Welcome!

Thank you for being interested enough to look up my callsign and learn more about my station! :-)

Even though I have been licenced as a Radio Operator for just under one year, I have been a participant in spirit for many more. During my adolescence in the late seventies and early eighties, my mother was quite active on 11m and my brothers and I would enjoy listening to her conversations with other drivers during our summer trips. Scouting exposed me to the more mainstream amateur radio bands a few years later, but a more active interest would remain at least a decade in the distance.

My father-in-law is my primary "Elmer", as it was he who was ultimately most instrumental in motivating me in toward getting my ticket. Fred (N2TOO) was first licensed in 1993 and, through his enthusiasm, my interest was rejuvenated. Even so, another decade would pass before I would actively work toward a license of my own. There have been many false starts over the years, as the three editions of "Now You're Talking" will attest. Nevertheless, on 02 April of 2006 I passed the written exam for Technician class (and was only three answers shy of achieving General, cold-turkey) and my current call sign was issued five days later on 07 April.

Public Service is an area in which I have a great deal of interest and wasted little time in acting on that passion. I hold an appointmeant as a RACES unit with the City of Garland, Office of Emergency Management, and am active, registered participant with the North Texas Section of the NTS. In association with the latter, I hold Field Organization appointments as an Official Relay Station and Net Manager of the DFW Metroplex Traffic Net.

When not engaged in EmComm activities, roaming the bands or experimenting with digital modes, much of my time is spent lurking on the W5FC and K5QHD repeaters. Even though I am not particularly into "rag chewing", I have been known to interject the odd comment or two on this or that subject.

You may have wondered about the photo at the top of the page. Many years ago I made the decision to adopt the bicycle as my primary mode of transportation to and from work. In fact, I am a member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Task Force of the regional Council of Governments (NCTCOG). I have adapted a Yaesu VX-5R as a mobile rig on my bike. The image above shows the "instrument cluster" as it currently exists.

73 - Herman