| K5HK, Carl
|
Born and raised in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas. I was first licensed in March of 1963 as WN5JKC a sophomore in high school. Upgraded about 4 months later to General Class and became WA5JKC. I joined the Navy after graduation from high school at age 17 for a 3 year minority enlistment (aka Kiddy Cruise). I was spent 6 months working at a ground control approach radar site at NAS Jacksonville, FL then attend Communications Technician (Radio Branch) School at US Naval Security Group Training Center at Corey Field, Pensacola, Fl. I became an intercept morse operator for the Navy for the remainder of my enlistment servicing at NavSecGruAct Bremerhaven Germany and NavSecGruAct Galeta Island, Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. After being honorably discharged from the Navy I attended the University of Arkansas in Fayeteville and lived there for the next ten years working as a Biomedical Engineer for a Regional Medical Center. At age 30, I ran away from home for the second time (the first after graduation from HS to the Navy) and joined the US Merchant Marine as a Radio Electronics Officer aboard commercial ships worldwide. I sailed on merchant ships for 26 years going through the transition from morse operators to high tech electronics and information technology skills of the Radio Electronics Officer profession. I have had the opportunity to operate from the far corners of the world as maritime mobile, license holder and guest operator largely due to the travel my profession has required. Licenses with following calls: WA5JKC, KZ5BY, K5HK, VQ9CY, HP0/K5HK, K5HK/mm1-2-3 and VP2V/K5HK. I have been guest operators at TI2, SU1, 4X4, CE3, LU2, YV5, XE2, DU2, and others. In 2001 I was elected to the executive council of my labor union and in 2003 I became Secretary-Treasurer of the American Radio Association, AFL-CIO. My ham radio activity has been very limited since assuming national office in my labor organization alas. I have been able to participate some with the Reno QRP Group, the Sierra Nevada Amateur Radio Society, and Pony Express Re-ride communications support however. I have many homebrew QRP rigs and kits which I have designed, modified and/or constructed. I am saving a lot of future design and construction projects for retirement. I enjoy cw operations most of all, however, I do operate some SSB and data modes from time to time. I had the honor and privilege to participate as an operator with the KP2N group in the CQWW CW 1986 contest and we won the multi-multi event that year--so much for contesting. I still enjoy working a few stations in contests but my serious efforts are behind me, I think. I have a Lightningbolt 5 band 2 element Quad antenna up 40 feet, a vertically polarized delta loop for 40m and a Carolina Windom antenna for HF. My main big rig is a IC-756Pro2 but I have a number of rigs including a Viking Valiant, TS-940SAT, FT-756GX, FT-735R, IC-720A, HW-8, KX1, SST20, SMT-1, Rockmite, HiMite, several HB rigs and on and on. More than I need of everything according to my YL! You might say I am just another fortunate ham. I have lived in Reno since 1992. I am married to my lovely YL, Gretchen. We have two adult children Christa and Sonny college and an American Fox Hound named Chelsea.
73 K5HK, Carl