I got started in ham radio when I was 11. Somehow (I can't remember what got me interested actually) I managed to get a GE shortwave receiver. I spent hours upon hours listening to it and just really got hooked in the whole SWL thing.

When I was 13 I tried to get my Novice ticket. Well, that did not go too well.So, I spent a few years playing around more with SWL'ing then on March 31, 1985 I passed! Got my Novice three weeks later - call was KA0UMC.

My "first" rig was a Globe Scout transmitter. Never could figure that thing out - it worked, I know that much, but it was beyond me why. So I took my high school graduation money and went and bought a used Century 21. Had a few months of fun with it and one day the finals blew. All the smoke was let out! Ack!

I got that repaired and a few months later the finals blew again. Now I was in a panic - the Novice Roundup was approaching in about a month and I had no rig to use.

Well, my good friend Tom, N0GSG let me borrow his TS-820. He had bought it but did not have an antenna up and was not going to be putting one up until spring, so he most graciously let me use it. I still owe him big time for that.

The first part of December 1985 I passed the Technican exam. On the way home my friend David, KA0TFO, who also passed the Tech exam with me and was the one doing the driving, let me use his 2M HT on the ride home. I gave a call on the 147.09 repeater (W0TOJ) and had a nice QSO with Vern KD0QI (SK). A few days later my dad bought me a used Yaesu FT-207R HT as a Christmas gift.

I ended up being #6 overall in the 1986 NR. This was and still is the high point of my entire ham career. I have worked a lot of contests since then, but nothing in the world beat that contest. 

Two weeks later I passed my General. My dad then started to study and got his Novice in March with the call KA0WQR. In May I passed the Advanced and my dad passed his Tech. He put in for a call change and became N0HGW (SK). Then, in June of 1986 I passed the Extra.

One of my goals when I got my novice was to have my Extra within a year. Well, I did it - if you go from the date of my first QSO, which I still do. After all, the only way to get the code speed up is to make Qs!

In November 1986 I put in for a call change. I was hoping for something that would be great on CW that was not all that long - I got a pretty good one I think.

I got off the air in 1992. I just was not having fun on the bands like I used to and burn-out had set in. 

The first part of 2001 I was talking to Dave W4KGU on 2m and we started talking about Linux, which I used exclusively at that time (now I am hooked on Mac OS X - sheesh, it rocks!) One thing led to another and the two of us started sending SSTV back and forth. Then PSK31. I was again hooked that night.

The next day I decided that I was going to get back on the air. I started looking at rigs and discovered the Elecraft K2. I ordered it on my birthday (March 13, in case you want to buy me a present next year!) and it arrived on March 29, 2001. I made my first QSO with it on April 8, 2001.

I am not just on with the K2 though. I also have an Elecraft KX1, Ten Tec Century 21 which I need to do some minor work on it to get it up to snuff (that pesky PTO), and my new pride and joy, an Elecraft K3. So, 100% QRP! 

Some other rigs in the arsenal: Small Wonder Labs SW40+, QRPkits.com Weber Dual Bander, GQRP GQ Transceiver, and a Ten Tec 315 receiver. 

As if I don't have enough other stuff to play with, I have recently started playing with the Arduino. Nice to finally see a microcontroller platform where the manufacturer does not try to squeeze every last cent out of you. 

I QSL 100% and all of my past QSOs are in LotW also - as I find old logs, I enter them. I do not do eQSL - I used to, but I think it is too worthless a system to consider seriously. So, best to just LotW if you want the fastest response.