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2021-10 After 17 years I’m back on the air and building a new shack.
My love for Amateur radio started in 1996 in Phoenix AZ and never died but I let circumstances in my life take me away from it. In the mid 2000s, family and health issues left me with no time or place to be involved with radio. The worst of it was letting my license expire. Now 2021 and recently my passion for RF has been reignited and even though I’m in an apartment with no way to have outdoor antennas nothing is going to keep my off the air…
I originality got into amateur radio not because it was of interest to me but because of an encounter with a very persuasive and persistent ham at Ham Radio Outlet in Phoenix. I stopped in one day for coax that I needed for a job and Mr Mike Baker K7DD who worked there part time and still does BTW, started up a conversation as hams are prone to doing. At the time I had the same misconception many people have that amateur radio was old men sitting in front of a bunch of complicated equipment talking in morse code. Mike showed me how wrong I was that day. What hooked me and started my absolute infatuation with radio was a NASA mission. See Mike as well as being involved in just about every other aspect of amateur radio was into fast scan TV. The local club in Phoenix, Arizona Amateurs on TV had a demo there in the HRO store and was retransmitting the current shuttle mission. Well that was the it for me, video was a hobby of mine already and WOW I could transmit TV, count me in. I left the store that day with a ham study book a Yaesu FT-530 and Mike’s phone number. Mike quickly became my mentor and friend and before long I was a licensed amateur.
Even though I lived in an apartment at the time I was able to put up some homemade antennas, 2m and 70cm copper pipe J-poles and a 70cm cubical quad made from paint stir sticks, wooden Dowels, and copper wire, hamateur engineering at its finest. I purchased a club made ATV transmitter and off I went. As everyone in amateur radio knows my interests grew from there.
Unfortunately I never could get CW down, just couldn’t copy it at any speed. The topography in Phoenix lent itself to any line of sight propagation though so that’s where I went, up up up. Our TV club covered any band it could, some of us played with stuff all the way to 10gig and beyond.
I was just getting into satellite and QRP work when I left radio life and since I’m in an apartment with no hope of outside antenna placement thats going to be my focus now. I’m going to try my hand at portable satellite work and some POTA and SOTA work also.
My main interests lie in doing activations via SSB VHF/UHF and satellite, 6 meters may be in the cards as well. I have a portable satellite station I use for FM and SSB satellites, it's perfect for SOTA and POTA.
Ham since 1984. Active with many clubs, VP of WVDXC. Hike when time permits.
Spencer's Butte, south of Eugene, OR
I live in Timber Oregon.
Looking to travel different parts of the world and activate remote summits and parks.
Executive Director, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC)
Writer, designer, nonprofit manager, lifelong learner.
Just activated for the first time with Etienne K7ATN! Interested in getting my own little gear setup and testing on peaks.
KJ7VOK Technician acquired March 2021 and General, January 2022 acquiring Vanity Callsign W7OTD, next up an Extra addition.
Presently, when I activate it is HOA stealth portable from the back yard with a battery operated G-90 and a 9:1 endfed.
I have started activating summits in the area, with two activations for a total of 8 points.
I found Josh Ham Radio Crash Course reviewing Adam's Coolest Ham Radio Antenna You Can't Buy then followed Adam's, K6ARK, Ultimate Elecraft KX2, KX3, and Xiegu X5105 Antenna - DIY Build Instructions. What a fun design and it works well for me. Thank you to both Josh and Adam on this early journey.
I am a member of Tortolita Radio Club of Tucson, Arizona.
I have started activating summits in the area, with two activations for a total of 8 points. W7A/PN-077 Picacho Peak and W7A/PN-088 Safford Peak.
I've been in radio about 4 years and have been developing my CW skills. I enjoy the outdoors.
I'm interested in activating and chasing, but mostly activating. I have no SOTA experience. I'm also interested in CW, wire antennas, and APRS. I operate a 991a, FTM400, kx2, and FT1XD HT.
Just a new hobbyist and community preparedness volunteer in Portland.
All I have at the moment is a little Yaesu FT-60 and a couple antennas, but I love the idea of SOTA, and I'm eager to get started
CW only introvert
I am a chaser and activator. Mostly CW with a some local 2 meter FM mixed in.
Favorite radio for activating is the 3 band MTR with simple resonant quater wave vertical.
New ham.
Activator sometimes. Chase sometimes. I use this as an excuse to get together with my best friend
Originally licensed in 1959, relicensed in 1970, currently hold an Advanced license. I live in Lafayette Oregon.
New to SOTA. Activate or Chase. Currently using an FT818nd with Z817 tuner. Went with a friend to activate Doane Creek Summit & Mill Creek Summit. I've been planning this for 2.5 years, held off do to C-19.
Ham radio operator, ARO for NET, active RN, retired FF/Paramedic. Ready to become more active in amateur radio. Born in Eugene Oregon and currently reside in Portland.
I lived near the Grotto in PDX, I have a home radio shack - ICOM and portable unit - Yaesu. I am new to SOTA so I have plenty of learning ahead of me.
Licensed in 78, done it all, just looking for new ways to enjoy some portable operation while hiking and camping.
None currently, looking for info on what freq everyone is using, scheds etc
Love to get outdoors with my family and friends. Enjoy hiking/backpacking, climbing (rock/ice/alpine), landscape photography. Volunteer on our local SAR mountain rescue team. Looking to do SOTA and learn radio communication for when cell service is not available. Background is in physics/engineering/software.
Just got my license and new to SOTA so no activations.
Region is: W7O/CE
New to SOTA
I would like to mostly activate. I think this would be an exciting way to motivate me to get outdoors more.
I've been a ham for under 10 years and hang out with the PNW QRP crowd. I was also EC for the Woodinville Emergency Communications Team until we got absorbed into Eastside Fire Corps, where I'm now a volunteer.
I have done a few activations on 2m FM and have aspirations to move to HF, first on sideband and maybe one day on CW.
Mountaineer member avid hiker and Ham active HF thru 3.4G
I am new and want to learn
QTH - Grangeville, ID
2M/70CM from Idaho County backcountry. (Anytone HT, would like to try some digital too)
20M from Idaho County backcountry. (Lab599 rig, homebrew end feds)
Want to get a lot more of those peaks activated!
General/Hiking and camping are just an extra to the radio experience.
Emergency communication practice from less than ideal locations (Wish I had the ham shack up there)