About W4FT

It’s a story like most hams. I’ve been a licensed ham in the Raleigh, North Carolina for over 13 years now, and it has been a rewarding hobby. Electronics and communications have held my interest since I was very young and my family was playing with radios in the mid 60′s. Unfortunately, other interests and circumstances kept me away from the hobby until the 90′s.  Finally, the urge struck to look back into ham radio.  Volunteer Examiners were now administering exams, the internet made exam preparation easy and, coincidentally, the Raleigh Amateur Radio Society (RARS) was holding their hamfest three days later about 3 miles from my home.  Some quick studying and I was able to pass my tech exam with ease. (A perfect score on the novice element and only missed one on the tech element. Not bad for two nights studying. I even passed the General element without any prep.) 

Today, as an Amateur Extra, I divide up my amateur radio time in several areas.

Public Service

Along with being a lot of fun, this is how we give back to the community! I spend a lot of time working with other local hams in support of charitable activities like bike rides, marathons, walks, and the like.  Since I most often work as a SAG (Support and Gear) vehicle, I will often build GPS files for these events. Check this website for support files in the weeks before any of the regi0nal events.

Hamfests

It’s a love/hate relationship!  I love to go to hamfests, to set up and sell some of my “treasures” and to see what others have.  I’ve been a fixture at most of the hamfests in North Carolina for the last 5 years, but you know what?  I’d like to stop getting up at 3 a.m. to drive 3 hours, then setting up, being stuck behind a table most of the day, and then tearing down and driving 3 more hours home.  I miss the days when I just went to look around and buy stuff!

Club activities

RARS is, arguably, the largest radio club in North Carolina.  Heck, we have more members than a fair number of countries have licensed hams!  RARS has been the source of a lot of fun, a lot of friends and a few surprises.  Check out the club website and, if you’re in the area, pay us a visit!  Between the monthly meetings, the monthly dinners and post-meeting dinners, RARSFest, Field Day, and the other activities, I wouldn’t have missed it!  And just to keep the momentum going, I’m part of the local V.E. team.

Operating and tweaking the station

I’m always looking to improve my station.  Unfortunately, it seems like I’m taking it apart almost as much as I’m putting it together.  Antennas change every month or two, radios get some attention, accessories move in and out, and I try to stay one step ahead of Mr. Murphy.  The core of the station is a Yaesu FT-1000MP, an MFJ 993b autotuner connected to a B&W 20 thru 160 trap dipole at 75 ft as an inverted vee, along with a Mosley TA-33M with the 12m/17m add-on sitting atop a 30 ft. push-up pole.  Next to all that is an Icom IC-970H connected to a dual band 2m/440 antenna in the attic and an 11 element Cushcraft beam sitting 10 ft above the TA-33.  Of course, by the time you read this, it may all have changed again!  Want to know what’s going on?   Read the blog.

Contesting

This has to be one of my favorite activities!  I’m nowhere near being one of those big gun stations, but I enjoy the hunt and I always enjoy seeing how I do compared to my previous efforts, not to mention my neighbor hams, hi, hi.  Field Day is like Christmas around here, and I’ve had a blast over the years, operating as part of the RARS Field Day team. I just wish I still had the stamina to stay up 24 to 48 hours like I did in college!

So that’s the short version.  Want to know more?  Read the blog or send me an email.  I might even answer.  Otherwise, I’ll see you on the air!

73,

Cliff  — W4FT