Greetings... I am a retired elementary school teacher, and have been a ham since April 1991. I upgraded to amateur extra class in May 2000. I am a member of the Marinette & Menominee Amateur Radio Club, member of our two local VE team and NC for our local 2 meter net. My other affiliations include; NEWDXA (Northeast Wisconsin DX Assn.); ARRL; Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society,  and active in ARES/RACES, Skywarn activities, serving as Asst. Emergency Coordinator for Skywarn operations in Menominee Co. (MI), Marinette Co./Oconto Co.(WI).

My operating equipment consists of two Icoms: 756-Pro and an Icom 746-Pro feeding into a Cushcraft R6000 vertical antenna and G5RV, using QRP power of 100 watts max. Topping off my "antenna farm" is a 160 meter sloper. I am also active on the VHF bands with a Yaesu FT-847 HF/vhf/6, and the Icom 746 -Pro, and  Kenwood TM-V7 dual band base/mobile. Rounding out my collection of ham gear are four handi-talkies.

Several of my achievements in amateur radio are DXCC, both mixed and phone,the ARRL Millennium 2000 award. All of this was done with 100 watts, and minimum antennas. Current country count is 209 confirmed, and about a dozen more worked.

I am actively involved in promoting amateur radio in our area, and in working with the M&M Radio Club licensing classes, trying to interest new people, especially school age kids. I am the chief control operator for our local D.A.R. Boys & Girls club ham radio station.    We started the station in Jan. of 2006, under the M&M ARC club call of W8PIF, and have licensed nine youngsters so far.   Our new callsign for that club is K8DAR, which is becoming very recognizable throughout the U.S. I received the local Boys & Girls Club "Volunteer of the Year" for 2007. If you hear a youngster calling from the Menominee DAR Boys & Girls Club in Menominee, MI, answer us, and you will be rewarded with a contact that may go on to become the "future of our hobby/service."  Check out their website http://www.thedar.org and click on our qsl card for pictures of the Menominee D.A.R. Radio Club in action. 

Along with KS8O, I organized, in 2006, a young contesters group in the area. We call it Y.A.C.H.T. (Young Amateurs Contest Ham Team). It has expanded to where we currently have 44 youth members from 8 states and South Africa, ages 6 to 18. We also have 11 adult coaches...after all this is a "radio sport".  The Echolink International Youth Net is held each Sat. at 11am CST on the 146.730 Sturgeon Bay repeater, node #44407.  Check out http://www.wd8dx.com/yacht.html to find out more about that great international youth group.

I have been appointed to the position of Assistant Section Manager for Youth ARRL Wisconsin Section.  Here I am with Don Michalski, W9IXG, the ARRL Section Manager for Wisconsin.

73 to all... de KG8CX and Best Wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Safe 2009