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Front
Page
President's
Corner
Callsign
Changes
Member
Notes
Most
Wanted
DX
Notes
PJ4/K5YG
DXpedition
Lighthouse
Article
Parting
Words
My main focus in Amateur radio is and always has been chasing DX. I got my first ticket in 1977 as general class (WD5CVB) then upgraded to advanced a year or so later (KB5BC). My dad was a ham in the 50's and 60's then became silent key in 1966. I was proud to get his old call sign W5EIL when the so called vanity gate opened. I have a little over 200 countries confirmed and as most people, many more "worked". I was not able to be active much in the 80's due to working conditions which gives me more DX to work now I guess. My main mode of operation is phone but also like RTTY when it gives me a chance for new countries and I dabble in PSK as well as other digital modes.
Well, the Clark's got moved from Edmond, Oklahoma and are still getting settled in Laurel. We moved our oldest daughter, Lori, down from Oklahoma Baptist University to Jones County Junior College and she was not a happy camper. But, as with all things, time heals and she is having a blast. On top of that she has a 4.0 Grade Point Average, has been initiated into Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society and nominated for Who's Who in American Colleges. Our youngest daughter, Allison, is doing real well. All the boys want to be her friend. Her personality is like water running off of a duck's back, whatever the circumstance, she goes with the flow. She has been a big help to her mom in the move. The allergies have about done our family in, especially my wife Cathy. The ham shack is progressing slowly. I have the LMR-400 ran from the shack out to the tower and the remote switch is installed. I have my 75 & 40 meter inverted-v's in the air and have moved my R-6000 vertical down to that end of the house. I am still looking for someone that can cut some trees down and limb up some others so that I can get the guy wires run and the tower to its final height of 85 feet. Then, I can get the beam from N5TF up in the air. Wish I had it up now for the contest season. I do have the AL-1500 up and running now, it makes it easier than before to work the rare ones, but the vertical is no substitute for the big beam. As of 10/31/2000 I have worked 134 countries since 1/1/2000 and have worked WAS phone and cw. I have also worked 34 of the 40 zones. Since I just have a little pistol station, 99 percent of my contacts have been S&P during contests. There are a lot of new ones coming up and maybe I can get the beam up before P5 comes on. Who knows the way the weather has been, it will be dry and 85 on New Year's Day. May all the DX you need come your way this next year!
Not much for the newsletter from this end. Did get my 5 Band DXCC. DXCC count now at 317 with 4 in the can. Things at work are picking up with the coming of HDTV. Will be on the air Oct. 15, 2001.
W5AA and xyl N5FBW visited K5ETA/TI8's qth in southern Costa Rica twice
in 2000 and W5AA worked about 120 countries and has just submitted 103
qsls to the ARRL He hopes to go back more times and try for 5BDXCC from
there.
W5AA maintains a schedule with Veterinarians who work in Africa.
They are 5H3CC, 5X4l a yl op, and Doug, TJ1LD. During these QSOs,
we discuss the various problems they each face in their respective areas.
I wish I were closer in order to better participate in the association
activities. Be as it may, I will do my best from this distance.
During the past year I have managed to work the following DXpeditions
with 85W (no split - only RIT), a homemade 20M Vertical and 15M Inverted
Vee. My antenna farm is limited due to disability.
A52A - Bhutan (15M)
VP6BR - Pitcairn Is. (40, 20, and 15M)
FO0AAA - Clipperton Is. (40, 20, and 15M)
K5K - Kingman Reef (40, 20, 15M)
KH6ND/KH5 - Palmyra Is. (40 and 20M)
5V7VJ - Togo (40 and 20M)
AX9YL - Norfolk Is. (20M)
Also managed to snag VK0MM, XX9TDX, and Z24S on 20M. The above were all-time new ones for me and worked on CW. Guess I has a pretty good year since after about 250 they really get hard to come by.
Bill and Glenn, K2FF made a return trip to Dayton this year. We were met there by Hussam, SU1HM and his lovely wife Amida. One most memorable happening was the search for our “lost” cars in the sea of cars in the parking lot! Bill became a “Yaseau man” the second he saw the new Mark V --- Acom also took a bite out of Bill.
I put my Electrician uniform back on after many years. I finished wiring their new home in Vancleave in November. I do not want to see any more 12-gauge wire!! Some 2000ft of 12-2, 50 outlets and 25 switches later, the work is just about done.
Susan and I became Grandparents on August 18th. Our Son Andrew and Lori are the proud parents Meagan.
Mix in trips to Bonaire, Florida Keys, Turks & Caicos and Maine
in all that and it was quite a busy year!
