. John K1JD has been a special Elmer as well. Bill JP3REM and Rob AE7AP have been part of a weekly study group, but I got the idea of this group from John AA5ND and his group (Ronnie AI7DK, Jeff KE8NJW, and Alan WD8PKF) who encouraged me.
One of my hobbies has been flying remote control airplanes – big ones with 90” wing span and 70cc gas engines. I got the Tech license in January 2018 so I could legally fly remote control airplanes using a camera on an airplane and fly so-called FPV (first-person view). I enjoyed the study/learning process so much that I got my General license a month later. In the summer of 2018 I was experiencing back pain and thought I would have to give up golf and lugging RC planes, gas cans, etc. A sedentary life seemed likely. I decided to learn Morse code as a skill to keep my brain active.
I tried learning code on my own without success until I discovered CWA. Thanks to my advisors Curt K7ZOO, Quinton NU7Y, Bill K0MP I progressed along the learning curve. In October 2022 I learned about Mark’s class and asked to be one of his students.
Fortunately, the back problem resolved with physical therapy and I became physically active again. I became involved in SOTA. I met Walt at the first annual Colorado SOTA dinner. Several hams have been important in my CW development and they probably don’t even know that they have: Brad WA6MM, Cory KX0R. In the spirit of playing it forward, I taught the CWA Beginning classes and Fundamental as well.
As a kid I built Heath Kits including their transceiver. But I never learned code which was required then. Then I got busy with schooling. Ultimately, I trained as a general surgeon. Laparoscopic surgery became my area of expertise. I did the 1st laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of the gall bladder) in Colorado in 1989. I developed a class and trained over 400 surgeons how to do the procedure. I retired from surgery in 2011.
Then I went back to school. After a year course at the College of Financial Planning I started a 2nd career as a financial planner. Through further courses with the American College of Finance I earned the degree of Retirement Income Certified Professional. In 2022 I became fully retired.
My XYL, Joan, and I have been married 51 years. We have a daughter and twin teenage grandchildren, a boy and a girl. Unfortunately, neither grandchild shares my interest in ham radio.
The wonderful thing about ham radio and code is that CWOps is not a destination but a way station on a continuous learning curve to improvement of our skills. I appreciate the opportunity to continue this journey with all of you.
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.