WE4TOM
WE4TOM can most often be found on KE4UP, 145.490
I got my Novice License, WN4NGT, in1962. In High School I had no money for radio equipment, an ailment that persist to this day. Fortunately it is less severe now. I learned electronics in the Marine Corps and that background kept alive my Amateur Radio interest.
On June 28, 2014 I went to Richmond, VA for the Richmond Amateur Radio Club's Field Day and got my Technician License, KM4CWW.
I the applied for and received the Vanity call WE4TOM.
On July 26, 2014 I went to Yorktown, VA for the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Klub / Hampton Public service Team Exam and got my General License,
I then joined the Southern Peninsula Amateur Radio Klub
(SPARK) and the associated Hampton Public-servicer Team.
On September 6, 2014 I went to Virginia Beach, VA for the Virginia Beach Amateur Radio Club HamFest and got my Extra License.
I then became an ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE).
My first radios were a Baofeng UV-5R, Pofung UV-82, and iCOM ID-51A, all handhelds.
Next I got an iCOM ID5100A, and made a 2 meter PVC Vertical Antenna.
It worked well but I was able to extend my range using a Diamond X300A Antenna.
I have added an iCOM IC-7100 along with an LDG IT-100 Autotuner and a G5RV Jr Antenna.
In 2015, I joined the Eastern Virginia Healthcare Coalition as a Member of the Healthcare Emergency Amateur Radio Team (HEART).
The radio used by HEART's supported Healthcare Facilities is the Yaesu FT-8800. So to enable a reasonable level of proficiency, I acquired an FT-8800.
In a raffle, I won a used Kenwood TM-D710A which I have not yet set up.
On April 27, 2015, Addison, AA4AV began a weekly Net Session to share technical expertise, particularly with newer Hams. Click on TechTalk to learn more about it.
Field Day 2015 was held June 27 and 28th. Our call sign was W4QR. It was not a very dry Field Day.
June 2016 I am beginning to dabble in data.
I'm using
Radio: IC-7100
Soundcard: Signalink USB
Antenna: G5RV Jr.
Software: Ham Radio Deluxe - DM-780
On Wednesday, June 22, 2016, I got a confirmation from my Data Elmer, Dick Barnes, N4BC, http://n4bc.com (Previously K4FTW, [www.k4ftw.us]) that I had successfully transmitted to him using PSK-31. It was a great feeling of accomplishment that I got when he verified that I had actually made PSK-31 work.
Field Day 2016 shows more promise than last year's Field Day.
On February 28, 2015 my wife, Kathy, took her Technician Exam and aced it. She became KM4INB. She has since changed her call sign to: WE4KAT. On April 16, 2016 she upgraded to General. She, also, can most often be found on KE4UP, 145.490.
In January 2018, I and my XYL, WE4KAT, resigned from HEART
The area I'm learning now is DMR. I've joined a DMR Net every Thursday at 2100 on Talk Group 31515. Join us. The participants tend to be Hams in the Tidewater Virginia area, but we are occasionally joined by more distant Hams. DMR doesn't care.
September 2018: My old HF antenna, a G5RV came down and an end fed NI4CL has gone up in its place. Before the weather gets too cold, I hope to improve the grounding to improve recpetion.
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