I am a critter who has had an interest and has had a strength in electronics for many, many years. I actually started the adventure to be a HAM operator about 1978 or 1979. I even helped organize a group of people to drive 30 miles one way weekly just to practice the Morse Code. That was way back when you had to be able to send and receive code at a certain speed to get your first ticket, or amateur license. When the FCC gave the option of whether or not to take the code test to get your first license I could not mentally get past the thought of someday having to learn the code. I finally decided it was time before I died to getter done. I located a local HAM class, attended, and passed the first test with no difficulties. I was officially a HAM operator. That was May of 2006. The hobby had changed greatly. Most equipment is now purchased completed, compared to when I started this adventure, most equipment was built by the operator as part of the hobby. The price of new radio equipment almost gave me a heart attack, if I had one according to most people! I upgraded to General in June of 2007!

Why would I finally decide to finish something I started well over twenty-five years ago? I still have a great interest in electronics, going from radios to computers and now back to radios and communications. My primary interest has always been weather motivated. I love tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. I am not afraid of them, but I do have an enormous amount of respect for them. I use to chase storms with family radios we had in all vehicles many, many years ago. My family's house had a large basement that was the neighborhood storm shelter when the weather was bad. This was back when you did not have to lock you house doors or windows at night, or when you left the house.

I have had the opportunity to do many things in my long life. Crisis situations have been an area in which I have excelled, as for a period of time I was usually the one who set up or caused the crisis for someone. I know how and what to do to start them and continue to control them to achieve a goal, therefore I also know how to resolve them. I have been well trained over the years by my association with certain persons. I am an educator by trade, so I have been able to put many of my skills to good use.

My eldest daughter and I decided to take the training the Southern Baptist Convention Disaster Relief group gave in early 2006, this finished my waiting time to become a HAM. I was trained in crisis food preparation and serving as well as water purification. Some survival skills I had learned many years ago, but now I am "updated". When the training was completed, I decided I did not really want to be cooking for large groups of people in disaster situations, but would rather be involved in communications and search and rescue. Therefore, obtaining a HAM license became very important.

And that is about all I can tell you! There are plenty of other stories, but who would want to hear wisdom from a University of Oklahoma Graduate School grad, who is a University of Texas fan? Hookem' Horns! And keep your eyes toward the sky.

73,

KE5IRK