I started out as a SWL on grandmother's Zenith "Black Eye" floor radio, I was just fascinated with the dials that let me listen to those otherwise unheard bands called short wave. Over the years I studied radio theory and remained a shortwave listener. Finally after 42 years in November of 2004 I received my Technician license.

Looking back it was the Amateur Radio Handbook my Dad bought for me when I was 10 that really got me interested in the hobby. With it I learned theory, radio receiver design, operational procedures, and antenna design. Listening and rebuilding radios manufactured long before I was born brought me great pleasure over the years. My earliest receiver, a three tube regenerative, was hand built in the early 1920’s. It is wired with square iron drawn wire, a crystal oscillator from “Woolworth's”, (part of an very early crystal set), with all of the components mounted on a pine board, inside a pine cabinet. It requires a small room of batteries to operate. In recent years satellite communications have been my main interest. Fortunately, I live on a farm and have plenty of room for antennas. An added bonus is we are on the second highest point in our county and actually look down at our local 2M repeater.

Now that I have my license I looking forward to using my knowledge for OSCAR, testing out my antenna design ideas and using APRS.

I am currently employed as the CIO of an international industrial distribution and logistics firm.