David's Public Pages

In the summer of 2014 I took on getting my amateur radio license. By May of 2015 I was signed up for a technician class with MEREO using the HamRadioSchool.com book. I was lucky to have both Chris KDØUQI (from MEREO) and his father KAØWUQ, as well as Stu WØSTU (the author of the book), to all be present for my class. Stu introduced me to WØTLM in Monument and I've been a member ever since.

Once my license and callsign were approved I applied for my father's silent key and was granted WAØKXO. My father was a licensed Advanced and was very active in the local community.

In the summer of 2016 my good friend Josh KØECO and I purchased the HamRadioSchool.com General book and signed up for a General class through WØTLM. Again I was lucky to have both Stu, accompanied by Bob KØNR (the technical editor of the book), and a few others from the club to be present for the class. On October 8th Josh and I took our General license test and both passed.

Because it is a fun hobby! The amount of things you can do with an Amateur Radio license is almost limitless. There isn't a single reason for getting involved, nor can I tell you what might catch your eye, but that is what makes it so intriguing. It isn't just about weather, or talking to someone, it is about the fun and enjoyment the hobby brings.

Below I list a just a small sampling of things that hooked me in to the hobby, but there are so many more.

• Talk to someone hundreds of miles away via satellite.
• Bounce a digital signal off the moon to communicate with someone thousands of miles away.
• Hike to the top of Mountains to talk to people almost 100 miles away with a small handheld.
• Talk to others anywhere in the world by bouncing RF in the atmosphere.
• Build out a wireless mesh network which every day PCs can use, but over 10s of miles.

“The universal purpose of ham radio is to have fun messing around with radios.” - Bob Witte K0NR

Noise Blankers Radio Group Mission Statement:

Do radio stuff.
Have fun doing it.
Show people just how fun it is.