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A Navy brat, I'm from Kodiak, Alaska. My Dad's Navy job gave me wonderful opportunities to travel all over the world. I enjoyed the cultures and food of many far off lands. While overseas, In the evenings I'd spend hours listening to an old tube type 5 band shortwave radio. I started sending out QSL requests to commercial as well as amateur stations when I was 10. After a tour of the ham shack of a neighbor, I was hooked to get on the air myself! |
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Sparrow at 8. Hair already thinning! | |
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I started my own ham adventure as a Boy Scout in Japan. My Scoutmaster Gary Kolasa, worked along side my dad for Armed Forces Radio. They were a huge influence in my desire to both be a ham, and work in broadcasting myself. I got my Japanese version of the Novice ticket in 1972. Much later, in the late 80's a good friend (KK4S) Ken got me back into the hobby, and I got my Tech plus ticket. |
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I worked for 30 years as a commercial broadcast engineer, starting with when I helped build our family owned radio station: WSUL 98.3 in Monticello, NY. After that station, many more radio and TV stations followed. I've worked for or consulted for affiliates of all the different networks and then some. I would have loved to work another 20 years, but at the height of my career, I contracted an incurable and disabling disease called Muliple Sclerosis. |
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| Multiple sclerosis and the side effects of the many drugs I take for it, prevent me from working or engaging in many of my other passions, like building and flying experimental aircraft, (I really miss that) So I've gone back to one of my first loves, amateur radio. Ham radio really helps to fill the void left over from the many activities I can no longer do. |  |
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My last aircraft built before the M.S. hit me. | |
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| Besides Amateur Radio, my other passion is metal
work. I have a wonderful device called a CNC plasma cutter from
PlasmaCAM that I use to make
metal sculpture. I even enjoy cutting out callsigns for my local club!
This company is tops. They even upgraded the firmware in the controller at
no cost to me (not even shipping) after I'd had it a full year and a half!
I can't say enough good things about this company. They're the best tool
manufacturing company in the country! |
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PlasmaCAM | |
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My primary mode is CW. When on phone, I can be a bit slow getting the words out sometimes (from the cognative problems of MS) and can't always remember your name or call right away, but I know you'll understand. |  |
