Greetings,

I am a member of the Fort Smith Area Amateur Radio Club, ARRL (LOTW subscriber),FISTS # 11297, CC# 1911, and SKCC #3596.

My gear is an IC 746 and an IC V8000 in the shack with an IC 2720 for mobile. In my workshop is a Kenwood TM-271A to monitor while building CW paddles. Antennas are a 3 element 2M Arrow yagi at 60ft., a Cushcraft A3S tribander at 55 ft, and a G5RV at 45 ft. All are mounted on 55 ft. of Rohn 25 guyed 4 ways at 25ft and 50 ft. The shop antenna is a Ringo Ranger II at 20 ft. I use Bencher Hex Paddles, or a set of homebrew paddles. Lately, I've been building paddles such as the ones pictured above and after using them to get them tuned up, I've been selling them or giving them away to my ham friends.

I have been building a few kits, the Tenna Dipper, Tuna Tin II, Hi-Mite 20, the DC40, BLT tuner, MMR 40, DC30A, DC20A, Scorpion Paddles, the Black Widow paddles,and a CMOS III super keyer. In May of 2008 I finished building the Elecraft K1-4 bands, 15, 20, 30, 40 and it has the auto tuner. Also I built the stand alone Elecraft T1 auto tuner a compact and neat little kit. In june of 08 I completed the PFR-3 with paddles, and the NorCal power meter. I really enjoy the building . I still have lot to learn about electronics and Ham radio but, I am enjoying every minute of it.

I am a HS/JRHI choral music instructor in my 36th year of teaching. My wife Becky and I have been married for 37 years and we have two grown sons Jason, and Colin. A smart and inquisitive Welsh Corgi named "Buster" now supervises the running of the household and radio shack.I prefer to QSL direct and enjoy all the personal notes received with the QSL cards.

73, Dennis R. Burton, N5DRB