DXCC LIST | 96/97 TOP 100 COUNTRIES | 97/98 TOP 100 COUNTRIES |
I have been a Ham Radio Operator since 1985. I currently hold an Advanced Class license (Ko6KD). I operate on all bands of HF, VHF and UHF up to the 70 cm. Over the years, my antenna's have been known to the local people as a land mark for giving directions to strangers new to the area. "Yeah, if you pass the guy with all of the antenna's, you've gone too far". I personally think I could use a couple more. Just in case you're interested, a rough inventory follows: 1 Cushcraft A-4 Triband Yagi, 1 Cushcraft A3WS Dual Band Yagi, 1 KLM 8 elm, vert 2 meter, 1 KLM 11 elm, horz 2 meter, 1 KLM 14 elm, vert 220 mhz, 1 KLM 5 elm, horz 6 meter, 2 Diamond Dual and Tri Band Omni's, 1 Cushcraft 4-pole omni, 220 mhz & 1 Diamond Broadband Discone.
Here is another picture of my antenna farm, but this time, I am the big blob on the tower attempting to do some antenna cable maintenance.
This is a picture of my messy main radio shack. The main radio in the center is my Kenwood TS-940SAT with the matching SM-220/PA Monitor Scope and SP-940 Speaker. On top of the scope is the Yaesu FT-857D as HF back-up, 6 - 2 & 432 all mode. On the SP-940 is my main 2/440 fm rig, the Kenwood TM-V708. The next shelf up left to right is the FC-757AT, IC-R7000, YS-2000 & TM-3530. Sprinkled around the room are various scanners, speakers & wattmeters along with a PK232 TNC and Alinco DR-590T along with Mirage B3016 & C3012 amps. Out of virew is my HF amp the Heathkit SB-1000.
This is a picture of my radio shack in the garage. Often during the summer months, it is to hot to run the radio equipment in the house and the temperature in the garage is more conducive to running the equipment and generating the extra heat. Originally, the idea of having a "shop shack" was just a simple basic 2/440 FM rig. However, many, many hours of working on my hot rod, caused me to miss out on much of the action on the radio. So, after the installation of the IRLP node, it just seemed natural to install some basic equipment to use when working in the garage. It has expanded to what the current state of affairs are now. The radio is a Icom IC-751A with a UG9/D-104 mic. I use a Heathkit HW-2140 PEP wattmeter along with a Heathkit SB-200 amp. The FM rig is the Alinco DR-570T. The IRLP radio is the Alinco DR-135MKII and both Alinco radios are run off a Astron AS-20M. A Alinco EP-3030 power supply runs the Icom. The 19" flat screen monitor is switched between the IRLP computer and a shop only PC. Nothing special out here. The HF radio is run into the main shack and switched into any of the main HF antennas here. Dipoles for 40 & 75 meters, rotatible yagis for everything else. The node radio is at 50 watts and uses a Diamond X-510 @ 55' whereby the shop dual-bander is on a Diamond X-300 & 28'. There you have it, 600 watts on HF in the garage, 1150 in the house. What next, a 160 meter cw rig in the shower?
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During my tenure as a Ham Operator, there have been several special activities
or achievements that I have had the pleasure to have been apart. These include
message traffic in and out of the Mexico City Earthquake back in '85 to
the earthquake at Loma Prieta in '89. In addition, I have spent many, many
hours conducting phone patches with American Hams visiting or stationed
in area's of the world where telephone's are a rarity. From the far east to
south america to American personel located at the Amundsen-Scott and Palmer
Stations located in Antarctica. With their family members located in California
and being out of contact for months or even years, our phone patch efforts
brought a great deal of warmth and cheer to several familys who other wise
might not have been able to talk to one another. Being so far from loved ones
and weeks with out any sunlight present a unique set of problems. Just a few
minutes a week talking to someone from home an hearing a familiar voice
can make a major difference to these coragous peoples morale.
In addition to the above mentioned phone patche efforts, more reciently I
have been the sole source of contact to home for U.S. citizens on board
private sailing ships on the high seas off the coast of south and central
america. Nightly we meet up on a prearranged frequency and will spend several
minutes to hours providing a conduit for the sea mariners to contact family
and friends back home or to get medical help.
As with most Ham's, I do these things not for any special recognition,
but rather just the warm feeling of being able to help make a positive
difference to humanity.
Click here to hear my Shuttle Contact Audio Clip
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This page maintained by William Yeargain
Ko6KD's - Ham Radio Page / wcy@lanset.com / Last revision: 5/28/98
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