After many years of SWL and some prodding from a good friend, I finally got my ticket in 2011. I've had a few ham friends in the years past and was always interested in the hobby but never took the plunge.

My station so far is an Icom IC-756PROII running barefoot, a DigiMasterPro+ and a homebrew dipole rigged up with rope and pulleys in a tree out in the back yard. For VHF and UHF I use a Kenwood TM-V71A. I'm active with the Garden City Club and participate in Wayne County ARPSC.

I'm still fairly new into the hobby, but what draws me to it is that everything there is to learn. I've been experimenting with building antenna's and some simple electronic circuits. Recently I've started operating on D-Star. I can see the utility for ham radio in this digital mode. If you are at all interested in EmComm and digital networking, check out D-Star. You won't be sorry.

I grew up in Michigan, moved to Texas and lived there for almost 20 years and moved back to Michigan right at Y2K. (the phone went out on new years eve and I thought the world ended, but it was just a bad wire. ;)

When I'm not operating I like to ride. Here is a favorite shot of mine in northern lower Michigan. I found this oil well station out in the middle of nowhere while exploring the back woods logging trails in the national forest around Mio Michigan.

If you are reading this, thank you for your contact, or I look forward to meeting you on the air.

-73