Biography

To save time.... I copied my QRZ.COM biography.


I've been called ROD ever since I was born.

Before the age of twelve I became fascinated with listening to the short wave radio that my parents had. It was a small portable that did not have a very good antenna, nevertheless the “bug” bit hard. Around the age of twelve my father bought a kit for a tube powered short wave radio which we built (with some final assistance by another radio enthusiast). That short wave radio was the gateway to decades of shortwave radio listening (SWL). I collected SWL cards from International Short Wave Radio Stations for decades.

My brother Michael, W1NDZ, ex KB4DEV, introduced me to ham radio many years later. However I was recalcitrant, and generally lazy and did not try to take any license tests for years and years. However, in 1996 I finally got serious about ham radio and started studying. On the third day of January of 1997 I passed my first license test. I was a technician! My first license was KF4OKX.

During the intervening years I became more serious about studying and passing new license tests up to and including Amateur Extra. I changed my callsign to W7ROD in 1998 and kept that call until September 2002 and have been N1YZ ever since.

My youngest brother Nathan, was licensed a few years back as KI4BDL.

Birmingham, Alabama is blessed with two very good amateur radio clubs The Birmingham Amateur Radio Club (BARC - callsign W4CUE) and Shelby County Amateur Radio Club (SCARC- callsign W4SHL). Each club is home to some really great hams.

It has been my privilege to serve in elected offices in each of these clubs. I served one year as second vice president (News Letter Editor) at the BARC in the early 2000's. I was elected president of SCARC from 2006-2007, and was elected the Manager of Emergency Communications for 2007-2008.

Jay Isbell, KA4KUN, the Alabama ARRL Section Emergency Coordinator appointed me as one of Alabama's District Emergency Coordinators (DEC). I served as DEC for Section 7 for three years starting in late 2005.

My amateur radio interests include building antennas for 2meter work as well as HF. My most unusual antenna is the dual SLINKY, which loads on 17 meters quite well!

I've completed both Level 1 and Level 2 of the ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Course and enjoy supporting our local SKYWARN nets and the ALERT group. However, that took place a decade ago and it is probably time to retake those certifications.

Many of my ham friends are trying to get me into serious DXing. My country count is still anemic right now = only 63 countries confirmed. However, I'm activly working on raising that number all the way to DXCC!

After our hurricane Helene experience I am exploring POTA, as an example of portable disaster communications technology. For the first time since the introduction of PSK31 I'm also looking into various digital modes and how that can be incorporated for fun (POTA) or for emergency use.

Today, (January 12, 2025), after years of using DSTAR via RF I made contact with another ham on DSTAR using my laptop and the DVMEGA dongle. Another step forward!

In November 2025 I utilized the terminal mode in my IC-705 to connect to a DSTAR net from my laptop.

In November - December 2025 I built a POTA PERformer antenna which is designed by KJ6ER. My first contact using that antenna was on 20m using 5 watts, and was with a POTA activator in Oklahoma over 500 miles away!

My N1YZ HF Net Listing Turns Twenty Years Old This Year (2025) has moved to Google Docs and can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cpaIUPJOG9Kdb0Xo-hyzhcVKcyvOr37vrGIF1mIETHs/edit#gid=906307814

I hope to work you on the bands !

73,

Rod Scott, N1YZ



Our evacuation from the mountains of North Carolina in the aftermath of the Hurricane Helene disaster is described briefly here:

https://www.amsweatherband.org/weatherband/articles/our-evacuation-from-the-mountains-of-north-carolina-after-hurricane-helene/




Old and obsolete web page...
http://www.n1yz.com/HFNET_LIST.HTM

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

Less now than before.

One hf wire dipole.
One hf end fed wire antenna optimized for 40m which is the weakest band on my dipole.
Four radios.

More details later.

73,
Rod, N1YZ