I am still a ham ‘newbie’, having received my FCC Amateur General Class Radio Operator License in late March 2023 and then Amateur Extra Class License in April 2024. While I had a youthful interest in radio and broadcast radio was my first (albeit, short-term) ‘career’, I hadn’t pursued the amateur radio activity until just recently.
The majority of my professional career was spent in the telecommunications and information systems business – working first for the telco (AT&T, Southern Bell, and BellSouth Advanced Systems), then creating network and people management information systems for telecom industry in various product design and executive positions. My last ‘corporate gig’ was as the IT executive for the call center outsourcing division of a Fortune200 company. I’ve done independent systems consulting and custom development for the last 25+ years and have mostly retired from “work”.
When considering what to keep me intellectually engaged and challenged in my ‘retirement’, I had a look back to my old interest in amateur radio and found something pretty exciting.
I’ve put together a modest shack and mobile configuration that includes:
- Yaesu FTDX10 HF Transceiver w/SP-30 Speaker
- Yaesu FT-991A HF/VHF/UHF Transceiver w/SP-10 Speaker
- Yaesu FP-1030A Power Supply
- MFJ-969 Versa Tuner II
- 135′ EndFed Random Wire w/9:1 UnUn – mounted along top of 6′ wooden fence (Thanks, HOA)
- Yaesu FTM-500D VHF/UHF C4FM/FM Transceiver (home)
- Ed Fong DBJ-1 2m/70cm dual band J-pole mounted on roof at about 20′
- Yaesu FT5DR HT Transceiver
- Yaesu FT-70D HT Transceiver
- Quansheng UV-K5(8) HT Transceiver w/F4HWN v3.0 firmware mod
- TYT MD-UV390Plus 10w HT – just for something different
- Yaesu FTM-500D VHF/UHF C4FM/FM Transceiver (mobile)
- Comet SBB-2NMO on mag mount (just fits under garage door)
- openSpot4 Plus multi-mode Digital Radio Internet Gateway ‘hotspot’
- MacMini 3.2GHz 6-core I7 / 16Gb MacOS Ventura (dedicated)
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W 512Mb running Ham Clock
- Raspberry Pi 4B 8Gb
B: 30AH Battery, FP-1030a, FTDX10, SP-30, macMini
To-date, I’ve focused on several digital modes (PSK31, FT8, WSPR), V/UHF local repeaters, and exploring various Reflectors and Rooms via FCS, WIRES, and others.
Most of my voice (via HF SSB) contacts have been done while operating in the field – largely in state and national parks that are identified as POTA entities. Being away from the interference of the city environment and antenna restrictions of the Home Owners Association has many advantages for voice communications.
In addition to POTA, a favorite activity is participating in ‘Fox Hunts‘ with friends. See the Fox Hunting page for more information about our ‘hunts’ and the tool(s) I’ve created to help us keep track of our activity and manage our clubs’ fox hunts. I’ve even built my own fox (named “Steve“) and hide him every weekend for others to locate.
I’m proud to be an active member of both the Richardson Wireless Klub (k5rwk.org) and the McKinney Amateur Radio Club (mckinneyarc.org). I learn something new *every* time I’m with these folks and they have (and share!) a wealth of experience between them. I’m grateful for the service they provide their memberships and the North Texas community.
One way I lend support to the activity is as an Amateur Radio Service Volunteer Examiner (VE). Volunteer Examiners administer in-person and online FCC licensing exams through an FCC-authorized Volunteer Examiner Coordinator (VEC) organization. I’m currently accredited as a Volunteer Examiner by both the W5YI VEC and ARRL VEC. The Richardson Wireless Klub offers weekly online and monthly in-person testing for all amateur license classes. See https://www.k5rwk.org/ham-testing for more information.
I believe I have found what I was looking for, as there are PLENTY of things to keep me engaged. Perhaps I’ll be able to share this with one (or more) of my grandkids.
73
-john KC5JMD