I have had an interest in electronics and radio since I was a young boy. My first shortwave receiver was a Hallicrafters Echophone general coverage receiver passed down to me from my brother when I was 9 years old. I would spend hours listening to the shortwave bands using a short wire that my Dad helped me hang under the eave of the house. I enjoyed laying in bed at night (when I was supposed t be sleeping) listening to foreign broadcast stations, riverboats, hams and many other strange signals using a pair of WW II surplus headphones I bought from a local military electronic surplus store, Esse Radio.

My first exposure to ham radio occured when I was eleven years old. I good friend of my Dad’s (Carl) was visiting our house and demonstrated his 6 meter mobile. I still remember the Hallo loop antenna and the whine of the dynamotor when he called CQ. I knew then I had to become a ham.

Unfortunately it would be another 8 years before I got my first ham ticket. While I was a Freshman at Purdue, with a lot of help from hams in the Purdue radio club (Indianapolis) I receieved my first ham call, WN9UAR. Unfortunately, my engineering studies did not allow me enough time to operate or study for my general class license and I allowed my novice ticket to expire before I could upgrade to General. After I graduated from Purdue in 1970 I obtained a new novice ticket which I soon upgraded to General Class. I have been licensed ever since.

Throughout my ham career I have held several calls: WN9UAR, WN9DBW, WB9DBW, WA2EMK (for the 5 years I lived in Syracuse, NY), WD9INY and now KC9QQ.

In June 2008 I retired from Carrier Corporation after working 38 years as a design Engineer. At the time I retired I had not been active in ham radio (other than 2 meters) for nearly 15 years because work and family didn’t seem to allow time for ham radio.

My interest in ham radio was revitalized in August, when my wife and I were driving by the Gothe Link Observatory near our home and saw a sign that said “Ham Radio Event”. Being curious, we pulled into the observatory and saw 3 cars covered with antennas. There was also a 40 meter dipole strung between a couple trees and a 6 meter beam mounted on a 20 foot pole. The hams were participating in a hill topping event sponsored by the Indianapolis Radio Club. After an hour talking with them, watching them operate and seeing their latest generation ham gear I had the bug to put my HF station back on the air.

I spent the next several days rounding up stuff to erect a wire antenna (wire, insulators, slingshot, rope etc.) and with the help of Laura, my wife, (KA9LWJ) managed to get a 80/40 meter trapped dipole strung between two trees near our house. After I spent about 45 minutes trying to remember how to install PL-259 connecters I had the antenna ready to connect to my HF rig. I pulled my old Kenwood TS-520 out of the basement and set it up on our patio table and connected the antenna. I turned it on and was immediately disappointed because I was not hearing any 40 meter signals. After about 30 minutes I discovered that I had accidently pressed the WWV button and the radio was not tuned to the ham bands! When I pushed the button again, the radio lit up with signals on 40 meters. After and hour of cleaning the radio was operating like new. I called CQ and got an immediate response from a station in New York. This QSO was nearly as exciting as my first novice contact.

Since then I have been working hard to revive my CW skills. I have also added some new items to the ham shack, including an ICOM Pro III and an MFJ 998 Autotuner.

I also have an interest in Astronomy, Astrophysics and camping.  I like to combine ham radio, camping and astronomy during the summer.

Fred