I'm glad the Technician license was no-code as it gave me a kick start, but I'm also glad to have earned a Code-required General license. That will give me a modicum of OM standing, as the amateur ranks soon begin to fill up with other aurally handicapped folks.

I spent countless hours tuning an old National 100 in the ham-shack built by my uncle Harold (W9QJE) in 1939 in Joplin. That same shack and National rcvr reside on the property of my brother Adrian (K5WQ) in Inola, OK. See pictures from 1939 and also from before and after reconstruction at http://www.gilstrapfield.com/index_files/Page347.htm

I'm a chemist and an Orthodox Christian priest (Orthodox priests are married - see my spouse of 35 years and mother of 6, Tatiana, in the above taken at our daughter's wedding.)

I worked at Indiana University for 20 years and am published in Geochemistry, Chemical Archaeology, and Analytical Chemistry of the Rare Rarth Elements. The latter helped me land a job in an automotive catalyst plant back home in Oklahoma when I was ordained to pastor an Orthodox Christian Mission in the Tulsa area.

My youngest son Peter (KE5KXX) and I are members of the Heartland Antique Radio Association and the Broken Arrow Amateur Radio Club. After the Tulsa Hamfest we now each have both 70cm and 2m Icom HTs. He is 16.

My main station (once it is repaired) will be a Ten-Tec OMNI 545 which I bought used along with a complement of accessories and a few more I picked up on e-bay. I have more Boat Anchors than modern equipment. My most prized receiver is the R-390a my brother bought me about 15 years ago.

I have a couple of things in the planning stages, firstly an HF net for Orthodox Christian Amateur Radio operators. OCAR is an informational group designed to promote awareness of amateur radio among Orthodox Christians, and to facilitate communication between the otherwise disconnected far-flung Orthodox hams. (See the picture of mnks on Mt Athos erecting an antenna at http://www.hfnet.org )