Amateur Radio, Astronomy & Ministry
Welcome to N4MQU
Mark Gibson • Rockingham, North Carolina
Thanks for looking me up! Whether we connected on the HF bands, during a Parks on the Air (POTA) activation, at an astronomy star party, or if you heard me on The Gospel Frequency, be sure to check out Walking with Mark. I’m glad you stopped by!
Mark Gibson Ministries
Mark Gibson Ministries & The Gospel Frequency
Alongside ham radio and astronomy, sharing God’s Word is a central part of my life. Through Mark Gibson Ministries, you can explore our interactive Study Bible—utilizing NotebookLM technology to study across 14 different Bible translations. You can also listen to The Gospel Frequency / Walking with Mark podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, and other major platforms.
How It All Began
Back in the late 1970s, I was attending an astronomy event with telescopes set up in a rural area of Virginia. A friend needed to make an urgent phone call, but in those days before mobile phones, we were out of luck—until a ham operator attending the star party pulled out a handheld transceiver (HT) and placed an autopatch call right from the field. I was hooked immediately.
Using my friend and his brother as Elmers (the “Wright brothers,” Don and Jerry), I studied hard, learned Morse code, and earned my Novice license. Yes, it took two people to get me up to speed! When job opportunities brought me to Raleigh, I upgraded to General, Advanced, and eventually Extra class.
After moving to a home in Angier, North Carolina, I needed to put up an HF antenna. My landlord’s 12-year-old son volunteered to climb the tree to pull up the wire. Years later, we reconnected on the radio—turns out that day left an impression on him, too! He remembered listening to ham radio rebroadcasts of the NASA Space Shuttle missions and went on to earn his own license (NC4RA).
I enjoy exploring many different operating modes in amateur radio. Learning Morse code for my original license was a challenge, but I’m so glad I did. While I don’t operate CW every day, I still appreciate knowing it—just as I still remember flag semaphore from my Boy Scout days!
Station Setup
Home Base Operations
Primary Rig: Icom IC-7100
I really appreciate the IC-7100 for combining HF, VHF, and UHF into a single compact unit with an angled control head. While dedicated single-band radios have their place, having complete multi-band capability in one box makes home shack operation effortless.
Portable & POTA Gear
Portable Rig: Icom IC-706MKII
If we worked while I was operating out in a state park or game land, I was likely running my trusty IC-706MKII G paired with field-portable antenna setups and battery power.
Amateur Astronomy & Deep-Sky Imaging
Astronomy remains a lifelong passion alongside radio. From my location in Rockingham, NC, I utilize a ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope to capture deep-sky objects, comets, and solar system targets.
🔭 Recent Targets Captured: Andromeda Galaxy (M31), Caldwell 20 (North America Nebula), and the Waning Crescent Moon.
Explore My Astrophotography Observation Logs →
Club Affiliations & Free Exam Sessions
- Life Member: Raleigh Amateur Radio Society (RARS)
- Life Member: Richmond County Amateur Radio Club (Rockingham, NC)
- VE Team Leader: Five County VE Team & Richmond County ARC VE Team
Looking to Take an Amateur Radio Exam?
We believe cost should never be a barrier to joining the hobby. Our teams offer no-charge amateur radio exams (Laurel VEC):
- Raleigh / Wendell / Smithfield Area: Visit HamStudy FCVET to select your session.
- Rockingham / Richmond County Area: Visit HamStudy RCVET to register.
*If you are in another area, check HamStudy Sessions—many teams nationwide offer free exams!