Happy you stopped by and thank you! The picture above was taken in 1957 in Lemon Grove, California, by W4YU (ex K6DVD). I started in this hobby in 1954 as a young fellow in Junior High School in San Diego, California, thanks to my Electric/Radio Shop teacher Don Stansifer (Then W6LRU, later N6RU - now a Silent Key). It was a very exciting hobby then and still is to me. Later moved to Lemon Grove, California, and attended Helix High School where I made some very good friends who were and are still active Ham Radio Operators - W4YU (ex K6DVD), Loren; K6JHD, Dave; K6GHM, Roger; and I still keep in touch with them. Through the years have enjoyed working and meeting many more Hams. My original call was K6GHO and later, when I relocated to Cape Cod (1977), I was issued my present call - K1HO. After several years of working at Oceanographic Institutions (Scripps in La Jolla, California, and then Woods Hole on Cape Cod) and a short stint with Coastal Tankships Corporation and TIF Instruments of Miami I settled down  working at Amateur Electronic Supply in Orlando, Florida, where I retired from in January 2012. I worked with a great group of Hams there and my wife Jean and I really enjoy living in Central Florida near Mount Dora (NW of Orlando approx 30 miles). I had the privilege of working as shipboard Radio Electronics Officer on Oceanographic Research Vessels and on Ocean going tankships over the years and the privilege of being part of the crew that found the remains of the TITANIC on September 1, 1985, under the direction of Dr. Robert Ballard of Woods Hole Oceanographic on board the Research Vessel KNORR. Still hold Radiotelegraph license T2GB067814 with ship radar endorsement and six month service endorsement and Commercial General Radiotelephone license with ship radar endorsement (formerly First Class Radiotelephone). Was certified SCUBA diver through the University fo California for several years and worked on electronics for the SeaLab II project back in the mid to late 60's as well as some trips aboard the submarine the USS Dolphin (555). Our research group at Scripps worked next door to the Bathyscaphe 'Triste' group and often ran into Piccard and Welch (the two fellows that made the deepest manned dive on the 'Triste'). We would sometimes do our SCUBA required dives at the dock under the 'Triste' where the water was a little deeper (when she was in Port in San Diego, California), which was always interesting. I have worked maritime mobile from FLIP (Floating Lab Instrument Platform) several times, operated by Scripps Institute of Oceanography, as well from several research vessels while traveling around the planet in places such as the Beagle Channel, Straits of Magellan, Panama Canal, the Arctic and Antarctic regions, all of the oceans, the Med and Black Sea areas and really was great having some regular Ham friends around to keep me company over the air. Also was a surface navigator for the submersible ALVIN at Woods Hole Oceanographic for while in the late 1970's and worked maritime mobile from the Alvin tender 'Lulu'. I have had the pleasure of being on several Sea Expeditions - the very first being "The Vermilion Sea Expedition" in 1959, under the direction of Dr. Fred Spiess, while working for Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

I enjoy meeting new people via this fantastic hobby. I love CW and now and then SSB. I am a VE and enjoy seeing new ones come into the hobby. I am a member of QCWA Century Club, SOWP, ARRL (Life), EARLY BIRDS, SKCC, & RAG CHEWERS CLUB.

This is a great hobby and I would encourage anyone with and urge for adventure to get started asap! If you hear me on the air please give me a call, I would enjoy meeting you!

73, Ernie Smith - K1HO

Current station information: Yaesu FT-950 with SP-2000 & MD-100, Heath SB-200, Palstar AT1500CV, Comet H422 Rotatable Dipole, Horse Fence Dipole on 40 mtrs; Kenwood TS-520S with SP-50 & AT-200 & DG-5 & Primo mic; Heil Classic Mic and Vibroplex Paddle and Bug, plus miscellaneous Hand Keys; Icom IC-2200H with base station antenna & IC-207 with mobile antenna, etc