Hello, I received my first Amateur Radio license and call sign WA4KEA as Technician in around 1962 while in the USAF in California. Shortly after that I upgraded to General at the FCC field office in San Francisco keeping the same call. In 1969 I upgraded to the Extra class license (then in North Carolina) and kept the call WA4KEA until 1973 when Extra class vanity call signs became available (no FCC fee) and I chose N4CP which was already taken and then chose N4YW which I got and held until June 2007 and currently have again as my primary. During all the years my first call had never been reassigned (guess lost call, except I knew about it, HI). To see if I could get my first call I applied for it and did get it again as my primary which I kept for a short while than applied for K4BPR which I had for a short time. Amateur Radio is a very special hobby to me and serves in so many important ways (emergency communications/public service, experimenting, as well as meeting many great people in the Amateur Radio community). I also currently hold FCC Radiotelephone First Class license, NARTE Engineer certification with RF and non-RF radiating master endorsements, and Associate and Bachelor of Science degrees in engineering with major emphasis in electronics. My work experience is in radio and telecommunications engineering and computers. In Amateur Radio, I have had some inactive years but have became more active in the last year. My interests in AR are experimenting, building new equipment/antennas, and operating both with CW and phone. Mostly all my equipment is vintage (Heathkit). I have one of the last HW-101's before Heath discontinued which I built from their kit and is in excellent shape. Also, I have recently purchased and am restoring some SB-104A's which should be very nice to operate with and a SB-200 which I hope to have on air soon. I have a lovely wife, daughter, and son (also licensed Amateur Radio operator) which both live some distance away, and grandchildren all girls, how about that! Maybe one of these days we will contact each other by RF means.

73, Cal