15+ years off the air, and we are back and better than ever! Passed my Extra in December '09 and have been having a blast! Originally licensed in 1989 as KB2ING, then as a teenager I got away from the hobby since time was diverted elsewhere. Moved from New York to North Carolina in 2003 and it has taken me a long time to get everything settled here before time has allowed me to get back into the hobby.

Running an Icom IC-718 into a Hexbeam by K4KIO on a 30ft tower, an 80m doublet/dipole fed with twinlead, and a 150ft inverted-L vertical for 160m-30m. The doublet and inverted-L are tuned with a MFJ 986 Differential-T tuner. No amp here, so I run barefoot and appreciate those on 80m and 160m that QSO with me.

For VHF I am using a homebuilt 2 element vertical yagi for 2m, built with #6 ground wire and 1/2" PVC pipe so I can talk to the local buddies, also on the tire. Just using 5w from my original Icom 32AT HT I got when I was a kid!

I have been wanting to become a good CW op, so I have been spending my time pounding away at slow speed code on 40m. I am up to 10 wpm or so, but I have to get lots more QSO's under my belt. Still can't head copy yet, but I am working on it. I use a Bencher paddle, a SCAF filter (built from the NEScaf kit) and a Keyer (K1EL Picokeyer kit). If you QSO with me on CW, thanks in advance for your patience!

I also have a computer control setup, and I run a Linux OS here -I can use the interface to the main computer to the laptop in the living room and operate RTTY and PSK31 while watching TV with the XYL during "her shows". I also have a laptop near the rig to log (though I remote into the main machine where everything is hooked up). I hope to replace the rig laptop with a notebook computer (the laptop there is 10 yrs old!)

I enjoy DXing, but mostly am a ragchewer.

At the QTH I run a 25 acre horse farm with my wife called "Dixieland Farm" (www.dixielandfarm.com), and live about 30 miles from Winston-Salem. We have 20+ horses, and I am the maintenance man, as well as groundskeeper, stall cleaner, accountant, marketing director, etc.

I also have a full time job at a regional agricultural bank as a Training and IT Technician.

Hope to hear you on the air!

Pictures of the Hexbeam on 30ft tower at the QTH:

Tour of the Shack at the QTH: