My interest in radio started at an early age. My father was into Citizen's Band (CB) radio as were many people in the 1970's and I used to go into my fathers CB room with him in the house and listen to him talk with friends via CB radio. His license was KAJZ-3364. He used the "handle" of Daffy Duck.

After I started operating CB radio I wanted to explore the world of ham radio. I had a friend or two that were hams and after spending some time with them I knew that I had to become a ham.

I was first licensed in October 1991. I came into the hobby on the no code tech license and stayed there for some time. I worked mainly LEO satellites using FM 2 meters and 70 centimeters and of course local 2 Meter/70 Centimeter FM repeaters.

In September 2002 while recovering from a automobile accident I upgraded to General and within the next few months worked my way to a Extra class license. Having discovered HF I am having a blast with my very minimal setup. I use the Kenwood TS-440S and a G5RV type dipole up 60 feet in a flat top configuration. 80 - 10 meters with up to 600 watts if necessary via a Ameritron Al-811. I have recently installed a Maco V58 5/8 wave vertical ground plane about 30 feet in the air for 10 meters. I've found that with my MFJ 986 Roller Inductor tuner it plays well on 10 - 17 meters as well and surprisingly well on 40 meters.

I just recently started getting on RTTY and BPSK31,BPSK63 andBPSK125!

Here's My QTH:

And here's the station:

I respond to all QSL/SWL requests just drop me an S.A.S.E. if you would please! Of course DX stations can just send a card I'll be happy to eat the postage.

I've had the good fortune to operate portable satellite while on vacation from the following locations:

March 1999 - N8QGC/KP2 Megans Bay St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Here's the photo of me operating from Megans Bay St. Thomas, USVI

December 2000 - Honeymoon Cruise on Carnival Cruise Lines. N8QGC/6Y5 from Ocho Rios,Jamaica

ZF2SE from Grand Cayman, and N8QGC/MM from the ship while at sea in various grid squares.

June 2002 - Cruise to Bermuda on Carnival Cruise Lines. N8QGC/VP9 from Royal Naval Dockyard and N8QGC/VP9 from Horseshoe Beach, Bermuda and N8QGC/MM from various grid squares while at sea.

February 2003 - Short Western Caribbean Cruise. All operations were from different grid squares in the US and then N8QGC/MM while at sea.

December 2004 - Eastern Caribbean Cruise N8QGC/C6A from Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. N8QGC/KP2 Megans Bay St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. VP2V/N8QGC from The Baths, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands and N8QGC/PA/MM from various grid squares while at sea.

I've also been fortunate enough to operate from Pearl Harbor Oahu, Hawaii. My wife and I visted there in March 2004. I had arranged to visit the USS Missouri and tour it with my wife. I contacted the USS Missouri Radio Club and requested to operate while I was there. They accomodated me and I had a ball. Info can be found here for how to opearate from this fantastic ship with such a rich naval history:

http://www.kh6bb.org/operations.html

I used N8QGC/KH6 and KH6BB the USS Missouri Club call.

The following are callsigns that I've used for operations and will be happy to QSL for: N8QGC, N8QGC/6Y5, N8QGC/MM, N8QGC/PA/MM, N8QGC/C6A, VP2V/N8QGC, N8QGC/KP2, N8QGC/VP9, N8QGC/KH6, and ZF2SE (ZF2SE is good for 2000 and 2001 only) Hopefully, more will follow!

I'm an avid dx'er and enjoy the hobby imensely.

Other cool radio things that I've done:

On April 11,1994 I worked with the Hazel Park Amateur Radio Club http://hparc.org/ to facilitate a SAREX contact between STS-59 Space Shuttle Endeavour Mission Commander Sidney M. Gutierrez and students at Ealy Elementary School in West Bloomfield, MI. We used the callsign W8JXU which is the Hazel Park Radio Club's call sign and Christine Ode N8WIQ; who at the time was 11 years old initated the contact and operated the radio for the children who had been preselected to ask Commander Guiterrez questions.

Rick K8RWG ex(KB8SLD) and I became the first hams I know of to work Aeronautical Satellite Mobile into AO-27 in November 1994 from Rick's airplane at 2400 feet over Lake Erie.

I'm a member of the ARRL www.arrl.org and the Southeastern Michigan DX Association visit us at www.semdxa.org

I am also an amateur musician. I've been playing trumpet since the late 70's and play in the Downriver Community Band as well as occaisionally playing in the Schoolcraft College Jazz Ensemble and my church St. Cyprian's Roman Catholic Church.

Search my Log:

73 and good DX de John N8QGC.

Ham Radio Awards and band counts:

5BWAC, DXCC (Mixed)(Phone)(CW), WAE, 3B9C Nevada Rodrigues Trophy North America Low Power 3rd place. ARRL A-1 Operator.

DXCC: All Time Mixed 271 Phone 242, CW 211, RTTY 68

DXCC Mixed By Band:
10M - 149 12M - 127 15M - 180 17M -106 20M - 216 30M -79 40M - 173 60M -7 80M - 124 160M - 28