My ham radio story starts when I was twelve. My Uncle Mert was parked in our driveway
listening to spitting noises coming from inside his car. He was listening to Morse at the bottom of the AM broadcast band. At the time 500kHz was the calling and distress frequency for ships at sea. He would translate what he heard and I was fascinated. Shortly after that I was listening to a friend’s console radio on that frequency and sure I was hearing “SOS.” Of course it was my imagination but I was hooked.
A couple years later my Christmas gift was a Knight Kit Star Roamer shortwave radio that my father and I assembled.
At fifteen I passed the Novice test and was licensed in 1969 as WN3LWG. I struggled to pass the 5 wpm code test. I had my license and was on the air with a Knight Kit T-60 transmitter. I was set. I later upgraded to Advanced and then Extra as WA3QPO. I traded that call sign for “NU3A” several years later since it was better for CW.
Fast forward fifty-five years and I’m still enjoying CW. I am active with the local ARES group and with First State Amateur Radio Club. I also am a member of the USCG Auxiliary helping in various capacities including communications roles. I enjoy amateur astronomy and belong to the Delaware Astronomical Society.
I continue to enjoy the hobby thanks to the tolerance of my wife of forty six years. Tina and I have a son and a daughter and five grandchildren. I have lived in the Northern Delaware area all 70 years of my life.
I retired in 2018 from an IT support function. I also spent 20 years as a Financial Analyst for several banks and ten years as a manager of RadioShack. I had a blast in that capacity during the early days of PCs, cellphones, and satellite TV.
I look forward to working you during the CWT mini tests from my modest 100 watts and vertical antenna.
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.