WA4YHA
"Your Hokie Amateur"
Norman Jones - Blue Ridge, VA

Welcome!- I'm Norman Jones WA4YHA. Originally from Jonesville, VA, I now live at Blue Ridge, VA (near Roanoke) with my wife Tammy. I am a Virginia Tech graduate (Agriculture Economics 1977) and, yes indeed, I am a Hokie nut! I have toned down some of the Hokie decoration on this page due to concerns about inappropriate use of copyrighted logos, etc. Hokie fan or otherwise, you are welcome here. 73 and Thanks for coming by! - Norm

My Ham Radio Story - I left my old home, way back in the mountains.

For wiring diagram of a PK-12 TNC to a Radio Shack HTX 252 2m rig : go to my qsl.net web page.

Check out my Hokie Page at http://www.qsl.net/wa4yha/

My Ham Radio Story

Growing up on the family farm near Jonesville, VA, my brother Dennis and I often listened at night to a small tube-type AM radio. We were able to pick up a number of stations. My favorite was WSM from Nashville, TN home of the Grand Ole Opry. As we listened to the music I wondered how radio signals could travel such great distances, be received by our little radio and then be transformed into the music that we listened to.

Occasionally I would visit a cousin who was a ham operator. Observing him as he communicated with other hams on a small 2 meter rig and and hearing the CW code identifier ignited my first spark of interest in communications.

While I was in high school, several of my friends became involved in Citizens Band radio. I saw this as a relatively inexpensive way to communicate via the air waves and soon became an 11-meter enthusiast. CB was fun for a while but it became apparent that communicating long distances with a 25 watt mobile unit was not practical - especially from the deep mountain valleys of southwestern Virginia. I longed for better capabilities.

After I received my drivers license , I begin to visit my cousin Wayne in Kingsport, Tn., His ham station (W4DMS, now N4TN) was a huge fascination for me. He could talk on SSB with another ham in Texas or South Africa just as clearly and easily as he talked to me sitting next to him. I was amazed, to say the least! Then he talked to another ham using 'CW' or Morse code. Now I was caught, hook, line and sinker! With Wayne as my Elmer, I obtained my Novice ticket in 1976. I still appreciate his help and encouragement.

What an exciting time to be a Novice! To me there was nothing like sitting up late at night, working the 80 meter Novice band. After gritting your teeth through the static crashes, you are rewarded by the rush of W6 and W7 calls from the west coast! I upgraded to a General class ticket in 1978. Even though this allowed me voice privileges, CW was, and still is, my favorite way of communicating.

Soon came college, then a job, marriage to my XYL (Tammy), and children (Stephanie and Alex). My time on the air gradually shrank as priorities changed. We moved here to Blue Ridge, VA in 1991 and did not set my station back up until February 2010.

Sadly it took the death of my elmer to perk my interest back into the fabulous world of ham radio .

I've met a great group of friends on the Virginia Fone Net where currently I handle Net Control duties for the Saturday afternoon net which meets at 4 PM on 3.947 MHZ.

The Virginia Fone Net meets daily at 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM on 3.947 MHZ . Please join us . http://rhtiller.com/vafonenet

CW is still my favorite mode of operation and enjoy working the Virginia QSO Party and Field Day as a class D operator.

My kids are now grown and on their own . Tammy and I are fortunate to spend a lot time with our two grandkids Ryleigh and Quinten.

Since my parents have passed, my brother Dennis and I share caregiver responsibility for our older brother Bill. He spends one month here in Blue Ridge then the next month with Dennis and family. Bill was born with CP and has been home bound his entire life. What a life it's been for someone whom the doctor wanted my mom to just let die in the hospital at birth.

73's Norm