Biography

Greetings from N4ZM in sunny Sarasota, Florida.

Encouraged by sister, Eleanor (K8HNP, KL7HAD) and brother-in-law, Jim (W8SNO, KL7HAE), both now silent keys, I entered ham radio in April, 1963, as WN8ICY. I soon progressed to WA8ICY as technician and then general class, with activity on 2 meters AM, 160 meters mobile, and HF (mostly CW).

Later gravitating to the Kansas City, MO area, I updated my call to WB0JXZ, and was again active on 2 meters AM. During this period I upgraded my license to advanced class.

In 1979, I moved to FL and updated my call to KI4OP. I then upgraded my license to extra-class and received my final call sign, N4ZM. I operate HF CW and SSB, mostly on 20 and 40 meters, I also operate on 2 meters and 70 centimeters FM. . I love to chase DX and collect DX QSL cards. I also do traffic handling between 75 meters and 70 cm.

I am retired after many occupations, lastly a paramedic and then R.N. I enjoy reading, making jewelry, computers, games, and, of course, ham radio.

I'm a member of both Mensa and Intertel, as well as QCWA and YLRL. I belong to Sarasota Emergency Radio Club and the Tamiami Amateur Radio Club. I'm an Official Relay Station and a life member of the ARRL. My telephone number is 941-373-0956.

I look forward to chatting with you on the air!

73!

Equipment

My rigs are an Icom IC-7300 and a Yaesu FT-990, both of which run 100 watts. I use an Ameritron AL-1200 amplifier with the IC-7300, running up to the legal limit. I also have an Icom IC-471A, which runs 50 watts on 440, a Kenwood TM-231A running 10 watts on 2 meters, and a BTech UV-5X3 handy-talky, running up to 8 watts on 2 meters, 220 and 440.

My antennas are a 20 meter half-wave at 25 feet, a G5RV at 30 feet and, for VHF/UHF, a J-pole at 35 feet. I recently added a Cushcraft R9 vertical, but I don't have it very high in the air, yet. I also have a Yaesu 7250 in my car with a roof-top motor-mount antenna (half-wave on 2 meters and 5/8-wave on 440).