About
FCC licensed Extra Class Radio Operator and have been licenced since 1992. Retired Army Master Sergeant and work in Cybersecurity. In my years of ham radio I have taken the EMCOMM and SKYWARN training and been a part of the NWS Spotter for years mostly in the early 2000s. Since being in the military and other life's adventures I moved around but now I am settled in Villa Rica, GA and looking to build out my station and put up a tower.
My activites are mostly around contesting, emergency communications which is now legacy in the internet age, digital modes and morse code which I intend to get better at. In 2023 my focus will be Parks on the Air and Summits on the Air as I continue to build out my station.
In 2019 I married a Brazilian and moved to Goiania, Goias Brazil. I don't speak Portuguese but learned some of the basics, enough to understand the questions on the Amateur Radio test. August 2022 I passed the ANATEL Radioamador Class C license and was issued the callsign PU2FTU. After 4 years and COVID we moved back to GA in December 2022. We continue to maintain residence in Brazil and may operate from there from time to time.
~2005-2014 I lived in Stafford, Virginia and ran the WS4VA website, participated in ARES and SKYWARN program. Since I was commuting to Alexandria and Leesburg DASA - a good 4 hours every day what else was there to do than to be on the radio either listening to HF nets or 2meter repeaters. During this time I assisted or helped with several Emergency Communications events with the State and Local Governments. Later becoming more involved in Search and Rescue with several organizations and the Stafford Volunteer Ground Search & Rescue with the Sheriff's Department part of the COVSAR. During that time I was Call Out Qualified to Field Team Member and Certified Tracker.
In 1996 I passed my Tech license with 5 WPM Morse Code test. Lots of studying and listening to Gordon West WB6NOA Cassette tapes. This was a challenge; but lots of studying - I passed. This gave me the small advantage but soon later they removed the CW requirement.
How I got started
My Grandfather KK4YN got me hooked on radios and electronics in 1992, I began reading and asking questions about ham radio and exploring all the equipment that was in his shack. At the National Scout Jamboree in 1993 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia I received my CSCE for Novice Written element. JOTA had a radio station set up to use, but I never did make a QSO, I just spent plenty of time watching and listening to the waves. After the Jamboree I studied for the Technician Plus, which I passed at the next exam session I attended gaining the callsign KE4GPB. A few months later I earned the 5 wpm Morse Code element with the callsign KE4RLX. While working to pass the 13WPM test they removed code requirement.
I remember staying the weekend at his house and him telling me about his dipoles, tower antennas and radio configuration to include a review of his QSL cards. At that time, so young in my teens this was lots of information that really didn't register. Technology was advancing at light speed. We attended several Virginia Beach hamfests which were amazing, nothing like it since. Dealing with paging services with filters and then later the broadband issues. Come full circle paging services are no more, its all online. Hamfests are sparce and basic communication is social media and images.