My new (2023) Rockingham station is up and running!  The video of the antenna installation is on my Rumble Channel . You may be hearing me from home or a portable station most likely on a Parks on the Air activation. Click on the link for details of my activations.

My home station is a Icom 7100 with a   I like the 7100 because  it has HF/UHF/VHF all in the same unit but I do understand why you would want to have a different radio for UHF/ VHF.  I have used the 7100 portable and operate Satellite  with it. When I got my license we had to learn Morse code and I am so happy I did. I don’t use it too much but happy I know it.  I also still remember simophore from scouting.  I am an astronomy and radio merit badge counselor if you need my services.

I had a great time with the scouts thru the OARS  Here is a YouTube with the scout making a contact in Germany 

Back in the late 70’s I was attending an astronomy event with telescopes set up in a rural area in Virginia. My friend needed to call his home and at this time there were no cell phones like we have now. There was a ham that was attending the star party and he pulled his HT out and made the call. I was impressed. Using my friend and his brother as elmer’s (The Wright brothers Don and Jerry) I learned Morse Code and received my novice license.  That’s right it took two people to get me up to speed.  A job opportunity moved me to Raleigh where I eventually upgraded to General, Advanced and now Extra class license. Upon moving to a home in Angier, I had to put up an antenna.  My landlords 12 year old son (NC4RA) volunteered to climb the tree to put up the antenna. It turns out he is now a ham because apparently he was impressed by the hobby. I had lost touch with the family until I had met him on the radio. He remembered listening to the rebroadcasts of the space shuttle that the hams were doing at the time. I enjoy many different operating modes in amateur radio. I enjoy checking into the Virginia Fone Net and my number is 72.  This net is held each evening at 7:30 PM and 4:00 PM on 3.947 MHz. I am also a member of Bandhoppers  and a net control station. My number is 19.  Bandhoppers merges social media and ham radio to encourage operating on different modes.  We have a regular net on various frequencies on Tuesday  night.

Do you have a telescope and an amateur radio license or are interested in both?  Check out Astronomy Meets Amateur Radio.  

I am the team leader for the Five County VE Team and the Richmond County ARC VE Team Be sure to find the nearest no charge amateur radio VE resting session near you.  https://www.laurelvec.com/

If I am on the air I usually monitor the  Carolina 440 repeater , or the K4RNC 146..955 with a tone 88.5 of  and either 146.52 or 146.58 simplex frequency.

Parks on the Air

I participate  with Parks on the air (POTA).  I had always tried to answer someone when I heard them call parks on the air so when we started planning the camping trip and a friend wanted to activate the Staunton River State Park, I finally activated my membership in September 2021.  I was surpised to find I had 26 contacts that is the reason for the awards close together.

1. Silver Hunter 9/13/2021
2. Bronze Hunter 9/13/2021
3. Gold Hunter 9/13/2021
4. Platinum Hunter 9/19/21
5. Diamond Hunter 9/25/21

I have been licensed since 1980.  How did I get started in amateur radio? I was at a star party in the middle of nowhere (near Tidewater, VA) so I could view some astronomical objects away from city lights. I was about 25 years old at that time and a friend needed to call home. This was before cell phones so my friend Don Wright used his amateur radio to allow my friend to call home. Shortly after that event I started studying for my license. Speaking of ham radio, are you currently licensed or do you need to upgrade? For free? Be sure to navigate to my Five County Ham Radio Enthusiasts club page. A lot of information on how to study and resources you can use for this new adventure you are about to take. The FCC allows Volunteer Examiner Clubs to charge a fee to help offset the cost of processing the exam. I never felt right about charging. I had noticed a couple of years ago one of the biggest Hamfest does not charge. I started checking and found out the Laurel VEC did not charge. I found out who to contact and after getting information I signed up. It turned out I started the first free team in North Carolina.

I am also a member of the Johnston Amateur Radio Society (JARS).  In 2018 I was interviewed about the Hambulance a converted ambulance with radio equipment on the Amateur Radio Newsline .

I started a new Facebook group called  Astronomy Meets Amateur Radio. This group is for individuals interested in astronomy and amateur radio.