As a child in the 70s I benefited from the fact that all the radios in the house covered the shortwaves and so it was that I spent hours and hours listening to the fading signals of Radio Luxembourg, the alternative Cold War narrative of Radio Moscow and the intriguing dits and dahs of, what I imagined were, spies and foreign correspondents. I think my future as a ham and a telegraphist was signed and sealed right then but with no one in my family circle was interested in such things, it wasn’t until the legalisation of CB that I got to start my lifelong learning in radio.
I loved the chaotic nature of CB but was aware that there were some technically articulate individuals there having interesting conversations about some other radio related hobby and, as a teenager, I plucked up the courage to intrude on them and ask more. They must have seen some potential in the young upstart as they pointed me to where I could go to study for the Radio Amateur Exam and as a 19-year-old I was finally licensed. An ex-RAF chap took me under his wing to teach me CW, gifting me an Admiralty Type D key and I benefited from some very supportive fists during my first QSOs that gave me a great foundation to a life of telegraphy.
Fast forward 38 years and now I’m giving back, doing everything I can to encourage and support new fists learning the code and getting on air, including supporting Long Island CW Clubs Kids Classes.
I enjoy all aspects of radio, both practical and academic, and love the constant self-development that is possible in our hobby.
Outside of radio I’m a Chartered Engineer working in telecommunications (sadly not the radio side of things!), still a little way off retirement but looking forward to the day that my hobby can be full time.
I have numerous ‘other’ hobbies including off-road / mountain unicycling and riding my Penny Farthing, so my XYL encourages my ham radio activities as a ‘safe’ option.
The CWA has provided me with a wonderful, structured way to keep developing my CW skills and Buzz (AC6AC) and his fantastic team of co-advisors have done an amazing job cajoling my cohort to be more competent fists. I look forward to more!
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.