My father was W2BSN and my mother was K2AHG, so I come by this hobby legitimately. I grew up with a station in the kitchen, and a very social group of hams in the north western part of NY near Watertown in Jefferson county. It still took me until I was a teenager to get a license.
I was originally Licensed in 1962 as WN2CLT. Upgraded to technician WB2CLT in 1963. General in 2000. I acquired my father's call, W2BSN, in September 2003 under the vanity call program.
I served as an Aviation Electronics Technician (ATN) in Vietnam in an A-6A Intruder squadron (VA-35) from NAS Oceania VA.1965 - 1969. Two 7 month cruises in the Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club aboard the USS Enterprise helped me to complete my 4 year enlistment. Then came a career in computer service that spanned 36 years and 4 companies.
My wife Eileen, and I raised a son, Jim, and a daughter Tracy, and family always came first.
I was finally able to resume my hobby as the children grew older and I had more time available. In March 2004, I repaired a Johnson Viking II that had been gathering dust for 20+ years, and coupled it with my Collins R-388. Suddenly I was on the air with AM! I still find joy in that mode.
On June 4th 2004 I passed the Extra exam at the Rochester Hamfest and added SSB capability to my station with a Kenwood TS-440SAT.
The Henry 2-K Desktop Classic amplifier was added in Nov. 2009 this puts out 1kw PEP from a pair of 3-500Z's.
My AM station is currently a Collins R-388/51J-3 receiver and a Johnson Valiant transmitter. The Valiant was resurrected after someone gutted the audio section and tried to 'improve' it.
For classic SSB I use a Drake R4C and T4XC with an Ameritron AL-811. For low power SSB I use a Central Electronics 20-A along with a Lakeshore 'Band Hopper' VFO and a Hallicrafters SX-100.
80 and 40 meters are my favorite bands, at least until the sunspots pick up again.
Antenna is a half wave 80m wire dipole, which also supports half wave dipoles for 40m 20m and 17m. The orientation is NW to SE These are fed with a single RG-8U co-ax per the ARRL Handbook. Using the built in tuner of my TS-440, I can load this antenna on all bands from 80m to 10m. With an external tuner I can also work on 160, but it is a pain to reconfigure.
I am the Associate Curator and Registrar at the Antique Wireless Association's Museum of Electronic Communications in Bloomfield NY. (SE of Rochester 20mi) This has turned into an exciting and fulfilling new direction for me in my retirement.
Memberships: Antique Wireless Association (AWA, Life Member), Rochester Amateur Radio Assn (RARA), Rochester DX Assn (RDXA), ARRL. I serve on the Board of Directors at AWA and RDXA.
WAS, DXCC, WAZ
I also enjoy black & white photography in my own darkroom, and riding my 1973 750cc Honda motorcycle. (Yes, I am the original owner.)
