I am retired and live out in the country on a couple of acres abt. 20 mi. N of Green Bay and along the Bay of Green Bay with my XYL and a modest antenna farm. I have 2- boys,a daughter, and 10 wonderful grandchildren.
Our home just after our recent blizzard 21Dec2012 - Shack is to the left of the tower.
My first curiousity in ham radio was established when my neighbor was putting up a big tower next door at the ripe young age of 13 in 1959. His name was Warren Anderson K9LOM (Sk) and he gave me a book and an Allied radio code oscillator to work on. One year later he took me to that big scarey brick building, 90 mi. east of Rockford, in big downtown Chicago. I still remember all those evil looking guys standing around watching over you real closely! I passed and became WN9BLH.
My dad bought me a Heathkit AR-3 receiver and I put up a long wire out into our woods. Soon thereafter with some elmering from some other hams, I built my 1st 807 xtal controlled xmtr. Then after my paper boy's funds built up, I was able to obtain a Viking Adventurer and even a VF-1 VFO. Was active on 40 and 80m CW into the wee hours of the morning every nite. That worked for a few years before my interest in cars and girls came along and then I went QRT for a 4-yr. stint in the USN, two of which was the brown water Navy in the Mekong Delta of S. Viet Nam.
Upon return, I studied in a local Technical College in Electronics Technolgy for 2-yrs. while pursuing a trade as a Journeyman Tool & Die Maker. Worked as a Tool Maker for many years and later doing some Manufacturing Engineering and consulting. Also had my own shop.
Then about a year after the kids had all left home in 1993, the XYL and I was camping out in the Black Hills of SD. The campground host's motorhome had a bunch of antennas on it and I knew exactly what those were! The fire was rekindled. I left there a few days later and made a bee-line to Watertown, SD for a visit to the local ham radio store. You know the rest of the story!
Re-licensed in 1994 and went from novice to extra in a very short time, passed the 20wpm CW first.The cw never left my head. I was licensed as KB9JAI, then as W9YQ, and now NS9I. Wanted a short call as I do a lot of contesting and chasing DX. I recently obtained the Honor Roll mixed with 335 countries. My current stats are 335w/335c mixed, 331w/328c CW, 322w/322c SSB, and 248w/204c Digital. CW is my 1st love, enjoy RTTY and more recently some JT65. Like rag-chewing as well. Also have WAS on all 9-bands worked and confirmed and only need AK on 6m. Have all 40-zones on 6-bands too.
The present station is:
Elecraft K-3 - Elecraft KPA500 500w SS Amp. - Elecraft W2 SWR/Wattmeter - Elecraft KAT500 AutoTuner - MicroHam MicroKEYER II for all modes - LP-PAN and EMU-0202 ext. SC feeding Nap3 - DXLab Suite for logging and N1MM for contesting.
Antennas are:
20-6m 55ft. Crank-up/Tiltover Tower with a Hygain TH7DXX at the top and a Homebrew 6-el OWA Yagi of W4RNL design and a Tailtwister Rotor controlled by a Green Heron.
160m - Inverted L up 65 ft. and out 85' over a K2AV design FCP. Rcv antennas are two Pennants facing NE and SW.
160m and 80m - Hmbw OCFdipole up at 55'
40m - hmbw 1/2 square - 30, 17, 12m Warc a hmbw fan dipole up 50' pointed NE and SW
Current Station
For the last few years the xyl and I spend our winters Jan. thru Mar. down in the Panhandle of Fl. on the Gulf on Cape San Blas. EL79. Of course the radio goes too!
Other interests include fishing on the numerous lakes and rivers around here, and did I mention playing with ham radio and computers and building new antennas?
Fishing is great on the big Bay of Green Bay
I belong to NEWDXA (Northeastern WI DX Associaiton) and CW OPS.
DIRECT QSL'S ONLY RETURNED WITH SASE!!! WE QSL ELECTRONICALLY VIA LOTW AND EQSL.cc. I ANSWER DX BURO CARDS VIA THE SAME. THANK YOU NIDXA!
Hope to see you on all bands and modes, 73’s and DX., Dwight NS9I
Plese sign up for log book of the world at https://p1k.arrl.org/lotw/docreq
