Mahlon is primarily CW operator and is a QRP nut. He likes to chase DX using QRP whenever band conditions allow. He has Ten Tec Argonaut and Ten Tec Jupiter xcvrs. His antennas are a 80 meter horizontal loop with open feed line up 35 feet and a 2 el, 3 band home brew cubical quad up 50 feet.

In addition to ham radio, Mahlon is a bicycle fanatic. Despite health problems that limit his aerobic activies, he still likes to tour in and around Central Oregon. Over the years, he has done loaded touring and has ridden on the Oregon Bicycle Ride across the state of Oregon five times and once across the state of Washington.

In 1939, when 8 years old, Mahlon lived with his parents and other civians in American Samoa before WWII began. His father,a Chief Petty Officer temporally stationed in Hawaii, survived the Japanese bombing. Shortly there after, Samoa was shelled by the Japanese. After a year, all U.S civilians on Samoa were evacuated to the West Coast of America where they lived. His father became a naval officer and survived WWII to join the family.