The K5OA journey began in early 1962 (K5YMY) with my first DX QSO with KV4AA to working VP6D on nine (9) bands CW, three (3) SSB, and seven (7) bands digital.
I started in high school with a DX60 and S-85 receiver and moved on to a Central Electronics 10B and mostly homebrew tube amps. Many times, I used 4 old TV transformers to get high voltage of 2000-3000 volts. I would have been about 90% SSb, 75% 20 meters only and zero digital modes back then.
I was off the air for about 25 years with family and work focus. When I retired after 40 years in some form of hardware communication roles, I got the bug to get a rig working again. Now the journey turns from homebrew to what is ready-to-go and I pick it up at HRO etc. I have gone with Icom, then the Elecraft K3S and now I have a fully remote Flex 6600 and SPE 2K-FA sitting in half a closet at our cabin in San Bernardino mountains. My mode has now gone to a log of 56.5% CW, 1.2% SSB, and 42.3% digital.
A good friend told me about CWT’s and got on and saw the band just light up as CWops fills the CW section. Jumped in and love the one-hour duration as I can’t go the 48-hour ones anymore.
I enjoy contesting but only on medium scale and for some of the challenges it brings. I would like to also say I am encouraged by seeing youth coming in and getting involved in CW and contest.
Thanks to all for your support and look forward to CWOpen and CWT’s with all.
This biography is what appeared in Solid Copy when the member joined CWops.