NOTE NOTE NOTE --- If you worked me on March 14 while operating as Special Event Station N8P, I am in the process of getting some special QSL cards printed, so please feel free to send me your card with a number 8 size SASE. If sent thru buro, please write in "Via KJ8O" on your card. I am also making plans to this again in 2014.
https://secure.clublog.org/logsearch/KJ8O=== You can check to see if you are in my logbook (QSO may take up to 30 days to appear).
My interest in radio goes back to when I was about 10 years old, when Mom had this 5 tube table top radio in her kitchen that could only receive three local stations. One day while experimenting with it, I managed to log a new station and got all excited. Other radio milestones include Christmas 1964 when receiving a transistor radio from "Santa Claus", summer 1967 when Dad brought home a portable solid state AM/SW/FM receiver, and February 1968 when earning my first QSL card from shortwave broadcast station CFRX in Toronto. Now, over 40 years later, I have over 400 stations logged on MW, over 160 on FM, over 200 on longwave, and over 100 countries (57 verified) on SW.
I became an Extra Class op on April 30, 2007 and I would like to publicly thank all the Elmers who have helped me along my way, either through their technical expertise or their words of encouragement: AB8XF, K2FO (SK), K4BRU, KC8HMJ, AK8I, KD8DLV, N1LF, VE3KXO, and my late uncle, Conrad Bappert - an electrical engineer - with whom I could discuss antennas. Special thanks also goes to W1RV who rekindled my interest in amateur radio several years before taking that first step.
The very top picture include myself (l) and my cousin Martin Foltz (r) a noted SWL listener. The picture with me at the mike is from the Oakland County Amateur Society W8TNO 75th anniversary special event station operation from July 2012.
My affiliations:
Amateur radio activities:
-
2, 6, 10, 12, 15, 17, 20, 40 & 80 meters
-
special event stations
-
DX contests, especially RTTY
-
state QSO parties, time permitting
-
county hunting (1,450 as of 6/16/12)
-
good old-fashioned rag chews
-
digital modes: PSK31, RTTY, Hellschreiber, others on request
-
working portable whenever I can
-
Non-directional beacons (198-429 kHz) if you are interested in this mode, pse call my friend and elmer AA7U)
QSL information:
-
Direct: I respond 100% to paper cards. SASE is appreciated but not necessary.
-
DX: BURO (DX stations:if you send direct, I will return direct, no return postage required)
-
LOTW
-
DCL (through the LOTW and/or eQSL interfaces)
-
eQSL
-
QRZ
Equipment (HF):
-
Icom 7410, Icom 718 for back up
-
Rigblaster Plug and Play
-
LDG AT-7000 autotuner
-
Hustler 5BTV antenna, ground mounted with 32 radials
-
Heil ICM Microphone
-
Astron RS35M Power Supply
-
Jetstream external speaker
Equipment (VHF):
-
Kenwood TM271A
-
Jetstream JTB 2 antenna approx 30' in height
Equipment (mobile):
-
Yaesu FT-2800M
-
Yaesu VX-170
-
Generic 1/4 wave magnet mount antenna
Listening post for LW, MW, SW, FM, VHF monitoring:
-
Sony ICF-2010
-
Grundig Satellit 800 Millenium
-
Radio Shack Loop Antenna
-
Realistic DX-160 (used occasionally)
Awards:
-
DXCC #44396, Mixed, December 2010
-
DXCC #2,918, Digital, November 2011
-
DXCC #40,644, Phone, April 2012
-
DXCC 20 meter endorsement
-
WAS Mixed #53645, March 2009, endorsements 20m, 40m, PSK31, Phone
-
WAS RTTY #888, January 2011, endorsements 40m
-
CQ WPX Digital #51, January 2011
-
PODXS070 Loyal Order of Narrowbanded Phaseshifters #172, December 2010
-
Feld Hell Club, Gridloc Bronze level, February 2011
Publications:
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Whites/Whites%20Vol%2051%20No%204%20Aug-Sept%201969.pdf TU Rich KC8HMJ
Closing comments:
Many thanks and a big 73 to all who have sent their QSLs, uploaded into Logbook of the World and/or eQSL.
My family includes my wife Irene, daughter Monica, our granddog Cali. Our very spoiled cat, Sammy, passed away in February 2009 but his memory lives on. He is pictured at http://www.universal-radio.com/catdir/cuscat47.html .
I graduated from Michigan State University W8SH, and with a Masters from Colorado Technical University, and am registered as a Certified Public Accountant, where I work in healthcare finance.
* * * *** *** * *** *** *** *** * * * * * * *** *** *** * * *** * *** * *** *** *** *** *** *** * * *** *** ***
Socialists, therefore, by endeavoring to transfer the possessions of individuals to the community at large, strike at the interests of every wage-earner, since they would deprive him of the liberty of disposing of his wages, and thereby of all hope and possibility of increasing his resources and of bettering his condition in life. (Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 15 May 1891)
Socialism only works in two places: Heaven where they don't need it and hell where they already have it." (Ronald Reagan)
