>> Click here - for photos from my August 2012BWCA DXpedition. KX1, QAMP20 (40 meters), EndFed long wire & Tractor battery.

>> For a walk around the yard with the dogs, in the snow, (Click Here)

As a kid, my folks were friends with a family where the Dad was a Ham. I remember being intrigued by all the dials, meters, lights and his straight key. Although I never saw him operate it, or even have it on, it remains one of my earliest memories of the hobby.

I've always had an interest in electronics, especially radios. I took apart the family phonograph while in kindergarten. While growing up, we had a cabin several miles from the local waste-site where I was a regular Sunday morning visitor. It was a gold mine of discarded radios, TVs, clocks and other items (never identified and probably containing carcinogens) which supplied me with toys to be tweaked and played with. I’m sure you can remember back in the 60’s when radios were in wood cabinets and their schematics pasted inside the back panel. I learned how to read schematics by following the circuits and associating the parts with their symbols. Somehow I managed to figure out how they worked, what tubes were inner-changeable (and not!) and what NOT to touch when the radio is plugged in. Looking back I don't remember much parental supervision -that may explain a few things.

Adolescence found me with multiple Walkie Talkie sets with which I talked to CB’ers. However, my real passion from junior high on was building and flying model airplanes. I currentlybelong to the Stillwater Sod Buster RC club and generally have two planes under various stages of development down here in the Shop / Marconi Shack.

Zip past college to my carrier as an Electrical Engineer, where I’ve been writing software / firmware since the late seventies. Back in the early days programming was without the aid of a PC - that’s another story to be shared over a long rag-chew. In 1985 a couple of Ham engineers encouraged several of us to get our ticket. Later that year we did and enjoyed the hobby as a group for a few years, until the company (high-tech) went belly up.

Modes back then included SSB, PACKET, SSTV, RTTY – but no CW, just enough to pass the test.

I was first licensed as a Technician, upgrading six months later to Advanced. In January of 2012 I acheived Extra. Over the Thanksgiving weekend (2011), while rummaging through the attic, I ran across my old Extra class manual. I was “all set to go” back in 88’ to upgrade (achieved the code speed, and was close on the technical material) when the stork brought us a bundle of ADD joy! Looking through the manual and seeing my notes and highlighted text, I decided it was time to give it another try. Two months later I passed - the FCC upgraded the registration on my birthday.

Today, my favorite mode is CW, via Vibroplex bug or straight key when operating QRP. Some days I do work side band for some variety, participating in contests or to listen in when not sitting in front of the radio. I even have a circa 1959 Collins 75S-1 Receiver in the kitchen, for some "easy listening."

Many thanks to those who stuck through a long rag chew - my favorite. I've made manyfriends via CW, and love picking up where we Ieft-off from a previous QSO. Looking forward to chatting with you again down the log!!

Memberships include:

President of the Stillwater Amature Radio Association - SARA WØJH-(click here)- repeater (147.060 MHz + offset 114.8 hz)

Active on the nightly SARA rag-chew - 8:00 (cst) on 1.903 mHz

SKCC #9062
NAQCC #5986
FISTS #15704
Flying Pigs#2945

DX QSL via - eQSL or Log Book of the World - Thanks!

73'- Peter NØGRM

P.S. Please click on the "web" tab at the top of this page and enter your call sign - Tnx