Biography

Hello everyone and best 73. I was licensed in the early 1980s as KA3LPJ. After passing the General and Advanced tests I moved from western to eastern PA and applied for as new call. My call was KC3YD and I was active on the HF bands mostly CW/QRP. During this time I married the most wonderful girl in the world, a genuine Wisconsin Cheesehead Packers fan named JoAnne. I have four children by my first marriage, three daughters and a son, and JoAnne has two sons who live in Wisconsin. Together we have twin sons, Ariel and Ethan (Age 19 at this writing).
We lived on Blue Mountain on several acres of land just south of Pine Grove and north of Bethel. In 1993 we had a house fire and lost everything we owned with the exception of a few salvaged items. Right after the fire a blizzard struck. The salvaged items were wrapped in a tarp to protect them from the elements. I should mention that our property was very remote and access somewhat difficult. The blizzard prohibited us from reclaiming the salvaged items, but it did not prevent "someone" from hiking in and helping themselves to what was left. The only piece of radio gear I saved was an old HW-7 and after a bit of cleaning up I was able to make a few QSOs with it. There was a major SNAFU with our insurance company and we got nothing.
After the fire we moved to Wisconsin where I landed a job with a local newspaper as a staff writer/photographer. My radio activity in Wisconsin was limited to say the least. After nearly two years we moved back to Pennsylvania. But in the meanwhile, my license had expired and I went passed the two year grace period for a renewal.
Eventually we moved back to PA and I once again worked for a newspaper. It was then that I heard about a "nutty" guy named John Shannon, K3WWP, who worked nothing but QRP/CW. I decided that John was worth an article. After that, John and I became fast friends. John's activities inspired me to get relicensed. I took the Tech test in Youngstown, OH and about a month later passed the General at the Butler, Pa. hamfest. (A year later I got the Extra in Butler).
A few months after getting to know John we decided to form a new, and hopefully different, QRP/CW club, and what cane to be known as the North American QRP CW Club was born (Free membership: NAQCC.info).
John and I thought we might get 50 to 100 members, however, today NAQCC membership exceeds 6,600 worldwide. Due to health reasons and other considerations I resigned as NAQCC president in April, 2013. John and I are still fast friends.
JoAnne and I own 22 acres of land in Manor Township, Armstrong County (Kittanning) Pa. Ethan holds a General Class ticket, W3IRS, and Ariel is a Tech, KC3AHO. We're waiting for JoAnne to get a ticket. I am active on HF with QRP/CW. Hope to work some of you. Best 73/72 to all, Tom, WY3H.