Biography

Degree in Math from University of California. MS from Oregon State History of Science.

A member of the ARRL since 1958 -- I bought a life membership ($125) then by mowing lawns all summer -- one of my best investments.

Sergeant in US Army Artillery, in Viet Nam, 1968-70.

My wife and I lived for a couple years in the Forest in Northern California.

Title examiner for awhile.

Taught math for eight years at college level.

I was a hobby printer, so in 1978 I opened my own print shop. Over the next 40 years it grew to eight employees. I am now retired.

I have three children, seven grand-children. They are the lights of my life!

I collect books, mostly on Japanese and Chinese history. I'm paring down now...sold most of these; a shame....

I collect stamps, mostly Japanese and Chinese -- some American. I just (Jan 2017) sent a pickup load to an auction in Los Angeles, Harmers. I got $300 for an invested $35,000. Guess who got cheated! Beware!

I collect momentos of Hopalong Cassidy, Space Cadet, Pogo, Marvin the Martian, Panama-Pacific International Exhibition (1915), and the list rather runs on and on.

Moved to Portland, Oregon, so I could be by the VA hospital...and my wife could be by our grandchildren! Tough move...we had been in the same house for 43 years! Got rid of 40,000 books. Sad.

Hamming:I tried last Field Day. I was on for sixteen hours and was only able to work four stations; my hearing is nearly completely gone. I can handle a one-on-one conversation, mostly AM-to-AM, so I still try. My radio collection, 1945 to 1968, is pretty well all sold off now...all 1400 of them!

Equipment

I use mostly old, tube-type equipment. My favorites are the Hallicrafters SX-115 and HT-32B (& HT-33B, after the amp had sat in a repair shop for honest-to-ghod ten years); the Collins 75A1 and 32V2; the Swan 600T and 600R; the Drake R4/T4 Line (put the R4C and T4XC in the garage.)

Occasionally you will hear me on with a Yaesu FT-1000MP -- which I recently got to try out something "new". It's funny (to me) that the Yaesu out receives the old guys! (2018) Doesn't anymore -- board broke and it's no good now! I got a FT-990 from a friend and still going strong!

Speaking of Yaesus, I should mention that I am also very fond of the Yaesu FLdx400 and FRdx400. I just got a Yaesu amplifier, the FL2000B to add to these.

(2016) Found a set of Yaesu FTdx101s (trans & rcvr)...work great!

In the last contest, I had to admit that my hearing and concentration abilities have died. I can't hear the calls, and if I hear the sounds, I can't make out the letters!

I had hoped to go to Croatia and rent a ham station near relatives. Those plans were curtailed by my wife not wanting to go...and now I can only walk about 1/2 a block at a time.

(2017) Also got better hearing aids from Veterans' Hospital so can hear much better now!

Did a poor-man's DXpedition to Alaska to Prince Edwards Island for the IOTA contest in 2015; also one to Belize in 2018.