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Click that Web tab !!! Thanks for your QSO and for dropping by to visit! Please take a moment to scroll and if you like my page, I hope you'll click the Web Tab and leave me a comment. Greatly appreciate QSO confirmations on LoTW and QRZ!
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Qualified Submarines 688 Los Angeles class and 726 Trident class "Submarines Once, Submarines Twice…"
My Navy exploits are all the way at the bottom of the page
Calls welcomed between 0800 – 2100 Eastern Local Time…especially from Delaware stations |
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I received my coveted Radio Club of Tacoma Loggers Certificate! Stop what ever you're doing right now and download their phenomenal Logger's Bark Magazine – they call it a newsletter, LOL! |
Please kindly leave me a 'hello'!
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Licensed in January 1976 as WN4GNE, Novice, I was introduced to the hobby by Richard Weisshaut, WA4MKN in Miami Beach where I was raised. Living in a highrise apartment building right on the Atlantic Ocean, I had Europe at my fingertips but, alas, a missed opportunity! WN4GNE became WA4GNE and eventually my license lapsed without much activity. Moving and then college and Navy served as a distraction from radio exploits. In 1989, I was a Nuclear Machinist's Mate in the US Navy, stationed in Charleston, SC. I had recently reported to USS Sam Rayburn(SSBN-635) after 5 years onboard USS Henry M. Jackson(SSBN-730) and we had just completed Sam Rayburn's conversion from a Fleet Ballistic Missle Submarine to the Navy's first Moored Training Ship(MTS-635) at Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) Charleston, SC. We were at our new home at the Naval Weapons Station and I was enjoying a bagged lunch in the breakroom where I heard Danny Groover, W9PW(SK), and Scott Chippendale, WB3EFS, chatting about Ham Radio – soon after that I had my Novice licence as KC4OOQ and upgraded to Technician as N4YJX. Next, I upgraded to Advanced as KO4GS. I held that call for about 20 years until I gave up on people mis-logging as "Kay Zero Four" vice "Kay Oh Four". I finally picked up Extra Class on 8 JAN 2011 after 20 years as an Advanced Class – it's nice not to worry about odd band limits! Received random call sign WZ4K on 5 April 2016 after countless applications. |
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| WZ4K Station 2025 |
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Yaesu FTDX3000 powered from an Alinco DM-330FX power supply. An 8-position antenna switch connects an inverted G5RV or an EFHW Sloper to one of two HF rigs. The FTDX3000 listens and transmits through an LDG AT-100PRO external tuner. The FTDX–3000 is now relying on it's internal Soundcard for digital modes. An ASUS Desktop Ultra 5 225F (3.30 GHz) with 32 GB RAM and is running Windows 11 64 bit. I chat through a Heil PR781 station microphone mounted on the Heil Boom. The FT-950 has been given, as-promised, to my child who is now licensed – KQ4UGM. The FT-857d is in the shack for proficiency….my portable workhorse! I replaced the display on the 857 – somewhat challenging but absolutely doable!
DX Lab Suite – integrates well with Digital modes via FLDIGI and WSJT-X and JTAlertX as-well-as N1MM+ for contesting. The support is outstanding.
On the virtual wall is the DXCC with Phone endorsement, the vast majority worked on 10mtrs, Worked All States with 10 meters, CW, SSB and Digital endorsements as-well-as WAS Triple Play. What I am struggling to achieve is 5BWAS – as alluded to above…I need 1 state: Delaware, on 10M. Also, hanging is the CQ WPX Mixed w/North America; the IARU Worked All Continents with Phone endorsement and the IARU Region 2 Award – a nice certificate for 20 countries confirmed in – you guessed it – Region 2! I did mixed WAS again exclusively via LoTW – North Dakota was the holdout! 2014 was great fun with the ARRL Centennial QSP – I earned WAS Triple Play thanks to all the dedicated stations participating in the Centennial events.
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Amateur Radio Coordinator – Eastern VA SKYWARN
US DHS Office of Emergency Communications
Auxiliary Communications (AUXCOMM) Trained
Emergency Management Institute
- IS-100a Introduction to the Incident Command System
- IS-120a Introduction to Exercises
- IS-200c Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response
- IS-230d Fundamentals of Emergency Management
- IS-235c Emergency Planning
- IS-240c Leadership and Influence
- IS-241b Decision Making and Problem Solving
- IS-242 Effective Communications
- IS-244b Developing and Managing Volunteers
- IS-288a The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management
- ICS-300 Intermediate Incident Command System (ICS) for Expanding Incidents
- ICS-400 Advanced ICS for Complex Incidents
- IS-700a National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- IS-800d National Response Framework, An Introduction
- IS-951 DHS Radio Interoperability
- IS-2200 Basic Emergency Operations Center Functions
ARES
- EC-001-S Introduction to Emergency Communications
- Basic EMCOMM
- Intermediate EMCOMM
- PR-101 Public Relations 101 for Radio Amateurs
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Xenia 2017 – PRC 104 in the pack!
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European Phase Shift Keying Club has beautiful certificates. You join and download an app which analyzes your log and determines what awards you qualify for – all free. Go here and learn more:
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Also in the Shack are 2 Yaesu FT-857d mobile/portable, 2 Yaesu FT-8900R, an ICOM ID-5100 dual band mobile D-Star radio. An Anytone UV D578 for DMR.
The Kenwood TH-D74 D-Star Handheld is a lot of fun. D-Star is via the W4MT Repeater or the Duplex RPi Zero W2 running W0CHP's WPSD Dashboard.
Recently bought a used TH-D72 on ebay and very pleased with this radio…Full-duplex for SAT work!
Also through 2 other RPi Single Board Computers(SBCs) are DMR or D-Star – DMR with an Anytone AT-D878UV. Both very full-featured and front keypad programmable radios for ham-friendly field operations.
A Yaesu VX-8DR Handheld with GPS/APRS and a Wouxun KG-UV9D Plus are also available for handheld ops. The UV8D is more friendly to programming – be careful before considering the UV9D.
The 8U Gatorcase holds an FT-857d with an LDG Tuner and FT-8900r with all the fixins to go portable via any power source either via or bypassing the Alinco 12V PS.
Sometimes I'l breakout the Buddipole and play with different configs either portable or in the back yard…preparing to re-hang an EFHW to cover 10 – 160…as soon as I can find a distant anchor point(and a sympathetic neighbor 😉
OPERATIONS:
VA QSO Party
I pretty much participate in the VA QSP every year – in 2016 the stats were 444 contacts, 11 Bonus stations, 72 counties or independant cities. Conditions were generally poor during the 2016 VA QSP – that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
2024 – 734 contacts – My personal best in the VA QSO Party – plaque received!! Conditions were good and my endurance was….good enough! 😀
In 2026, I'd like to work all CW for the QSO party but I have a lot of work to do to regain CW proficiency…a lot!
I always enjoy trading QSL cards. Here are just a few of a vast collection that I consider stand-outs…but there are so many to choose from!
NASA – Space Programs
United States Space Shuttles Atlantis and Endeavor!
NASA 60th Anniversary
Apollo Program 50th Anniversary
I always enjoy the 13 Original Colonies Special Event working all 13 colonies and Independence Hall special event station WM3PEN – here are some of my favorite QSL cards from the event:
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2012
2013
2016
2017
2021
GB13COL
Route 66 On the Air
2017
2020
QSL cards combined to form Route 66 through Arizona!
Antarctica
For the Indy 500 over Memorial Day, the Brickyard 400 in July and finally completing the triad with a July/August Event (varies). The QSL cards and certificate are superb! This is another annual Special Event not to be missed!
Military, Commercial and Civil Service ships with amateur radio onboard is also a fun event led by NJ2BB in New Jersey. Occurs the 1st weekend in June. More info at http://www.nj2bb.org/museum/
Here are a few nice cards from the Museum Ships Weekend event and other QSLs featuring military and civil maritime themes.
For QSO Parties and Contests I use the excellent N1MM+ contest logger program – what an amazing piece of software! The integration of telnet and spots into the various information windows and the color-keying are a tremendous help and convey a lot of information to the operator on where to operate and what to work to maximize operating efficiency! I couldn't imagine operating a contest without N1MM+. For RTTY, the macros and scripts simplify operation, minimize typing and maximize efficiency. If terms like Search & Pounce and Run or if ESM (Enter Sends Message) makes you nervous — contact me for help setting this up!
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United States Navy44 Years of Active, Reserve and Civil Service
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I am retired from the US Navy as a Chief Information Systems Technician. I entered Boot Camp on the Navy's birthday, October 13, 1982; Company 303! After completing recruit training I remained in Great Lakes for Machinist's Mate A school and then reported to USS Boulder (LST-1190) in Brooklyn, NY. Then came 6 months of intensive Naval Nuclear Propulsion plant training in Orlando, FL followed by 6 months in Balston Spa, NY.
I'm a Plankowner (Commissioning Crew) onboard the submarine USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730). The Henry M. Jackson was commissioned on October 6, 1984 and is still actively serving – on patrol over 40 full years later! I completed Patrols #1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and a portion of 13; The "Scoop Jackson" has completed over 125 Strategic Deterent patrols in defense of our Nation as-of 2024! 560 feet long and 42 feet wide, just look at the people topside to understand how big these submarines are:
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A C-17 Globemaster III, attached to the Air Force 535th Airlift Squadron, delivers a payload to the Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730) on Oct. 23, 2020
One DASO and 6 Strategic Deterrent Patrols (plus a "guest appearance" at the end of patrol 13 after breaking my leg onboard days before patrol. (13 was an appropraite # – but that's another story….) then, I reported to USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635) completing conversion from Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine to the Navy's 1st Moored Training Ship (MTS-635). We moved from Charleston Naval Shipyard to Naval Weapons Station Charleston. July 1, 1989 was MTS-635's "commissioning" day and soon after we were training students. Shortly after, in September 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck Charleston causing significant damage to the city. Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) Charleston was well-prepared. I was on watch when the hurricane struck – a night I will never forget!
My last submarine was the USS Newport News (SSN-750). Newport News is the last "Flight 2" Los Angeles Class Submarine and, as of July 2024, the last US Nuclear Fast Attack Submarine in service with Fairwater Planes. These are the control surfaces mounted on the Sail. The Follow-on Flight 3 LA Class doesn't have Fairwater Planes. Instead, they employ Bowplanes as-do all Fast Attack Seawolf and Virginia Class submarines. The Ohio class Fleet Balistic Missile (FBM) Submarines have Fairwater Planes but will soon be phase-replaced by the new Columbia Class FBMs.
I left Active Duty as a Nuclear Machinist's Mate in December, 1996 and joined the Navy Reserves as a Data Processing Technician (DP). The DP rate was converted to the IT rate along with Radioman(RM) around 1998. After being recalled to Active Duty in 2003, I was allowed to remain on active status until I retired in 2009. I recently retired from civilian Federal employment working for Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group (NAVELSG) in Williamsburg, VA managing their communications as the Deputy Director for their Comms Department.
Last, I diligently enter the GigaParts sweepstakes trying to win a new toy, apparently, increasing the odds that someone else will actually win the prize!
73 DE WZ4K
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Special Event Station N4C celebrating the Navy Cargo Handlers during Armed Forces Day 2017 |
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