I have had an interest in wireless communications for over 30 years. It started with a valid CB license in the mid-seventies before the FCC quit issuing them. I was always fascinated by HAM radio but the Morse code requirements were a real deterrent as I was involved in many other activities. In 2000 I bought a Technician Class study manual only to watch it collect dust. In December 2005 I bought a scanner that had some of the HAM bands pre-programmed in it. After a week with the new scanner I was surfing the net looking for new study material for that Technician Class license. On January 21, 2006 I took the Technician test and passed. On January 25, 2006 I was granted a Technician Class license with the call sign KC2PCG. On January 28, 2006 I bought my first radio at the Lockport Hamfest. It was a Yaesu FT-60 handheld. One week later I was building my first antenna, the W2IK Desk Buddy.

After a year of enjoying my Technician license it was time to move up. On February 17, 2007 I took the General Class test and was issued my CSCE. Code testing vanished on February 23, 2007. At the Horseheads Hamfest the following week I submitted my CSCE. It took 2 weeks to process the new General ticket which became official on March 9, 2007.

After a year of enjoying my General license it was time to move up again. The last of my amateur radio exams took place on January 19, 2008 and it became official on January 24, 2008 with the FCC posting my new Extra classification. The evening it became official I was shopping for a new call sign and made a formal application to the FCC. My first selection of K2SI became effective February 12, 2008.

In my early years of ham radio I was active with the Western District Net handling traffic and filling in as alternate Net Control. For a short time I was Net Control for the 6:30 pm slot on Wednesday night. Soon after the WDN went to one session per day and 9:30 pm was chosen.

In May 2007 I was elected to the Rochester Amateur Radio Association Board of Directors. In May of 2008 I was elected Vice-President of the club and in May 2009 I became President of the club. I was the Public Service Coordinator from 2008 thru 2011. The Rochester Amateur Radio Association is the largest of the radio clubs in the Rochester area with over 700 members. I am a regular contributor to the clubs monthly newsletter, the "RARA Rag". I am also the administrator for the club's Facebook and Google+ pages.

In July 2007 I completed the construction of my new shack in the basement and moved all my equipment from a 2nd floor bedroom into the new shack. In the new shack is Yaesu FT-897D with a LDG AT-897 auto tuner and a LDG meter. This is connected to a homemade dipole for HF. The FT-897D is also connected to an Arrow dual band J-pole for VHF and UHF that is in the attic. In August 2009 I installed a 43 foot Zero-Five vertical with 96 radials and have been very happy with the performance. In 2012 I added a Kenwood TS-430S HF rig to the shack.

The combination of computers and ham radio is what peaks my interest in the hobby. I am a casual contester and enjoy both RTTY and voice contests. In the shack I run N1MM for contest logging. For rig control, logging, and digital modes I am a big fan of Ham Radio Deluxe. Another program that has been very helpful for uploading new contacts to LoTW and downloading QSL's back to the HRD logbook is Ham Radio Deluxe Utilities. It will also download confirmed eQSL's back to the HRD logbook. HRD Utilities has now been replaced by upgrades to Ham Radio Deluxe. My master logbook gets uploaded to LoTW, eQSL, HRDLog, QRZ, ClubLog, and QRZCQ.

ARRL WAS RTTY #738: March 3, 2009
ARRL DXCC Mixed #43,469: January 20, 2010
ARRL LOTW Triple Play #921: November 5, 2013
eQSL eWAS: April 23, 2013
eQSL eDX100: April 25, 2013

73, Duane