I'm an active contester and make about 10,000 QSO's per year. I'm also in a fairly rare county (Burnet) and as a result receive quite a few QSL requests. If you're planning to send me a QSL card here is how I handle them: All cards will be answered by the same mode received. A SASE assures you of the quickest reply - normally within 24 hours - but is not required. All QSO's made from Burnet County are uploaded to LOTW monthly. Logs for N5AW/0 (Archuleta County, CO) and my 1996 3C5A DXpedition are also on LOTW. Bureau cards are shipped 2 or 3 times per year.
I'm a big fan of LOTW with over 160,000 QSOs loaded and over 40,000 "QSLs" including 5BDXCC and WAS on 7 bands.
I was first licensed in 1955 as KN5ABV. I became N5AW in 1976. I have also held WA6CLR and VE6CGS. Primary interests are DXing and contests.About 80% of my contacts are on CW. I enjoy the challenge of low power and never run more than 100 watts output from my own station. I only need North Korea to reach the top of the CW Honor Role. I received 5BDXCC #386 in 1974 and now have endorsements for 10 bands. I recently completed 200 zone 5BWAZ and have single band WAZ on all bands from 80 through 10 meter CW. I made my first RTTY contact in August 2008 after acquiring a K3 and have now completed the "Triple Play" and have 200 countries on RTTY.
After I retired from Mobil Oil in 2000 my wife Judy and I bought a small ranch (268 acres) in the Texas Hill Country. We built a new home complete with antenna farm on a hill top. It is a tremendous improvement over any of my previous locations. I have 5 towers: 137, 134, 94, 75 and 40 feet. They support various yagi and wire antennas including a 40 meter Moxon, 4 element SteppIR, 3 element SteppIR, two stacked 4 element 20 meter yagis fixed NE, a 7 element M2 six meter yagi, an array of 5 sloping dipoles for 80 meters, and a 40 meter lazy H pointed NW-SE. One tower has six elevated radials for 160 meters and I have two beverages - NE and NW. I recently put up a 6 element OWA 15 meter yagi on a 94 foot tower not shown in the photo.
My dad got me interested in radio at the age of 11. I got my novice at age 13 (KN5ABV) and my dad followed soon after with the call K5EAU. He is now a silent key but my XYL, Judy, got her license so she could keep his call in the family. Our son, Bret, holds KA5NTD but is not active.
I received a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas in 1967. Most of my career was spent working as a geophysicist for Mobil Oil. My work required extensive travel and I've had a few occasions to operate as DX: OA4U, HZ1AB, K5ABV/KL7, N5AW/NH6, N5AW/NP2, SM0/N5AW, and 3C5A. I was also a competitor with team mate N4TZat the 2010 WRTC in Moscow (R31D).
Other interests include nature photography with an emphasis on wildflowers (I'm a Texas Master Naturalist), hiking, cross country skiing, and woodworking.
Rev: N5AW - July 28 2009
