Biography

Licensed as a Novice in 1954. Also got Pilots license in 1955. Recently re-purchased my Kenwood TS-830S, Mic, Speaker and Antenna Tuner back from a friend, K4ADY who bought it from me in 2010 and has many rigs. I originally purchased it from AES in Orlando, Fl in 1981, so it's a really good rig. On 4/2/15 got a G5RV antenna up 60 feet and got on the air for first time in 19 years. Worked OD5ZZ on 20 mtrs a few minutes ago. Great to be back on the air.

We have been retired for the past 8 years, and was a commercial photographer. Retirement is great but there is less money for Hamming than it used to be. Operated a commercial studio for 43 years and photographed some 1800 weddings in that period of time. My wife, Sharon, and I will have been married 55 years in May. We both are photographers and worked together all that time. Still active in that but only for birds and fun things.

Navigator in USAF, class of 59-O3N. Owned and restored a 1947 Piper Clipper, PA-16, N-6810K. Flew her for about 8 years.

Sharon and I have 4 children and 4 grand children. One son stills lives about 15 miles from us, all others are in Atlanta, Ga and in Athens, Ga.

At 77 years old, I still ride my BMW K1200LT motorcycle a good bit and have ridden to all but 5 of the lower US states. Still ride a dirt bike too and that is a KLR-650.

Glad to be back among the Ham community.

Equipment

Icom 2 meter hand held's, IC-2AT and Micro 2AT. Kenwood TR-7730 2 meter in the shack. Have made the $7 Dollar 2 meter beam. That cost has gone up now as it cost me $27 for the parts at Home Depot.

Kenwood TS-830S with Kenwood MC-50 Mic, Kenwood SP-230 Speaker and the AT-230 Antenna Tuner/SWR Bridge. Also have the Kenwood TL-922A that needs some TLC done on it.

Have just today finished putting up a G5RV antenna with a balun made from 10 turns of RG-8 around a coffee can. The antenna is up about 60 feet and evidently works as I worked OD5ZZ in Lebanon tonight on 20 meters. I have a Bencher key and will get that set up for CW. Used to copy about CW pretty well but will see what the age factor has done.