About

Welcome!

Field Day 2010
ARPSC, Arlington, VA
(c) KE4SKY

February 2014 marked my thirtieth anniversary as a radio amateur. I'm originally from Middleboro, MA and was first licensed in the mid-1980's (KA1LKA) as a high school student. A keen interest in radio was evident by the time I was six years old.

As a kid, I loved using my family reel-to-reel tape recorder, listening to short-wave and playing with my older brothers' "crystal" walkie talkies. More discernable; however, was my inability to re-assemble the equipment examined ... It was stuff that belonged to my older brother. I had a knack for dismantling electrical equipment, but the skill of re-assembly never quite matched my curiosity. I was destined for many career options, alas electrical engineering was not and is not one of them. I managed to tinker with Shortwave and Citizens Band radio from 1981 - 1984. All along, I really wanted to be licensed as a "ham." I just needed to meet people to guide the journey.

Prior to 1984, the FCC administered license exams for all classes except Novice and Technician, with some exceptions. I studied for 5 word per minute (wpm) Morse code examination and a basic theory exam with a couple of Elmer's (Dan, N1BIO and Tom). I quickly passed the exam, earned a Novice ticket in February, 1984 and was granted call sign KA1LKA. My Elmer, Dan, teased me by dubbing my suffix "LKA" with the phonetics " Laziest Kid Around." I may have slept-in late and avoided taking out the garbage as a teenager, but I was anything-but-lazy when it came to getting my radio amateur license and building my first station!

As a Novice, I continued to study theory and practiced morse code during the spring and summer of '84. All of this happened while the authority to test for radio amateur licenses in the US was transferred from the FCC to Volunteer Exam Coordinators (at the time, there was a lot of "press" on the topic in QST.) I easily passed the theory for the Technician license. Later that fall, my Dad and I traveled to the FCC Field Office in Boston, MA so I could "sit" for the 13-WPM (word per minute) morse code test. I passed with "flying colors" and was granted a General Class radio amateur by October, 1984!

I attended a VEC testing which was hosted by the Pilgrim Amateur Wireless Association in Taunton, MA in winter of 1985. It was really exciting to earn a 20-WPM morse code endorsement (which could be applied to the Extra Class license examination); unfortunately, I felt disappointed to fail the theory portion for the Advanced Class license. Looking back, I realize there was a lot happening in life -- I was finishing high school, preparing for college and chasing DX. These were preoccupations that thwarted "serious study" for the Advanced class ticket.

I held a General Class license for my first twenty-three years as a radio amateur. HF Phone and Morse Code DXing captured my early imagination as a Novice / General class radio amateur (as it sill does today). I developed a fond interest in 15 meter SSB which was an active band in the 1980's. I even practiced CW using a Kantonics plug-in card that worked with the then-stylish Commodore 64 computer. My older brother, Michael (KA1MAE), also earned his novice ticket in the '80's through Courage Center HandiHam initiatives. Together, we spend my teenage years chasing DX and making friends around the world.

My First Station

Our original gear included an FT 101EX and FT 102 by Yaesu, along with a couple different 144Mhz FM transceivers. The VHF gear included the popular Icom 2AT. A thirty foot tower topped with a Mosley 7 Element Tribander and a VHF Yagi were the best performing antennas at our home. (This remained at our home until my brother and mom died in 2005, when I sold everything in a fast estate sale. Man, I wish that stuff could have been moved to my present QTH. Intense grief and "apartment-living" made it impractical to retain these radio items.) I also started playing portable ops with a Yaesu FT-290 all-mode portable 2 meter rig. This rig - including the matching power supply and FL-2010 10W amplifier - was a present for high school graduation. And I still have this gear!

I probably earned WAS and DXCC (multimodal, multiple HF bands) with "old school" QSL cards from my home QTH during the early '80's. Those cards are long gone, but I fondly remember many great QSO's. One memorable contact was my first QSO with a station in Antartca. My mother was supportive of the hobby - not particularly fond of all the radio equipment, mind you - and I was thrilled when she came into the "shack" one eveing to watch as I made this rare, first-ever contact with a new continent. We were both amazed and shared the excitement.

College and Graduate School Years

I began college in 1985 and my interests quickly shifted away from ham radio to college activities. My baccalaureate studies were focused in mass communication, history and audio production. I was fascinated by documentary producing and recording Irish folk music in pubs. I kept my ham ticket renewed, but was generally inactive throughout the 1990's.

After a seven year career in broadcast television promotion and marketing, I spent nearly six years in formation for priesthood (Roman Rite) with a forward-thinking congregation of priests. I departed priestly formation in 2000, met my partner nearly a year later and then completed my graduate studies in 2001. After a brief stint with non-profit office work, I started a second graduate degree that wrapped up in. 2004. My attention necessarily focused on professional development, so there was very little time for amateur radio activities!

Homecoming

Merri - Loves DX
and chin rubs

Things changed drastically in my personal life within a few short months. By September, 2005. Michael (KA1MAE), my older brother, died suddenly. His death was followed by the untimely passing of my mom, nearly three months later, on Christmas Day. Intense grief consumed me and I knew some self-care was in order.

At first, I just didn't know "what to do" with myself. In time, ham radio seemed like a good avenue. Meeting new people and engaging in group activities seemed like a healthy next-step. So, I connected with the folks at Arlington Radio Public Service Club during the Arlington County Fair (2006) and made several new acquaintances.

I quickly upgraded to Amateur Extra Class (on a whim) in July, 2007 when I passed the element 4B theory exam. I could still pass a 20 WPM Morse code test, but that requirement was abolished in 2003 when the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ratified changes to the Radio Regulations to allow each country to determine whether it would require a person seeking an amateur radio operator license to demonstrate the proficiency to send and receive Morse Code. (I believe complete elimination of Morse Code proficiency - if only required for the Extra Class license - was a regretful decision. I believe every ham should have some exposure to Morse Code and ought be proficient to send and receive CW messages at a rate of 5 to 10 WPM).

I decided to change my ham radio call sign once I was granted the Extra Class radio amateur license. My partner and I planned on movingly Maryland and I prefer the "old school" use of FCC radio amateur call sign "districts." We would e moving to the "Third District" and I wanted a call that reflected the district in which I resided. Plus, the call needed to "flow" easily when spoken and transmitted via CW. After looking at a bundle of options, I settled on "WC3Q" [.-- -.-. ...-- --.-]

My partner and I lived in an apartment in Arlington, VA in 2006 when I first "got back on the air." Some stealthy antennas and a pre-owned Yaesu FT 897 transceiver worked wonders from our third floor balcony. Wire antennas, the original BuddyPole, a motorized HF mobile antenna and a JPole were among some creative "stealth" antennas that performed well on the balcony of our third floor apartment. I've been increasingly active in HF DX'ing and building a larger station ever since.

Since 2007

We moved from Northern Virginia to Suburban Maryland in December, 2007. Owning a home offers tremendous flexibility to experiment with low visibility antenna installations. And it didn't take long for me to experiment with frequency resonant antennas. Montgomery County, MD has overwhelming ordinances and permitting requirements for hams seeking to install antennas or towers in closely-knit neighborhoods (this is due, in part, to a case that was rejected by the US Supreme Court). Fortunately, ropes and pulleys draping over tree branches do not qualify as towers!

Our finished basement has been the perfect spot to build a comfortable shack. I'm a member of:

Potomac Valley Radio Club

Arlington Radio Public Service Club, Arlington, VA,

QRP Amateur Radio Club International

National Capitol DX Association

FeldHell Club

Pilgrim Amateur Wireless Association, Taunton, MA (1980's)

Montgomery County ARC, Rockville, Maryland

Green Mountain ARC, Laurel, Maryland

Former affiliations include:

Nowadays

Nowadays, my partner graciously encourages my radio amateur activities (and tolerates all the antennas, cables and radio gadgets)! And our four cats enjoy taking shifts with me in the radio room. They are all great companions and enjoy all the sounds of "DX rolling in." (See pics below).

I am often on HF bands during SSB contests, yet rarely operate as a contester. I most enjoy searching around the HF bands for new DXCC entities. I have a renewed interest in portable operations (see QRP and Travels) and have frequently volunteered as a radio operator for Auxiliary Communications (see EmComm and Go Kit). Digital communications, improving my CW skills and experimentation with contesting are some interests I hope to explore.
I have a "contester spirit" and have always gotten a thrill from operating Field Day. It would be a pleasure to get together with other hams for events. Work commitments tend to keep me busy during weekday evenings, so I generally miss club dinners. And unfortunately, my home station isn't truly set-up for "serious" contest activity. I plan to operate portable QRP during the 2013 MDC QSO Party. You can read more about my first-ever participation in a QSO Party here.

Thanks for visiting and please drop a comment! You can find me on Club Log, Twitter (@WC3Q), QRZ.com, CQ Friends and 73s.com.

Vy 73,

John

de WC3Q (ex-KA1LKA)