SWL - WN8SQY - W8SQY - N8RI
My interest in radio began as a short wave listener (SWL) in 1945 at age
seven at the end of W.W.II. We had a floor model GE AM radio with a twelve inch field coil
speaker which had a shortwave band something like 6 to 18 megacycles. I also found you
could also hear police "broadcasts" at the high end of the AM broadcast band.
I built a crystal detector AM broadcast radio which I used to hear DX AM
stations during night time hours when most local BC stations were off the air, except for
clear channel stations WTAM 1100 and WGAR 1220. I noticed that at the high end of the
broadcast range, 1.8 to 2 megacycles, I heard amateur radio stations on the 160 meter
band. That really got me interested. My first "real" radio was a National
SW-54.
After failing the 5 wpm Morse code test before the FCC RI Dick Cotton in
March, 1954, I finally obtained the Novice license, WN8SQY, in June, 1954. Later that year
I upgraded to General, W8SQY. An ARRL code proficiency certificate for 15 wpm was obtained
in 1954, 20 wpm in 1955, and 25 wpm in 1956. I upgraded to Extra Class in 1986 and took
the Extra Class vanity callsign N8RI in February, 1997. I have also held an FCC Commercial
1st Class Radiotelephone License, April, 1956 (now called General Radiotelephone
Certificate since January, 1985), FCC Commercial 3rd Class Radiotelegraph Operator Permit,
April, 1957, and a FCC Commercial 2nd Class Radiotelegraph Operator License, November,
1961.
In the 1960's I stumbled upon a group of people on 2 meter FM on 145.260
MHz. I got ahold of an old GE LPI FM transceiver and joined in the fun. In the
following years I was involved in the development of the 146.76 repeater in the clock
tower on the "hill" (Warrensville Twp.) and in the beginnings of SKYWARN in
northeast Ohio.
I've operated amateur bands from 160 meters through 1296 MHz using CW,
AM, NBFM, FM, SSB, RTTY, PSK and a few other digital modes, but currently interested in
20/15/10-meter PSK31, CW, SSB, and 2-meter and 70-cm FM. I also do SWL listening and
scanning from 30 kHz to 2000 MHz. I've worked all 50 states and at least as many countries
on 20 meter PSK.
My wife Mary Ann, on her own initiative took an amateur radio course and
was licensed as a Technician, N8PRG, in 1991. She operates a 70-cm and 2-meter FM mobile
and handheld.
|