I acquired VE3BR on August 2, 2012; I also hold my previous callsign VE3FDT.

My first QSO was made (on CW of course!) in 1971 at SP2KDT club station. I passed my ham license exam soon after, but had to wait until the mid-70s to get my first "ham ticket" because of the minimum licensing age of 15. My call-sign was SP2ADW and until I was 18 I could only operate CW and only on 80 and 40 meters, with the mind boggling maximum power of 20 Watts. Exhilarating times!

After receiving my "adult" 50 Watts all bands / all modes license I continued until 1981. After that I had a 25 years break from the hobby until I decided to resurrect myself as a ham and started again as VE3FDT.

I still like contesting and DXing and look forward to more of it.

Today I operate on all HF bands, all modes (OK, no SSTV), but CW was the "first love" and will always remain the mode of choice.

Right now I am trying to squeeze some DXing and contesting juice out of a Ten-Tec Jupiter, a roof mounted (on an 8 foot mini tower) 5 band hexbeam for 20-17-15-12-10 meters and a DX-Engineering 80/40 dual band vertical ("postage stamp size" city lot could not fit much more).

I like exchanging QSL cards and QSL 100% (bureau, direct and LoTW). I do not e-QSL.

LoTW is preferred, but I like paper QSLs, too. Particularly uniquely designed ones. I am sure there are enough "smart cookies" (or "clever biscuits") to keep the originality flowing.

If I need your QSL, you will hear from me. If you need my QSL, you can simply send yours direct or via bureau, or to speed things up request my QSL using the ClubLog OQRS. Use the ClubLog log search below to check if you are in the log and to access OQRS. I will send my QSL; receiving yours would be much appreciated.

The picture above was taken in the Gallery of Antiquities of the British Museum some years ago: the other guy is Darius the Great. I was VE3FDT back then; his callsign could not be determined.

If the above picture was taken today, it could look like the one below. The other guy would still be Darius the Great with an undetermined callsign and I would be VE3BR.