My dad had been in broadcast radio when I was in elementary, middle and high school. I spent time at the station as a kid, and my cousin was into electronics kit building, which I was enamored by.

Softmore year of high school a friend was thinking of getting into the hobby (but sadly never did) and showed me the Now You Are Talking book. I think was the first I ever heard of ham radio. I walked to Radio Shack after school and got my own copy. After boning up on that, I called the 1-800-NEW-HAM number to find a local testing session. Sadly the only thing listed was 50 miles away, and I didn't feel up to asking my folks to drive me that far.

The next Christmas I asked for a police scanner for a local department store. Shortly there after, I stumbled into what I later understood to be a 2 meter ham radio net. This is how I learned of a local testing session in 3 days at a local high school. I got a ride, and passed.

I got into this hobby while in high school in the late 90's. Fortunately I found similar age and like minded peers through an adjacent school's ham radio/techology club.

I've always been more interested in the experimental/technical side of ham radio, as opposed to the operational side. I like ham radio aspects that tie in computers, particularly if they incorporate the openness of the non-proprietary Linux opperating system.

My current areas of interest include; HSMM, Asterisk, Digital Voice applications, and microwave applications. I'm also always interested in elmering and encouraging new and younger hams to explore new ideas.

http://www.qsl.net/kb9mwr/

I live in the Village of Allouez just south of Green Bay and North of De Pere, WI.

Allouez has the largest population density of amateur radio operators per square mile in Brown County, WI. The Village is composed only 4.6 square miles of land, yet has nearly 45 hams.