Biography

Initially licensed in 1957 as KN6LSJ at age 13, I have been a ham radio operator for 60 years with a primary interest in CW operation and DXing. My first rig was a Heathkit DX-20 XMTR and AR-3 RCVR and I have fond memories of the great HF band conditions during the late 50s and early 60s. Working the world with a 50 watt XTAL-controlled transmitter was commonplace. Although having a 2 element tri-band cubical quad on a 40 foot tower at a QTH with a 2,000 foot elevation certainly helped! I was very active with ham radio during my junior high and high school days in La Canada, California (1957-1962). Then went off to college (graduated from The Ohio State University in 1970), joined the Navy, and spent 29 years in the Navy as a Medical Service Corps (MSC) officer assigned to Navy hospitals, research laboratories, and military medicine-related commands from coast to coast (NNMC, BUMED, NMRI, NMRDC, OCHAMPUS). Retired from the Navy in 1994. Now completely retired from three "civilian careers" having worked the last few years as a consultant for a local defense contractor. I was QRT for much of my Navy years and got back on the air in the early 90s while residing in Maryland, briefly holding the call N3LSC before getting my original K6LSJ call back through the vanity program. Married with 3 children and 12 grandchildren, my XYL (Kathy) and I enjoy the northern California lifestyle and the company of family, friends, and our 2 dogs, Murphy and Buckley (Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers). Current rig is Icom-737 driving an Elecraft KPA-500 with a KAT-500 antenna tuner, feeding a 6-40M OCF/Windom with vertical radiator at 35' (Inverted V) in the Rincon Valley area of Santa Rosa, CA. Other hobbies include swimming, stamp collecting (U.S. mint, plate blocks, and First Day Issues) and watching Ohio State University football and basketball. GO BUCKEYES!!

Equipment

IC-737
Elecraft KPA 500
Elecraft KAT 500
Off center fed Windom at35 ft.