Biography

CAPTAIN DONALD SNODGRASS, USN (RET)



Following graduation from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture in 1963, Don was drafted into the army. Electing instead to serve the Navy, Don was subsequently commissioned at the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He then commenced a 26 year career, retiring in January, 1989 with the rank of Captain. Sea assignments included eleven different ships, two of which he commanded. Highlighting Don’s shore duty was a tour in the Pentagon as Director, Amphibious Warfare Branch in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. While attending the Naval War College, he concurrently attained Masters degrees in management and strategic planning. Military decorations include the Bronze Star with Combat Insignia, Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal.


From August, 1994 until November, 1996, Don served the University of Illinois in the position of Cooperative Extension Unit Director for Lee County and was responsible for planning and implementing educational programs for all residents. Concurrently, he authored six Internet web sites as well as taught numerous internet and computer technology courses. From August, 1997 until September, 2000, Don was Director of Operations and Customer Support for ProDoc, Inc., a legal document assembly software company near San Antonio, Texas. He built and led a team of ten in achieving a superior level of customer technical support, customer training, software testing, production and shipping, supplies procurement, facilities management and administrative support. Don then served the Western Kentucky Educational Cooperative as Coordinator, Adult Education Programs for Calloway County, Kentucky.


Don’s hobbies include physical fitness, amateur radio, vintage radio restoration, computers, RC Model Airplane flying, cooking, baking, public speaking, graphic arts, audio experimentation, fish pond management and landscape horticulture. He is a also a designated Illinois Master Gardener. For several years he refinished furniture and operated a highly profitable antique business from Conover Village Antiques in Oregon, Illinois.

Don and his wife Pat live in the country near Metropolis, Illinois. Don continues to design websites. They have one son, Mark and two grandsons.

Equipment

Dell and Maingear "Potenza" PCs and Kenwood TS-590 with E-MU 0204 usb audio interface. Bottom row shows Kenwood TRS-870 with matching Kenwood SP-31 speaker and PS-52 power supply. Twin HP 27" monitors and boom mounted AT-2020 usb microphone.


Palstar AT1500BAL tuner, Daiwa meter and Ameritron AL-80B linear amplifyer.


Kenwood TS-590S HF/6 meters transceiver purchased new October, 2010. Kenwood TS-870 with matching SP- 31 matching speaker and PS-52 power supply (not shown)


E-MU 0204 usb audio interface as described at http://www.creative.com/emu/products/product.aspx?pid=20347 and elsewhere on this website.


Palstar AT1500BAL balanced line antenna tuner.

Ameritron AL-80B linear amplifier.

A 10 - 160 meter tuned horizontal loop antenna which is fed with 450 ohm ladder line all the way into the ham shack to an Palstar AT1500BAL balanced line antenna tuner. The above graphic depicts the overall layout of this loop antenna cut to one wavelength long on the lowest operating frequency (160 meters). The mean height of the loop above ground is about 50 ft. The loop is suspended from from four corners by black dacron halyard strung over the top of four adjacent trees as shown above.