Michael - KC8OAN

One of my main interests in ham radio has been home brewing electronics projects. I started as a child around 8 years old, salvaging components from discarded radios and tv’s, as well as finding out about Radio Shack and Allied Radio for buying electronic components.

My interest in Amateur radio followed shortly after when I became a boy scout and, receiving Boys Life magazine saw ads about becoming a ham operator. I had no one in our small WV town to ask or learn from, so nothing ever came of my interest, until I got internet connectivity in 1999.

At that point I located and downloaded all the exam study material to learn what was needed to prepare for the first two written exams, and one code test (5 wpm). I passed the novice and technician class along with the code test in March 2000 becoming technician plus.

I took the general test which was my original goal to attain in April, and was ready for 13 wpm code, but no tape was included due to the restructuring at that time.

The VE who administered the test said I would have to come back with my csce for having passed the test when the VE’s would be testing the following month, and send it in to receive a general class ticket. I said since it would require me to come back, I may as well study and take the advanced and extra class tests, which resulted in my becoming extra class.

From that point I began building projects regularly over several years and was using them regularly.

That was precursor to my web page at https://myplace.frontier.com/~mwhitco/index.html “, where my interest grew into more useful (to me) projects related to my new hobby (startingin the 2000’s), Ham Radio!

I remember once mentioning to Joe W8DYF (sk) my Elmer, that it felt like I should be working contests and earning awards, but he said “You’re doing what you are supposed to do, home-brewing projects”.

And so it continues today and I am enjoying the hobby as much as ever! ( I did work quite a bit of DX on HF bands and logged a good number of countries, as well as doing digital modes and became pretty active on local 2 meter repeaters.

My station info is rig; Icom IC-718, connected to a homebrewed 105 ft G5RV matched with 300 ohm ladder line section, fed with DXE (lmr) 400 coax. Antenna tuner is MFJ Versa Tuner V 3KW roller inductor.