Biography
I go by "Rob" on the air; QSL by eQSL or LOTW
Here's my radio story:
I became a ham radio operator in September, 1969 at the age of 15, when I was living with my family at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, when I obtained my new call of NA0WKO. By January, 1970, I had passed the General code and written tests, earning the call WA0WKO. I completed the Advanced Class written test in early 1971.
The hobby was set aside for studies at Georgia Tech, but by 1977, when living in Atlanta, my call was changed to WD4LPI. A career move to Peculiar, Missouri in 1980 necessitated a change in call sign to KC0DF, and yet another move to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1986 changed my call to KE8JH. In 1997, with work and family taking a lot of time and with computers as a new hobby, I became dormant with ham radio. However, I kept my license current, and with the advent of Vanity Licensing, I requested and was granted my old call of WA0WKO, which I kept after moving to Chester, New Jersey in 2003.
Fast forward to 2015, and I semi-retired, after completing a 36-year career in pharmaceutical manufacturing. With my kids in college, I found I had the time and interest to resurrect the hobby. I finally upgraded my license to Extra Class in December, 2015, and in February, 2016, I was granted the simplified callsign W0WKO. My wife and I relocated to sunny Bluffton, South Carolina in the summer of 2020, where I continue to enjoy working the digital modes and SSB.
I'm happy to be back into the hobby, and my intent is to not stray too far from the basics, while continuing to enjoy all that the hobby offers for many years to come.
Page updated April 2021
Worked DXCCs:
Equipment
Icom IC-7300 - digital modes and SSB
Compromised Antenna - 70' EFHW up 15'