K9MBQ BIO and Station info:

I was first licensed as a Novice in 1957 in the Chicago, Il area as KN9MBQ - when I was 13 yrs old. I obtained my General Class license a year later - when you actually had to go to an FCC office (Chicago for me) to take the written and CW test, and finally upgraded to Extra Class a few years ago in Virginia where my spouse and I currently reside. I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md in 1966, pursued a 22 year career as a Surface Warfare Officer in Destroyers and Frigates, including Command of a Guided Missile Frigate (USS John A. Moore (FFG-19)), and retired from active duty in 1988 from a Pentagon job in the rank of Navy Captain. Subsequently, I spent 20+ years as a Defense Consultant in Northern Virginia working primarily as part of the Navy team. We settled in Charlottesville, VA in 2006 in what is the 13th house we have owned!

I am a DX'er but enjoy an occasional rag-chew. The current station is summarized as follows - see photos:

- Elecraft K3 w/ sub receiver and a P-3, along with an ALFA 8410 linear

- Backup rig: TS-520 & SB-200

- Antennas: 4 El STEPPIR (6-20M), w/ 6 el on 6M on a US Tower TX 472 MDPL (motorized crank-up); 40M 4 Square (some of the verticals seen in the photo), 80M Inverted V on the tower, 265 ft Windom up at about 60 ft, a 4 BTV Vertical, and a K9AY Receive Loop used on 160 & 80M.