I am a long standing member of the "Rotten Apple Group" 6:-7:00am eastern time and New York Cities "Radio Club of Jr High School 22" Classroom Net (with WB2JKJ) who start their day at 7:-8:30am eastern time on 7.238MHz. That's awfully early for me here on the west coast though. The main focus of the Club is: EDUCOM (Education through Communications)...using HAM Radio as a teaching tool in Classroom Radio Clubs around the country and "across the pond". Find out more about "EDUCOM" by visiting www.wb2jkj.org and, if you're a school teacher, why not join us in Las Vegas in July of 2010 at the Plaza Hotel for the 8th Annual Teachers Meeting to learn more about EDUCOM program. While you're visiting the Club's website, make sure you take a look at current and archived copies of the Clubs weekly newsletter, "Apple Slices".
The wife, Linda KI6JUD and I have recently gone completely mobile! We're now "full Time RV'ers" enjoying our lives on the road traveling the U.S.A..
Our mode of transportation is our 2008 Chevy Silverado HD2500 Pickup Truck with the Z71 4x4 package, Duramax 6.6L Duramax Diesel engine (660 torque) and Allison 6 speed automatic transmission. Our living quarters...30 foot long 2003 Prowler Lynx 830Y Travel Trailer with a super slide.
We have Amateur Radio Stations in both the truck and trailer (all amateur radio equipment except the IC-706MkIIG was purchased at Ham Radio Outlet San Diego http://hamradio.com/ ..what a great bunch of guys!) and both stations are capable of operating from 160 meters through 70cm (wiring nightmares in the pictures will be taken care of soon!). Our stations consist of the following:
In the truck is an ICOM IC-706MkIIG, ICOM IC-V8000, Yaesu VX-7R, Cobra 25LTD Classic 11m rig (so we can keep in touch with non-HAM friends while we're off roading), LDG AT-100PRO Autotuner, HighSierra HS-1500 Screwdriver HF antenna, "W5COM" homebrew 160m antenna, 6 meter "Ham Stick", Hustler 2m co-linear antenna, Hustler "magmount" dual band 2m/70cm antenna, Radio Shack "magmount" 11 meter antenna, 2 Wilson "magmount" Cell Phone antennas, Garmin StreetPilot C340 GPS for navigation, DeLorme PN-20 Handheld GPS for "Geocaching", XM Satellite Radio and 800watt inverter.
In the trailer we have our ICOM IC-7000, Yaesu VX-7R, ICOM IC-2100H (APRS will be set up and operational soon) Uniden Grant 11m AM/SSB rig, ALS-500RC Amplifier, LDG AT-1000 AutoTuner, MFJ 4275 Switching 75amp Power Supply and Tigertronics SingaLink USB Digital Interface. Our antennas include a Hustler 5-BTV vertical (10m - 80m), Diamond V-2000R with 6m/2m-70cm duplexer, G5-RV Max and a 4' 11m Firestick.
Our emergency power consists of 90watts Solar (will increase size in time), four 6v 220amp deep cycle marine Batteries and a 7kw Champion electric start generator.
Accompanying us in our travels are Heidi-K9DAWG/2 (4 year old Black German Shepherd) and our 12 year old cat, Sam. Some of you may remember Randi my 3 legged Pit Bull, the origional K9DAWG. She became a silent bark in July of 2001 at the ripe old age of 14.5 yrs. Misty, K9DAWG/1 became a silent bark in October 2009 at the age of almost 14 yrs.
I'm a former U.S. Army Paratrooper and Radio Operator (Phone/CW/RTTY) MOS O5C, 31C 1975-1990. Stationed at Ft Bragg NC with B Company 82nd Signal Bn 82nd Airborne Division, 82nd Military Intelligence Company/313th CEWI Bn 82nd Airborne Division, A Co 50th Signal Bn 18th Airborne Corps (MOBSTRAC), Ft Devens MA with Signal Company 10th Special Forces Group (ABN) (Green Berets), 1st SF, 501st Signal Detachment US Army Reserve at Camp Pendleton CA, and B Company 121st Signal Bn 1st Infantry Division, Ft Riley KS. Also worked at Army MARS Stations ABM4WDF/AAR4USC Ft Bragg NC, AEM1EO Giessen Germany and AAT7USD Ft Riley KS.
Former Army MARS (Military Affiliate Radio System) Operator with MARS Call Sign AAT7RM where I spent a little over a year (1990-1991) as Army MARS DEO (Director of Emergency Operations) for the state of Kansas.
Former Vice President and Field Day Chairman (2008/2009) for the Amateur Radio Club of El Cajon www.wa6bgs.org and until October 2009 (when the Council went dark for the year) served as an Alternate Delegate for the Club to the San Diego County Amateur Radio Council (SANDARC) http://www.sandarc.org. I'm also wearing two hats on SANDARC's planning committee for the 2010 ARRL Southwestern Division Convention www.sandarc.org/Convention2010/index.html that will be held on the weekend of September 17 through 19th, 2010 in San Diego California. I'll be heading up our Special Event Amateur Radio Station "W1AW/6" at the Convention as well as assisting Paul Rios KC6QLS as Co-Vendor Chair. I'm a Volunteer Examineer (VE) for both SANDARC and W5YI and on the first and third Saturdays of each month, I can be found at El Cajon or North Park test sites (when we're in town).
New and Exciting! At our Amateur Radio Club of El Cajon Christmas Party on December 15th, 2009, I was honored to find out that the Members of the Club selected me as their 2009 "HAM of the Year".
On June 12th, we'll leave San Diego for the summer and head to Hot Springs South Dakota where we'll spend Field Day with the Hot Springs Amateur Radio Club.
We'll be back in San Diego Labor Day weekend in time to finalize plans for getting the Convention's Radio Station set up. Who knows where our travels will take us after the Convention.
To keep up with where we are and what we're up to, visit www.wa6bgs.org and click on the "Counterpoise" button. I write a column each month for the "Counterpoise" called "The Weed Patch". We have also been working on a blog and you can find it at: http://ourweedpatch.blogspot.com
Another Update: Linda and I attended our first Quartzfest* (http://www.quartzfest.org) this year (January 2010) and enjoyed it so much that when this years Organizers ask for someone to take over planning the event for 2011, Linda and I stepped forward and accepted the task. Make sure you put January 23rd - 29th, 2011 on your Calandar and join us in Quartzsite AZ for what may be the world's largest Amateur Radio RV Boondocking get together. It's an entire week of FREE camping, filled with HAM stuff..Seminars, Amateur Radio License Testing, Antenna Shootout, Campfires, 4 Wheel Drive Trip, Hobo Stew, etc.. We even have non-HAM things for our (X)YL's and those attending but not interested in HAM stuff.
