I am a lifelong resident of Silver City, NM born in 1955. I attended New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, NM for High School and Jr. College. I first graduated from High School at NMMI in 1973, after first obtaining my Private Pilot's License at age 17. Then in 1975, I graduated from NMMI with my AA Degree. I then received my BBA in 1978 from Western New Mexico University in Silver City, NM and was the Owner/Manager of Gantz Jewelry (a family business since '29) until selling same and retiring early; 1995 due to the beginning of our bad economy.

I received my license in 1976 as WN5TGL, later upgrading and receiving WB5TGL, and now finally W5GZ. I am a Life Member of the ARRL, and hold the 5BDXCC, 160 Meter DXCC, 3 Band WARC DXCCs, and now finally Mixed Honor Roll (Nov., 2012). I also have earned the CW, Phone, and Mixed DXCCs, ALL thru LoTW. The few needed Honor Roll cards were checked at the ARRL (160 meter), or by a card checker in El Paso, TX. Also I now have >1600 on my DXCC Challenge. I have +-500 more DX cards to be checked from my >36 years.

My electronics pride is my totally homebrew HF linear amplifier and power supply that I built in 1984. It uses a pair of 4-400As in grounded grid with a 3100VDC 700 mA supply. It uses a tuned input, and works 80-10 including WARC. It's output is 1150 watts PEP on 80m into my Bird. When I decided to run a KW on 160 in '90, I did not want to tear into an excellent working amp, so I just purchased an Ameritron AL-80A. Excellent amp, but it spends all of it's life on 160m.

I was one of the original builders of our local 2m repeater and 440 remote base systems in the '70s & '80s. I have also held every office at least twice in our local club (Secretary/Treasurer for 8+); the Gila Amateur Radio Society.

I added the Wilson 40m rotatable dipole option (in 2010) to my Wilson SY-33 Yagi that I put up in 1980, and is in the older QSL Pix above. It is better on 40m than my quarter wave vertical, by far. I have been touring the country on my Honda GL-1500 Gold Wing motorcycle w Friendship III Sidecar. I first started motorcycle touring in '82 on a GL-1100A with a Bushtec trailer. I now use a Kwik-Kamp pop-up camper trailer. I am also a GWRRA LIFE member. My real vehicle pride is my 1978 Silver Anniversary Corvette that I have had for 30+ years that uses a 350hp/350cid ZZ4 Chevy engine and TCI tranny, but that is another story.

My son, Jonathan, is KD5HSY. Am I proud? A Family Tradition? You Bet !!

PLEASE SASE or LoTW.   NO E-QSL.

CW RULES! 73! Stan, W5GZ

Rev: W5GZ - Fri Dec 25 21:27:15 1998 EUC: W5GZ MBKOBBRYDQU2U-26263-3 W5GZ@arrl.net