I first got my Novice ticket in the late 60's .. but let it lapse and never got interested in the hobby until I retired and joined the local Sun City Center,FL (south of Tampa) Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Our small FRS radios didn't enable us to communicate with the local EOC .. or even our field teams, so the County Fire department sponsored CERT members in local Ham classes. We've got 5 new hams as a result-- a good thing given the many hurricanes we've gone through in the last few years.

As of July 2011, our 170+ member CERT team now boasts 40 hams

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See www.w1wab.com 

January 2010: Elected Chairman of Hillsborough County Citizen Corps Council [www.volunteerhillsborough.org]

February 2007: Upgraded to General Class. Look for me on 14.070 on PSK31 or 14.282 phone.

January 2007: Elected President- Sun City Center CERT.

January 2006: Appointed Deputy Races and ARES Assistant Emergency Communications Officer for Hillsborough County. Volunteered in the Katrina and Wilma relief efforts. You can see/read about it at the club website; http://www.sccarc.info/katrina.html

January 2005: Skywarn NCS station & Manager of the Eagle Net: the West Central Florida Section 2 meter NTS phone net that meets daily at 8:30pm.

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Rigs: I run a series of Kenwood radios (TS-2000, 599 "Twins", TS-520SE, TM-211a, TM-411a, TS-700sp, three TS-700a's) and miscellaneous mobiles into an attic Cushcraft beams pointed due west; a north / south 20 meter dipole; and 40/80 Mtr hamstick dipoles. Main portable/digital rigs are the Yaesu FT- 817, FT-897. Heathkit SB401/301 twins should be 'up' in 2010! In all, I have (so far) 14 different rigs stacked up on shelves in the shack in the garage!

Also 'back' into 11-meters with my CP-2000 BASE with all the bells and whistles. Look for me on Channel # 1 if in Tampa area-- or on our local repeater 147.225 or 147.090 (both +; pl 146.2)

Married 41 years; two grown children; 9 grand-children!

Hope to hear you on all the bands!

See also http://www.w1wab.com