callsign tagI've been an Amateur Radio operator since 1991. I've been a wannabe ham since the late 1970s, when I was an avid CBer. I even took a license class from the West Island Amateur Radio Club. Mr Morse's code stopped me. Fortunately, the FCC (and the ARRL) came to realize that Morse code was rapidly becoming obsolete and removed it as a required test element for the Technician class license begining 1991-02-14. I took my first test that May and got my license 10 weeks later (1991-07-16). The FCC was quite slow and bureaucratic then. In very late 1999, the FCC issued new Amateur Radio Service rules that further reduced the Morse code requirements. As a result, I upgraded to Amateur Extra class on 2000-04-29. I tried several times to pass the old Element 1C (20 word-per-minute telegraphy exam), but just couldn't get motivated to learn 19th century technology that well. - plaws
Hello! An introduction to amateur radio.
Here are the Amateur Radio test elements I have passed:
  • 1991-05-11: 2, 3A - Technician license issued 1991-07-16
  • 1992-03-07: 1A, 3B - earned Technician w/HF as it was then called, no paper license issued at that time
  • 1993-06-12: 1B, 3B (again!) - General license issued 1993-08-24
  • 1993-07-10: 4A - Advanced license issued 1993-09-21
  • 1996-02-10: 4B
  • 2000-02-24: 4B (again!)
  • 2000-04-29: presented 4B CSCE for upgrade - Amateur Extra license issued 2000-06-09

I am an active Volunteer Examiner (accredited through the ARRL VEC) and help out at SCARS' testing sessions.
Right now, N5UWY consists of the following:
  • Icom IC-746Pro (and KB5TFX's IC-725)
  • Yaesu FT-90R (and another in the car)
  • Two Spi-Ro trap dipoles; a D-56 at 7.9 m for 80-10 80-15 (busted trap), and a D-314 at 11.3 m for 30-17-12
  • a homebrew dipole for 10 m
  • KB6KQ loops on 2 m and 6 m

FSK RTTY is available via MMTTY running on a dual-boot (Kubuntu / MS Windows XPp) homebrew PC (1.6GHz AMD Duron / 512MB) via a West Mountain Radio RigBlaster Plus. For 'phone, a Heil Sound BM-10 headset (HC-4 element) is used.

VHF/UHF receivers include the following:

  • Uniden Bearcat BC780XLT w/discriminator tap for UniTrunker, etc
  • Bearcat BC300
  • Allied Radio Shack Pro-7

Receivers are fed by an elderly Radio Shack Discone.

To be installed

  • Isopole for 2 m
  • Isopole for 70 cm
  • 10-element beam for 2 m
I like to collect operating awards. So far, I've earned the following:
  • Worked All Continents ('phone) awarded 2004-04-02
  • Worked All States (WAS) #51466 (SSB endorsement) awarded 2004-07-01
  • "WAS in the 90th" awarded 2004-12-10
  • RTTY WAS #410 awarded 2005-07-05
  • 10-10 International #74715 - 2007-08-14. Not an award, really, but you do have to collect 10 other 10-10 numbers (on 10 m) and submit them. My first was collected in 1994 and the last was in August of 2007!).
  • Admitted to the DX Century Club on 2008-11-20 (#42,419, Mixed). 110 entities confirmed, 124 worked as of this date.

In addition, I'm working on joining the VUCC. Currently up to:
6 m - 99 grids worked, 17 confirmed
2 m - 4 grids worked, 1 confirmed
Also working towards a 5-band WAS (174 state-bands confirmed of 250).

I'm also an ARRL HF Awards Manager, meaning I can field-check Worked All States QSL cards.

Google Calendar Button Check out my Google Amateur Radio Contest Calendar!

I also like to participate in amateur radio contests. Eventually I'll add stats and logs, but for now, here's a list of what I've participated in. Where scores are listed, it's in the format "Qs/Mults/Hours/Points". Italics means it's a claimed score.

  • 1992
    • ARRL International DX (SSB)(at W5YM). I think that was the contest. KB5RUI and I had just tested that day; he got his license and I upgraded to Technician Plus. All the contacts I made were on 10 m 'phone (20 Qs at most).
  • 1993
    • ARRL Field Day (at W5YM). Paper logs and dupe sheets!
  • 1994
    • ARRL RTTY Roundup (SOLP at W5YM). Paper logs!
      • 281/72/24/20,232
    • ARRL Field Day. Operated 1C with KB5TFX from Montana on the way back from the AOU meetings in Missoula. Icom IC-725 on the floor behind the seat, Outbacker Jr on the roof.
      • 35///70 (1C)
    • CQ WW RTTY (at W5YM). Paper logs and don't know if we submitted to CQ.
      • 141///36,801
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (CW!). From home, using K5FXB's Ten-Tec Century 21.
      • 17/11/~3/374 (no log submitted)
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)(at W5YM). Good first effort for the club. Used CT for logging.
      • 946/77/24/145,684
  • 1995
    • ARRL RTTY Roundup (at W5YM) I see no score listing for this year in the QST results. I'm sure I single-opped it again ... Paper logs exist at W5YM.
      • 135 Qs
    • ARRL Field Day (at W5YM)
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)(at W5YM)
      • 1395/77/24/214,830 Collegiate Champions - Phone
  • 1996
    • ARRL RTTY Roundup (SOHP at W5YM)
      • 615/78/20/47,970 First Place SOHP, Arkansas Section
    • ARRL Field Day (at W5YM)
    • ARRL September VHF QSO Party (at W5TC)
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)(at W5YM)
      • 934/78/24/145,704
  • 1997
    • ARRL Field Day (at W5TC)
      • 1,501///451
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)(at W5YM)
      • 1,264/79/24/199,712
  • 1998
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)(at W5YM)
      • 1,268/79/24/200,344
    • ARRL 10 Meter Contest
      • 160/39//12,480 (+KB5TFX)
  • 1999
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
      • 238/75/18/35,700 (+KB5TFX)
    • ARRL 10 Meter Contest I don't recall why, but Jeanette operated the 10m test in '99.
      • 57/21/2,394
  • 2000
    • ARRL Field Day
      • 149///298 (1D)
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
      • 159/73/11/23,214 (+KB5TFX)
  • 2001
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
      • 151/72/21,744 (+KB5TFX)
  • 2002
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB) (at W5YM)
      • 535/78//83,460
  • 2004
    • ARRL RTTY Roundup
    • BARTG HF RTTY
    • Mexican RTTY
    • North American QSO Party RTTY (Feb and July)
    • CQ WPX RTTY
      • 347/159/98,739
      • 347/159/98,739
    • CQ WPX SSB
    • ARRL International DX (SSB)
    • NA RTTY Sprint (March)
      • 264
    • BARTG RTTY Sprint
      • 42/20+4/3360
    • ARRL Field Day
    • Russian RTTY DX
    • CQ WW DX RTTY
      • 213/112+35/13.8/55,419
      • 198/35+60+54/13.8/51,554
    • CQ WW DX SSB
      • 135/33+75//36,828
      • 135/33+75//36,828
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
      • 267/74/16.5/39,516
      • 261/73//38,106
    • ARRL 10 Meter Contest
      • 54/25/2,700
  • 2005
    • ARRL RTTY Roundup
      • 246/63//15,498 2nd Place, SOLP, Illinois Section (5th Place, Central Division)
    • North American QSO Party RTTY (Feb and July)
      • 204/98/19,992
    • BARTG RTTY Sprint
      • 98/21+2/4116
    • ARRL International DX (SSB)
      • 84/63/15,876
    • BARTG HF RTTY
    • ARRL June VHF
    • ARRL Field Day (at N5UWY and at W9CCU)
    • CQ WW RTTY
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
      • 325/75//48,750
      • 320/75//48,000 4th Place SOLP, Illinois Section (10th Place, Central Division)
  • 2006
    • ARRL RTTY Roundup
      • 461/49+21/21.33/32,270
      • 449/70//31,340 4th Place, SOLP, Illinois Section
    • North American QSO Party (SSB)
    • ARRL January VHF Sweepstakes
      • 46/14//644
    • CQ WW WPX RTTY
      • 40/87 Pts/36//3132
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB) First contest from Norman
      • 320/73/15?/46,720
      • 318/73//46,428 First Place, SOLP, Oklahoma Section (4th Place, West Gulf Division)
  • 2007
    • CQ WW WPX RTTY
      • 118/202 Pts/87//17574
    • CQ WW DX SSB
      • 44/20+32//5564
      • 44/20+32//5564
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
      • 334/77/17/52104
      • 333/77//51282 Second Place, SOLP, Oklahoma Section (3rd Place, West Gulf Division)
    • ARRL 10 m Contest (SSB)
      • 70/29/<10/4060
      • 68/28/4:13/3696 Third Place, SOLP SSB, Oklahoma Section (8th Place, West Gulf Division)
  • 2008
    • ARRL RTTY Roundup
      • 245/47+10/11/13,965
      • 243/57//13,851 Second Place, SOLP, Oklahoma Section (10th Place, West Gulf Division)
    • CQ WW RTTY WPX
      • 50/64Pts/39/2,496 Fourth Place, SOSB/20 LP, USA
    • Concurso EA RTTY
      • 80Qs/47 mults/6,909
      • 79/146/??/6,862
    • ARRL June VHF QSO Party
      • 123/86/8/10,492
    • CQ WW DX RTTY
      • 177/47+54+31/~10/43,164
    • ARRL November Sweepstakes (SSB)
      • 511/79/20/80738
VHF DX
Best DX @ 144 MHz at N5UWY/9 (EN51xv): WA1MKE in EN70gh (~281 km)
Best DX @ 144 MHz at N5UWY (EM15if): WQ0P in EM19vf (455 km)
Lately, I've begun taking classes via FEMA's Independent Study Program. So far, I have completed:
  • IS-100 - Introduction to Incident Command System
  • IS-200 - ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
  • IS-700 - National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction
Radios for sale!!
Tips for passing the old Element 2 and 3A tests
Upgrade paths
W5YM, the Amateur Radio Club of the University of Arkansas
South Canadian Amateur Radio Society
Oklahoma DX Association
ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio

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