 My electronics interest started in 1965 when I was in the first 1 st grade. My classmate Marty’s father worked for Northern States Power Company and we would play with battery’s, hand crank generators, and small light bulbs that his father had around. Because of my intense interest in electronics, my parents would have to lock anything up that was electronic because if they didn’t, I would take it apart to see how it worked, sometimes not successfully putting it back together!
In 1967 at 10 years old, Marty received walkie talkies (CB) for Christmas and my communications interest started. Later, I had a base station that was an AM Radio and a (CB) which I think was a 100mw. I remember it was blue and had a pullout antenna. (SEARS 10 TRANSISTOR BASE STATION CB/AM RADIO) 
In 1973, my 9 th grade science teacher, Lorin Lewis WA9TQJ (SK), brought his ham radio to class and did a demonstration in class. It was right there and then that I knew I wanted to be “ham”. A friend Tony talked me into getting our novice ham radio license together. We studied for the novice test and passed the 5 words per minute Morse Code along with the written exam. My call was WN9OOC and Tony’s call was WN9OOD. The novice license expired after two years. In 1988, I decided to get my license again. With the Novice (KB9BVB) I operated a lot of CW and worked a bunch of DX. It was easier back then (No DX clusters to compete with) and you could operate at 5-10 WPM CW and the DX would go at your speed. January 1990, I was one of the five area Hams that started The Mississippi Valley Amateur Radio Association. In March 1989, I went on to earn the General Class License 13 WPM CW, in 1992 the Advanced Class License N9IGS, and the Extra Class License in Dayton Ohio at the Dayton Hamvention (Hara Arena) WA9TS in May 2009. I enjoy building electronics and antennas for the hobby, SSB, CW, HF mobile, Digital modes, SSTV, APRS, Satellites, and have worked the ISS twice from the mobile. This passion also led me to own and operate my own business since 1998 in professional pro sound and lighting. Besides my radio hobby, I enjoy spending time with my family, boating, and driving around in my Jeep! Hope to catch you on the air someday, 73, Tom Back to members page |
