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.

• Early 1960's view from the roof of our house in Seven Hills, ground elevation 1150 ft.

• My vertically polarized stacked six-element two-meter yagis.  I also had a 16-element collinear, and two ten-element yagis stacked, one time vertical and one time horizontal. And a 20-element crossed polarized.  I actually worked a guy in a radio shop in Mayfield Hts testing his transmitter into a dummy load from this QTH.

• Jack, W8LIO's big antenna and tower.

• Jo Ann, then K8WRX, standing in front of the 26 foot chicken wire 1296 MHz moonbounce dish built by her father Jack, W8LIO, about 1961. I helped extend the diameter from 20 feet to 26 feet. It was used on the first one-way 1296 MHz moonbounce transmission from W1BU Boston to W8LIO Dorset on the Ohio PA border.

• Skinny me, W8SQY (at the time).

• Jack, W8LIO.

• N8RI and N8PRG twin consecutive serial number Yaesu VX-5 hand helds.

• My current shack set up for 10/15/20/40/M PSK-31, CW and SSB. Also VHF/UHF and scanners.