As one spends more time in ham radio one's interests change. When I got my start as a ham I was only interested in working DX. Now days i don't have the patience for pile-ups so I like to ragchew on CW, organize and assist with public service radio, and work the short contests like NA Sprint and CWOPS CWT as CW QRP. For a while I was a traffic handler but I got tired of the bulk traffic so I am taking a break. I may get back into it later on as I think it is good practice for emergency and public service communications.  Recently I have started using DStar. 

I am a member and past board member of the Oro Valley Amateur Radio Club, a new and fast-growing club on the Northwest side of Tucson, AZ. I am also the Emergency Coordinator for the Oro Valley area.  I really like helping new hams learn about the hobby so I am one of the official club Elmers.  I also maintain the OVARC website - tucsonhamradio.org.

I am active in the Arizona ScQRPions QRP club. We are trying to get a Tucson chapter running to augment the Phoenix meetings.

One of my proudest moments was being invited to join the CW Operator's Club. This is a great bunch of hams dedicated to keeping CW alive and helping others get proficient at CW via the CW Academy. I am a recent graduate of the Academy and it really made a difference in my enjoyment of CW. I recently completed a semester as a Level 1 Advisor for the CW Academy.   It is amazing how the CW Academy teaching method can take dedicated students from 0 to 20wpm in 8 weeks. 

I spend most of the summer in North Bend, WA outside of Seattle so we can visit our kids and grandkids and get out of the AZ heat. I have joined the Pacific Northwest QRP group in Washington and have learned a lot about QRP operating. The annual Salmoncon is a really outstanding event. I also joined the Issaquah Radio Club and really enjoyed attending their meetings. Hope to get involved with some of their operating events in summers to come.

My primary rig is a QRP Elecraft KX3.  I have an Elecraft KXPA100 for those times when QRP is not enough like CW Academy skeds and public service communications. I also have started building QRP kits like the Rockmite and Pig Rig. My backup rig is a non-ND FT-817 with the original Z11 tuner.

I recently got bit by the DStar bug.  I bought an ICOM ID-51A and since I don't have line of sight to any DStar repeaters or simplex gateways I have been working on creating my own.  I have a MoenComm GMSK modem and a DVAP.  The DVAP along with a Raspberry Pi will be my portable node and the MoenComm will be my station node.   

Hope to meet you down the log,

73, Bob

Emergency Coordinator, Oro Valley, AZ

CWOPS #1173

10-10 #22287

QRP ARCI #11444

FISTS #9958

Flying Pigs #2877

NAQCC #6091

SKCC #9441C