Biography by KB9PTD

A Popularizer of Science and Technology, Putative Philosopher, Physicist, Vitalist, Christian, Legally Ordained Minister, Patriot, Staunch Supporter of the U.S. Constititution and Bill of Rights, Dr.Ace Ratliff has held Callsigns including KA9SKG, N9EWX, WH2T and U.S. Army M.A.R.S. Callsign AAR5RB.

He is a long time F.C.C. licensed Amateur Radio Operator,ARRL Accredited Volunteer Examiner and a past member of the FCC's Field Operations Bureau Amateur Auxiliary.

After tinkering with radio receivers and experimenting with antennas since an early age, in 1974 Ace Ratliff at the age of 16 worked in a factory till he earned enough money to buy a mono-band HF transceiver and some coax. After scrounging up a transformer, some TV sweep tubes and other miscellaneous parts he persuaded his older brother Rick “WD9DJV” into home brewing Ace’s first linear amplifier.

Hungry for more power Ace enrolled in a 2 year Vocational-Technical Electronics Course of Study. His plan was to learn how to design and build a home brew amplifier capable of easily producing more than a Kilo-Watt RF output. As it turned out his Chief Instructor William McClintock “W9MZ” a Retired Naval Officer with 26 years service had already designed and built such an amp for himself in the 1950s. Having learned among other things how to design and build RF linear amplifiers, Ace graduated #1 in his class.

Then Ace joined the U.S. Army and was immediately trained in Radar and Guided Missile Electronics and was later trained as a Military Policeman. Ace enrolled in college on the G.I. bill.

Vita

1980 Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Lincoln Christian College – Lincoln, IL.

1987 Associate Applied Science in Electronics Technology from Indiana Vocational Technical College - Bloomington, IN.

1989 Master of Religious Education from Luther Rice Baptist Seminary -Jacksonville, FL.

1999 Ph.D. In Theological Studies degree in applied Christian studies - Pacific College of Graduate Studies – Poplar Bluff, MO.

Dr.Ace has built and experimented with some fairly large HF wire antennas, such as a 3 wavelength horizontal loop for 160 meters. He has also used a 160 meter band Horizontal Full Wave Loop antenna with very good success, working all 50 states and many countries with 100 Watts using the antenna on the 160 meter band. He currently uses a 1/4 wave inverted L antenna on 160 Meters and a 75 Meter Full Wave Delta Loop. Operating on the 6 thru 160 Meter bands with an antenna tuner.And operating a Big Signal 2 meter station mainly on FM Simplex.

Some of his antenna building data can be seen at

http://www.bloomington.in.us/~wh2t/ant.htm

Dr. Ace is G.E.R.A.T.O.L. Member # 2085, O.M.I.S.S. Member # 3629, Motley Crew Member # G.P.87 and AM International Member #1362

He is also the President and Trustee of station KB9RVS A.C.E.S. Club.

A.C.E.S. is an acronym for Amateur Communications Expert Society. The Club is G.E.R.A.T.O.L. Member # 2216 The Club WebPage is located at http://mywebpage.netscape.com/Dr69Ace/index.htm

Dr. Ace and I his wife "KB9PTD" live on a hobby type farm of a few acres called "Back Acre Farm" located in rural Indiana.

We have owned several horses, a goat and other animals. We now enjoy having dogs, cats, chickens, and horses.