WD9EWK/VA7EWK - my ham radio timeline

Updated 26 October 2008

When I initially created my web site in 2000, I only put information on there and very little about myself. I decided that I should put more about myself on the site, if only to have a written history of my activities in amateur radio. Rather than doing a narrative, I will use an outline with dates and events at those points in time.

My timeline in the hobby

(Early 1977): My father asks me if I wanted to go with him to classes for an amateur radio license. I'm only 8 at the time, I was curious, so I went with him. He made a "bet" with me - if I could get my license, he would buy the necessary components for a small station at home. He already had a small CB station, but in the 1970s CB operators needed a license from the FCC. To get a license, you had to be at least 18 - and I wasn't.
April 1977: My father and I both write the Novice exam and the 5wpm Morse code test, pass them, and await our licenses from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In 1977, this process takes several weeks - our license applications, along with the testing paperwork, must be submitted to FCC for grading before a license is issued.
31 May 1977: FCC issues our licenses - my father obtains the callsign WD9EWJ, and I get WD9EWK. These callsigns are eventually listed in the 1978 Radio Amateur Callbook, on page 790.
June 1977: I make my first contacts using the equipment at the Great Lakes (Illinois) Amateur Radio Club located on the large naval base north of Chicago, and later this month my father purchases the equipment for my first station:
- Heath HW-16 HF transceiver, with HG-10 VFO
- Dentron SuperSuper Tuner (to match antennas to my transceiver)
- Multi-band vertical antenna (I forget the brand and model of it)
Most of my contacts are on the 40m band, using Morse code (CW), the only mode I am authorized to use with my Novice license at this time. I only make contacts with stations in the USA - not a big deal, as I am only 9 and enjoying the fact I have my own radio station.
October 1977: My father retires from the US Navy, and my family escapes the Chicago area for Arizona.
(1978-1979): Due to regulations in effect at this time, my father and I had to obtain new callsigns to reflect our new location. His new callsign is WB7VUS, mine is WB7VUT. Unfortunately, we were not permitted to set up the radio equipment in the apartment we lived in at that time, and never had a chance to use these callsigns. Our Novice licenses, being valid only for 2 years at this time and were not renewable, expired in May 1979.

After our licenses expired in 1979, my father had no interest in getting another license, but I eventually got back to this hobby. Fast forward 10 years...

(Early 1989): I met a friend, who had a handheld dual-band VHF/UHF transceiver - something that did not exist in the 1970s. After asking him about it I found out he was a ham, and that the licensing process in 1989 was much simpler than in the 1970s. Time to get a book to reacquaint myself with ham radio, and write the license exams.
1 March 1989: I wrote the Novice and Technician exams, plus the 5wpm Morse code exam, and qualified for the Technician license. Due to the way FCC processed paperwork at this time, the examiners filed the paperwork for my Novice license first, and filed the additional paperwork for my Technician license after I received my Novice license from FCC.
31 March 1989: FCC issued my Novice class license, with the callsign KB7HFF.
2 May 1989: FCC processes the additional paperwork, and finally issued my Technician class amateur license. I opted to change my callsign from KB7HFF, and receive N7MRV.
(During 1989): I am enjoying amateur radio again, and want to get a license with more privileges than I currently have. Time to study more books, and work on improving my proficiency in the Morse code. I purchase a 10-meter radio, and enjoy contacting stations around the world - and wishing I could have kept active in the hobby through the 1980s.
6 September 1989: Finally, after taking the 13wpm Morse exam a few times, I passed it. Along with another written exam, FCC issued my General class license - still with the callsign N7MRV - a few weeks later.
18 October 1989: After three attempts, I passed the Advanced license exam, and a few weeks later FCC issued my Advanced class license with a new callsign - KF7YS.
(During 1990): My station at this time:
- Kenwood TH-215A 2m FM handheld transceiver
- RadioShack HTX-100 10-meter transceiver
- Half-wave dipole for the 10m band, lying on the roof
- RadioShack VHF/UHF discone
(Between 1990 and 1996): After a few years using the 10m radio and a variety of VHF/UHF handheld transceivers, I was getting bored with this hobby. In 1994 I sell all of my equipment to get some extra money, but keep my license.
June 1996: FCC opens the "vanity-call" program, where amateurs can choose their callsign for a fee. With this program, and regulations that no longer require US amateur operators to hold a callsign that reflects their location, I filed paperwork (and pay the $30 fee) to reclaim my original callsign, WD9EWK.
August 1996: After reclaiming my original callsign (WD9EWK), I wanted to get onto the HF bands like I never did before at home. I wanted to operate on more bands than just the 10m band as I had done in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I purchased the following items for my new station at home:
- Kenwood TS-520 HF transceiver
- Hustler 4BTV HF vertical (10/15/20/40m)
- RadioShack HTX-202 2m FM handheld transceiver
- RadioShack VHF/UHF discone antenna
- Kantronics KPC-3+ VHF/UHF TNC
24 December 1996: Using the "packet" mode with my computer and TNC (modem), I made a digital contact with the mailbox system on the Russian space station Mir (R0MIR-1). I received a QSL card for this in early January 1997, and proceeded to make more connections with Mir over the next few months. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to talk with a Mir crewmember with a microphone.
May 1997: I read information about the digital modes used on the HF bands (in particular, RTTY, PacTOR, AMTOR, and packet), and purchased a Kantronics KAM Plus TNC to use with my TS-520.
24 December 1997: I purchased an Icom IC-706Mk2 HF/VHF transceiver, the first time I purchased a new multi-band all-mode HF transceiver for my station. I sold the TS-520 a few weeks later.
(1998 and 1999): I used the IC-706Mk2, and tried to figure out a way to operate RTTY with this radio and not interfere with my computer. I purchased a 350 Hz filter for the IC-706Mk2, to improve the radio's ability to receive RTTY signals.
12-13 December 1998: I operated in the ARRL 10 Meter Contest, the first time I try a radio contest from home. Lots of fun, but only using my microphone (SSB) I see that a 100-watt station with a vertical antenna is little match for those with bigger antennas and more power. Time to get back to the KAM Plus TNC, and get that working better with my IC-706Mk2.
17 July 1999: I finally have the proper filter in my IC-706Mk2 to receive RTTY signals better, the proper cable between the TNC and the radio to use that filter, and decided to try operating in the 1999 North American QSO Party contest for RTTY. Lots of fun, and - FINALLY! - I found a way to enjoy operating on HF with a 100-watt radio and a vertical antenna, and not bother my computer while transmitting. At the same time, I could operate without bothering my neighbors, which is a nice bonus.
(1999 and 2000): I operated in many RTTY contests in the months after the North American QSO Party contest, making contacts with stations across the USA and around the world. As I received QSL cards for these contacts, I saw the strong possibility of obtaining various awards. Fun, fun, fun!
8 March 2000: I made my first contacts through an amateur radio satellite, SO-35 or "SunSat", with Alex XE1MEX and Alvaro XE2YVW (now XE2AT).
24 March 2000: I am accepted as a "member" of the ARRL Old Timer's Club, having received my initial amateur license more than 20 years ago. Being considered an "old timer" just before my 32nd birthday is weird...
19 May 2000: ARRL issued my first award I have received for my radio operating - the Worked All Continents award, from the International Amateur Radio Union. At this point I qualified for the basic (mixed-mode) and RTTY versions of this award. In April 2001 I qualified for the phone version of this award.
26-29 May 2000: I obtained an amateur-radio permit from the Mexican government for the first time, and took the opportunity to operate from Mexico's Baja California peninsula during a long weekend. My Mexican "callsign" is XE2/WD9EWK. This is the first time I have operated from outside the USA, and I enjoy this despite the problems I encounter trying to operate RTTY from Mexico, and continue taking trips to Mexico to visit friends and play radio. The main reason I started my web page was to have an online source of information for foreign amateurs who want a Mexican amateur-radio permit.
13 November 2000: I am still enjoying using RTTY from my home station, and ARRL issued me the DXCC Millennium Award for making contact with stations in at least 100 different countries or territories. No serial number is on this certificate, just the date of issuance. No QSL cards were required for this award, and being able to make contact with all these places will eventually allow me to apply for the DXCC award in 2003.
19 January 2001: Finally, making radio contacts using radioteletype (RTTY) from home is paying off. I applied for ARRL's Worked All States award, after receiving QSL cards from stations in all 50 US states confirming contacts with each state. ARRL issued two certificates - the basic (mixed-mode) version with serial number 50242, and one specifically for RTTY with serial number 349.
8 February 2002: I operated from Tecate, Baja California (Mexico), and among my contacts that day was JA3JOT in Japan. I used my FT-817 at 5 watts output and the distance between our stations was 5865 miles. This qualified me for the QRP Amateur Radio Club International "1000 Miles per Watt" award, my first award for XE2/WD9EWK.
12 April 2002: On a trip to Vancouver, British Columbia, I wrote the Basic and 5wpm Morse exams for a Canadian amateur license. A few weeks later, I received my license with the callsign VA7EWK. I also operated on HF from Vancouver during this trip, using WD9EWK/VE7 as my call - the first, and only, time I will operate HF from Canada using my US license.
May 2002: I purchased a new Icom IC-756Pro2 HF/6m transceiver for my home station. I still have the IC-706Mk2, which is now my "travel radio" I take on trips to Mexico and one trip to western Arizona, before I sold it to a Mexican ham in May 2003.
3 July 2002: After submitting an application, I qualified for another award - the 1000-Miles-per-Watt award - from QRP Amateur Radio Club International. I made a contact from outside my office in Phoenix with VK4EJ in Australia on the 10m band in SSB, using a small Yaesu FT-817 transceiver, covering a distance of 7495 miles. At 5 watts, that is 1499 miles per watt. I received a second award for a 10m CW contact with a Japanese station while I was in Las Vegas (Nevada) later in 2002 as WD9EWK/7.
16-20 October 2002: I visit Toronto, Ontario (Canada) - the first opportunity I have to operate radios from Canada with my Canadian license as CJ7EWK/3. My first trip to Toronto in over 25 years, I had fun despite not making many radio contacts.
3-4 May 2003: I go to Mexico and operate as part of the 4A2Q special-event station. 4A2Q had several HF stations plus a satellite station for the UO-14 satellite.
4 June 2003: I made a contact with my good friend Alex XE2BSS through the UO-14 satellite, my first - and only - contact I made through that satellite.
14 August 2003: I submitted an application to ARRL for the DX Century Club (DXCC) award, for contacting stations in at least 100 different countries and territories around the world. After reviewing my application, ARRL issued me 3 DXCC certificates (all on this date):
- Basic award (contacts with stations using any mode on the HF bands), with serial number 39103
- RTTY (all contacts using RTTY or other digital modes), with serial number 1290
- 20m (all contacts on the 20m amateur band), no serial number
I could have filed for this award a year or so earlier, but finally got around to it in 2003.
24 October 2003: Once again, I am in Vancouver, and decided to write the Canadian Advanced amateur exam, which would then get me the highest "class" of amateur license in Canada (holding a license with all 3 qualifications - Basic, Advanced, and Morse Code). I successfully wrote the exam, and received my updated license a couple of weeks later. My Canadian callsign remains the same, VA7EWK.
6 December 2003: After writing the Canadian Advanced exam a few weeks earlier in Vancouver, I decided to finally write the exam for the highest class of amateur license in the USA - Amateur Extra. In the past, there was a 20wpm Morse code test I would need to pass along with another written exam, but the additional Morse test was eliminated by FCC in 2000. I went to an examination session at a swap meet in Mesa (Arizona), and successfully wrote the exam. Just like I did with my Canadian license, I chose to keep my current USA callsign, WD9EWK.
24 January 2004: After taking a short quiz and submitting my answers with an application, I received my certification as an Accredited Volunteer Examiner from the ARRL. Working with at least two other accredited examiners, I can now administer USA amateur radio exams.
14-24 April 2004: My first trip beyond North America. I went to Argentina, and had lots of fun. For this trip, my callsign was LU/WD9EWK.
25-26 June 2005: After 4 years of operating in the ARRL Field Day exercise from Flagstaff AZ, I camp in the forest near Prescott for this year's Field Day.
November 2005: I operated in the ARRL Sweepstakes - both CW and phone. My first CW contest ever, and a fun time both weekends.
1 December 2005: I made my first-ever voice contact with the International Space Station (ISS), USA callsign NA1SS, while standing outside my office in central Phoenix. I used an Icom IC-T7H handheld radio with a Maldol AH-510R 6m/2m/70cm telescoping-whip antenna, and spoke briefly to astronaut Bill McArthur. Wow!
20 December 2005: I made my first contacts through the AO-51 ("Echo") amateur satellite, while standing outside my office. I had an Icom IC-W32A handheld radio with a telescoping whip antenna, but stations in Alabama, California, and across the city in Glendale AZ heard me. I followed this up with 7 more contacts the next day, using the same radio but with an Arrow Antennas 2m/70cm handheld Yagi. I'm hooked!
23 December 2005: I made my first contacts through two other amateur satellites - AO-27 (5 contacts) and SO-50 (2 contacts).
28 December 2005: I made my first 2 contacts through the cross-band repeater on the International Space Station, talking briefly to Howard K6IA and Ron W6ZQ in California. I made another contact through the ISS repeater the next evening, this time talking briefly with Marc KD5MSS in Las Vegas.
30 December 2005: I receive confirmation from AMSAT that I have qualified for the "51 on 51" award, for making contact with 51 different stations on the AO-51 satellite in 2005. My award is the 60th of 70 AMSAT issued.
31 December 2005: I made one more contact through the cross-band repeater on the International Space Station, with Fernando XE2ARF in Mexico. I also operate through AO-51 during two daytime passes from a city park not far from my house that sits on exactly 112 degrees West longitude - the dividing line between grids DM33 and DM43.
2 January 2006: I try the packet system on the International Space Station for the first time, and successfully sent one packet to the ISS which was retransmitted to stations on the ground. I also connected to the ISS packet mailbox (RS0ISS-11), but was quickly disconnected.
27 February 2006: I make my first contacts using my Arrow Antennas 2m/70cm Yagi with a different radio - a Yaesu VX-2R. Less power (1.5W), not as versatile as other radios for amateur satellite work, but still a fun experiment.
21 March 2006: I had another voice contact with the International Space Station, this time using my handheld 2m/70cm Yagi antenna with my IC-T7H radio. I talked to Bill McArthur again, as the ISS approached the California coast.
27 March 2006: I made my third voice contact with the International Space Station.
18-22 May 2006: I made my first trip to the Dayton HamVention. While I was in the area, I made 40 contacts through the SO-50 and AO-51 satellites from various locations in and around Dayton.
26 May 2006: I made my 1000th satellite contact, at 1706 UTC via AO-51 with "Tere" XE2TZP in northern Mexico.
24 June 2006: I made 8 contacts through the cross-band repeater on the International Space Station - twice as many as I did in December 2005. I made 4 contacts on each of the two passes I worked, making contact with stations in three countries (USA, Canada, and Mexico).
24-25 June 2006: I operated in the 2006 ARRL Field Day as WD9EWK working the AO-51 and SO-50 satellites from a campground near Show Low, Arizona.
1-3 September 2006: I made my first contacts using a 2.4 GHz downconverter (a type of receiver) today. I transmitted to AO-51 on the 2-meter band with one handheld radio, and listened to the satellite on 2.4 GHz using the downconverter and another handheld radio. I made a total of 14 contacts during this weekend.
6-8 October 2006: I attended the 2006 AMSAT Space Symposium in Foster City, California (south of San Francisco, grid CM87un). While at the symposium, I made 21 contacts via AO-51 using my IC-T7H handheld radio and Maldol AH-510R telescoping-whip antenna.
2 December 2006: I was part of the AMSAT table at the Superstition Hamfest in Mesa, Arizona (east of Phoenix, grid DM43bj), where I operated a demonstration station for AO-51 during this event.
23 December 2006: I finally used the EchoLink software to connect to other amateur stations for the first time. I still like using radios, but this software opens up new options for my home station.
19 June 2007: I made my 2500th satellite contact, at 1437 UTC via AO-51 with George WA5KBH in Louisiana.

Comments/Questions?
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WD9EWK/VA7EWK - Ham Radio