In high school, I was very active in scouts.  I remember a particular camporee in the fall of 1993 where a group of amateur radio operators were set up and using antennas up in trees to talk to people all over the world.  I thought it was the most amazing thing.  Of course, that was before we had ready access to the internet and cell phones were bricks that could only be used as phones.  That experience encouraged me to study and pass my Technician Plus license exam the next summer.  I saved and bought a handheld radio that operated on the 2m bands.  I even took that radio with me to Philmont Scout Ranch on a backpacking expedition.

When I went to the Naval Academy, I chose electrical engineering as my major – primarily influenced by my exposure to amateur radio.  The Academy had an amateur radio club and I participated a little my first year, but it was a hobby that faded and fell by the wayside.  Eventually, I sold my radio and my license expired in 2004.

As Anna will attest, I never truly give up a hobby, I just set them aside for a while.  With concerns over communications during disasters (hurricanes, winter storms, etc), I decided to get back into the world of amateur radio.  I also think it is something that Alex will be interested in and I would prefer he focus on this instead of watching Minecraft YouTube videos.  He is particularly interested in the idea of building antennas and putting the circuits together.

So, on Wednesday, I took my licensing exam and passed all the way through General.  That gives me good operating privileges on UHF, VHF, and HF.  I’m starting out with a new 2m handheld (Wouxun KG-UV8D shown in the picture below) like before; it’s amazing how costs have actually come down!  Now, I just need my license to show up in the FCC database and I can go on the air.  I hope to find a good deal on a HF setup and show the kids there is life outside the internet.

Edit: my license came through and my call sign is KC1CVO