SCARS STAFF BIOGRAPHIES
BIO: GORDON KY6V
SCARS VOIP CEO & FOUNDER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Gordon was born January 1937 in the Hawaiian Islands. He and his family moved to San Francisco shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He says that the trip across the pacific was more than interesting for a five year old, particularly being transported on a commercial ship painted dark grey, with the port holes locked tight and painted black.
Gordon grew up and was educated in the bay area of central California. He comes from an all ham family, his father W6ZP started his hamming in 1921 with spark gap, and was a broadcast engineer with CBS. His mother, K6EEE, after graduating from the University of Hawaii became an English teacher, and continued this pursuit for 50 years. Gordon was first licensed in January of 1949 at the age of 12, holds an Extra class license, commercial license, and will be celebrating his 75TH year of hamming and his 87th birthday in January 2024.
Gordon spent his working career as an Electronic Engineer specializing in television broadcasting, with specific involvement with high powered RF transmitters. He retired from these pursuits in 2000, having spent 50 years in direct association with identities such as CBS, ABC, and FOX. Gordon works all modes, and claims the ability to be able to transmit and receive from DC to Light.
BIO: RON WA4HWN
SCARS VOIP CO-FOUNDER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Ron WA4HWN was conceived in Fort Wayne, Indiana and drew his first breath of air on May 29, 1934. He was forcibly removed from Indiana to Mount Vernon, Ohio at the age of 1 year. He apparently was reluctant to make the journey of less than 200 miles as, it is reported, he ‘bawled all the way to Mount Vernon.
When but 5 years of age, he was fortunate enough to sit on the lap of a ham radio operator who was a co-worker of Ron’s father. While thusly seated, the friend made contact with a ham in Los Angeles who just happened to be demonstrating a new radio to his neighbor, Gene Autry. Ron was invited to talk with Gene for a few moments, thus resulting in an undying urge to become a ham when he grew up.
He was somewhat delayed in achieving his goal, but while a student at The Ohio State University he found himself employed, at first on a part time basis, and later full time, at the Antenna Laboratory at the University Research Foundation, Department of Electrical Engineering, in the Editorial Department. He got to know W8JK, Doctor John Kraus, (Author of the well known antenna bible, ‘Antennas’) who inspired Ron to foster a love for wire antennas!
Ron proceeded to follow through on his Gene Autry oath and proceeded, one by one, to obtain all of the then available license classes, Novice, Technician, General, Advanced and Extra.
He spent 38 years in the insurance claims adjusting and managing business, followed by 16 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
He has lived in Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Florida, Costa Rica, and now resides in Dothan, Alabama, The Peanut Capitol of the World deep in the Heart of Wire Grass Country, with his wife of 37 years, Carmen WD4AGY. There are 7 hams in the family including Ron’s oldest son, Rick, Rick’s wife and their two daughters as well as his youngest son.
BIO: BILL WD5KAE
SCARS VOIP CO-FOUNDER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Bill WD5KAE was born in McComb, Mississippi in 1939 and grew up across the state line in Louisiana. He finished college at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas in 1960. A retired electrical engineer, having worked in industrial construction in upstate South Carolina for the past twenty years. He still does a little estimating and consulting work mostly from the home QTH.
Bill was bit by the HAM “bug” while in high school and was encouraged by his high school principal whose real name was Elmer (W5HKJ). Bill has been a ham for over 40 years and holds a General Class ticket.
He is married to a great gal (Velta) for 52 years and has two sons (Art and Andy) and four grandchildren (Anna, Luke, Hannah and Max).
He resides in Lancaster, South Carolina which is a bedroom community of Charlotte, North Carolina.
BIO: KATHY K6SUN
SCARS VOIP NET MANAGER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Kathy, K6SUN, also known as “Ms. Sunshine on the ham bands" was born in the State of Michigan. She was a legal secretary for many years, and after obtaining both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in teaching moved to Florida in 2006.
She resides in Port Saint Lucie, Florida and works as a high school teacher in Ft Pierce specializing in English and Social studies.
Although new to the ham fraternity, she has progressed very rapidly through all of the license classes. She obtained her Technician license in the summer of 2008, her General in 2010, and her Extra in January of 2011.
Although previously living in a gated community, she has the capability of operating on anything from 40 meters up to and including 440. In her new location in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, Gordon and Kathy has yet to install equipment to enable connectivity to all bands.
Most of her current time is spent with the VOIP division of SCARS, holding the position of Net Manager since February of 2012. Previously, and in some cases, still holds or held the positions of Assistant Net Manager, Database Manager, Training Manager, and Hospitality Manager. She is an active Net control, and further administers the duties of Program management.
BIO: GARY KC2GA
SCARS VOIP ASSISTANT NET MANAGER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
(RETIRED FEBRUARY 1, 2021)
Born and raised in Syracuse, NY - Gary showed an interest in things mechanical and electrical at an early age, often (and to his parents chagrin) disassembling things in order to see what made them work!
A product of Syracuse's University Section, he was influenced by the numerous musicians and artists who lived there, along with professors and political figures. Music was all over that neighborhood, and Gary first began playing the drums at age eight, the guitar and harmonica ( taught to him by his mother - an accomplished harmonica player) by the time he was fourteen.
His interest in radio seems to have started about the same time. Always fascinated by DX AM stations late at night, he had a keen interest to learn more about the medium. Given an old ARRL handbook by the owner of the drugstore where he worked after school, he read it from cover to cover. The only thing that kept him from getting his license was the dreaded code required then. When he got to high school, he majored in technical electronics.
The next few years were spent playing in bands, working and going to school for Radio and Television Broadcasting at Onondaga Community College. One of his RTV professors recognized his talent and got him an interview at the station where he formerly worked. Gary became the afternoon drive personality and eventually program director. After seven years, the station changed formats - Gary figured it was "best to get an honest job" and went to work for General Electric. He continued to work in the market at a major adult contemporary station on a part time basis. He continued his work in manufacturing at Crouse-Hinds until his job was sourced offshore.
After manufacturing it was tech support for a local phone company/isp and finally, his technician license. Another support job with a software company and two license upgrades, Gary now holds an Extra Class license. "I give 100% credit to SCARS and its outreach program for my success with the Extra ticket" he is quoted as saying.
Now semi retired - he is looking forward to more time with family (including his two crazy cats), friends and lots more ham radio, and also pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree.
BIO: Tony KJ4PUJ
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER & PAST NET MANAGER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Tony grew up in New England and as a result of a public service career, has lived in 12 states (a few of those more than once) and overseas.
As a result of one job transfer, he moved to the Florida Keys in Feb 2009 and realized that he needed a way to communicate should the cell towers and or the Internet go down. So, he went and earned his Technician class license in Oct 2009.
While the folks that maintain the repeaters in the Keys do a great job, the repeaters are old and tired; and sometimes even 6M and 10M transmissions from the Keys do not always get heard on the mainland; so, after a great deal of studying, he upgraded to the General class in April 2011.
After parts of four decades, Tony retired from public safety in Oct 2016; then completed seminary through Liberty University in May 2019, and now lives in western North Carolina where he does ministry work, and public safety consulting.
When he’s not spending time with his family, working or studying, he is on the airwaves, or you can find him playing his bass guitar at church, trying out new restaurants or other “mom & pop” type businesses, or doing something outdoors.
BIO: GEORGE KW4LCB
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER & PAST ASSISTANT NET MANAGER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
George was born August 1946 in Key West Florida. Being born next to the water, he spent many early years on the water. He specialized in commercial fishing and in particular the charter boat business.
George is a man of many talents; he has been a member of an elite mountain rescue group, trained firefighter, and EMT. He currently owns and operates a transportation business in central Florida.
George was a key planner and supporter for the SCARS VOIP creation back in the latter part of 2007. He is a senior NCS, past Assistant Net Manager, member of the board of directors, runs his own 2 and 440 repeater covering a nice foot print in central Florida. George is a person who is quite agile, he is known far and wide for his professional ability for tower assembly and dis-assembly, in fact he is more comfortable on top of a tall tower talking to the birds then he is on the ground.
BIO: PAUL N1SEZ
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER & PAST ASSISTANT NET MANAGER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Paul was born in Philadelphia Pa July 1954. He grew up in Philly and ‘due to a long series of bizarre circumstances’ landed in Danbury CT where he resides today. While he is often heard making fun of Danbury he really loves where he lives and all the beauty New England has to offer.
After trying his hand at an industrial electrical career for four years after high school he decided to go to college and discovered a love of Organic Chemistry. He was employed right out of college as an organic chemist and has worked at the same establishment for the past 32 years.
Paul’s first radio was a transistor radio given to him by his grandmother. Despite his love of music he discovered he loved listening to people talk on these talk shows. When he was a boy scout at 13 years old he and a handful of other scouts from his troup visited a local ham to see what this amateur radio stuff was all about. When there the host contacted an operator who was on the bridge of a ship in the Mediterranean...he was totally amazed. It took awhile but Paul finally got his ticket and on the air in 1995. His first DX contact on CW was with a Czechoslovakian station. Again, he was amazed and didn’t really believe it until he got that QSL card many months later. What amazes Paul to this day is how much he loved that dreaded operating mode CW.
These days, after playing around with pianos most of his life Paul decided to actually take lessons and learn how to read music. After 6 months of study he finally purchased a real acoustic piano and has been thoroughly enjoying the journey. He’s become somewhat of a fixture on SCARS AM connection and has really enjoyed his time as an NCS.
BIO: DOUG KAØGYF
SCARS VOIP SENIOR SYSOP
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Doug tells us that Christmas 1958 at age 10, Santa brought his first radio. He says that he wished we could have afforded a Trans-Oceanic the same year, but the radio would have cost his folks five months rent (Zenith in 1958 cost $179.00, his father’s rent was $35 a month). He recalls tweaking the variable capacitors in that transistor radio to receive 1.75 Megahertz which at the time was the Los Angeles police. At age sixteen he would sit out California nights in the driveway tuning AM Broadcast DX in a 1954 Chevrolet.
His radio experience was enhanced by Los Angles public schools that had electric shop classes with operational ham radio stations. Doug’s first interest in Ham radio was about 1960, finally passing the novice in 1976.
Doug was born in Hollywood California, Drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Kansas where he met his sweetheart Marilyn KAØRUL. They came to Fort Myers in 1985 where they lived off generator power for six days after hurricane Charley.
Doug’s Interest outside of hamming includes battery operated portable radios from the 50s/60s and Bicycling.
His Ham radio activities include EchoLink that he monitors with a Handy Talkie via his own link KAØGYF-L Node #125213.
SK 2-08-2020
SCARS VOIP SECTION MANAGER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Hello, everybody! I am Slav, UA3QGN. I got my first license in 1975. It was a 3rd class license, which allowed me to use CW on 3.5 and 7 MHz. I was quite happy, since after 2 years of working as a military radio operator, I was able to meet friends all over the world. CW for me at that time was, and still is, the language of real radio boys. The “just CW” period in my HAM life was finished, when I got my HSC number #1310 in 1984. Then I put attention to more sophisticated modes like RTTY and SSTV. Don't forget, that there were no computer supermarkets at the time, and I had to build my own equipment to be able to use it. Another problem was that Russia still was 'the USSR' and communists ruled every small portion of our life at the time. So it was difficult to get a special license for RTTY, because there were no Hams in my city, who used it! So nobody could control my messages. Our authorities did not appreciate it. I solved that problem, by getting two licenses - one for me and one for a club station of Voronezh Polytechnic University (UZ3QYN, ex UW3KLJ, UK3QAE)- It was not too difficult, since I was the chief of the club station at the moment :-).Some RTTY years passed by and I decided to use a microphone first time in my life. My favorite band was 14MHz and with my home brew equipment and a "spider web double quad" antenna I was glad to contact many stations on SSB. Then our country faced difficult time, we called it "perestroika", and my radioactivity was reduced dramatically. Many years passed by and I met a quite interesting mode again. Though some HAMs do not like it, I think it is a fantastic mode. Instead of using very expensive equipment and big power, I can use just 0.5W portable radio even walking along a street and still contact every place on the Globe! I am certainly meaning the EchoLink, and like it, systems. So you are welcome to my UA3QGN-L link 366605 (144.975 MHz)! My next step in the great world of amateur radio is to show my family members the way to it. Now my wife Julia (RN3QUT) and my son Serge (RN3QUS) are making their first steps as HAMs, hope they will be really radio-active soon and one day you will meet all of us calling "CQ, here are UA3QGN, RN3QUS and RN3QUT".
If you would like to know more about a family of Russian HAMs, you are welcome at our site: http://UA3QGN.no-ip.org Sorry, the site is still under construction - not all links work, but we keep working on it. Our ftp server is being refreshed more frequently, at least Photo folder. You are welcome to visit it as well.
BIO: ROGER W4RFJ
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER
SCARS VOIP ASSISTANT NET MANAGER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Roger was born 1960 in Watertown New York. His family moved to Palm Beach Gardens on the South East coast of Florida in 1966. He joined the U.S. Navy and was trained as an Electronic Technician in 1978. Retiring in September of 1994 as an Electronic Technician Chief. Following his career as a U.S. Navy Man, he moved to Ridley Park, Pa. to be with his Best Friend and Companion Miss Charlotte KA3TEJ (His wife "The Admiral").
He blames his dad for giving him the desire to learn more about electronics! When he was a young lad his father, Jake Jordan, tried to convince him that he could not watch Star Trek because of the terrible strain it put on the television set! His dad explained, it had something to do with the angle of the radio waves and the stress on the electronic circuits because of it! His fate was sealed that fateful day Roger was watching Star trek and Lightning struck close by thus destroying the TV! Of course, his dad knew he was watching Star Trek, the TV blew up! Upon completion of his electronic schools, He put his dad to sleep trying to explain to him how it really works! This prompting Roger to pursue a teaching career along with his technology endeavors.
In 1982 Roger was awarded his Novice Amateur Radio License (KB4MHL). Roger upgraded to Extra and applied for his present vanity call, W4RFJ. His son, Roger Junior (JR) now holds his original call (KB4MHL) as a Technician.
There is an explanation for the name “Chief”. It seems like everywhere Roger goes everyone calls him “Chief”! Just ask the Admiral (Miss Charlotte), she will tell you it is the only name he answers to!
In July 2013, “Chief” Completed his BS in Information Technology, Cum Laude, at Kaplan University. He was an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary (18 years). Recently (Jan 2018), Roger requested and was placed in Retired Status with the Auxiliary.
An avid member of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (Too many years to count), W4RFJ has served in many positions of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES)... Despite his present local inactivity in ARES, his dedication for Safety, Emergency Communications and Emergency Preparedness for Family, Friends and Neighbors is always a priority.
As everything changes around them, Roger and Charlotte are looking forward to calling Florida home again! They both feel confident that they are on the correct path to do just that! They are working hard to make sure all ties are broken to the north so that Gordon (KY6V) will not be able to blame them for the weather if his feet freeze when hitting the floor in the AM!
BIO: GEORGE NO7O
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER
SCARS VOIP STAFF [SK 4-18-2022]
George has held amateur radio and commercial broadcast FCC licenses first since 1965, and an Extra Class license since 1984. He joined Southcars VOIP in September of 2015, became a Southcars NCS in February 2016 and member of the Southcars VOIP board in late 2016. He will work with the other more long-standing VOIP staff and board members to promote and protect the values, goals, and participation of Southcars.
George brings to Southcars his half century of experience adapting business practices to changing technologies, having served in professional positions and public service careers in Business Administration, Data Mining, SQL,SAS, and Teradata database, software engineering, computer security, Hospital Information Systems, telecommunications networking technology, and public service in the U.S. Government Departments of Defense, Transportation, Interior, and Health. His creativity designing innovative solutions has contributed to significant business operational cost savings and reductions in loss of property and life.
George graduated with honors from Northern Arizona University with a Master’s in Business Administration and with Dean’s List from Barton College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry. His studies included business administration, statistical operations research, board room skills, and successful business negotiation techniques. He served as a graduate teaching assistant during his MBA , and was the first teaching assistant at Barton College to ever serve in both the music and chemistry departments at the same time. He built the college’s first electronic music laboratory from scrap parts.
In the fine arts, George is a published technical author, editor, and industry conference workshop speaker. As a performing artist, George has played in Percussion Performance Ensembles starting in 1970, worked in TV and radio broadcasting as both talent and in the control room, as an extra in movies and commercials, had several acting roles in community theatre, served as an usher at the Opera House in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and once served as a park ranger at the Grand Canyon North Rim giving seminars on the park’s natural and human history.
George currently works in web based audio and video streaming, statistical database analysis, volunteers his service and computer skills in service to the elderly and disenfranchised, and as a licensed pharmacy technician, volunteers for the medical reserve corps.
Most of all, George likes to smile, give away a laugh a day, and enjoy the fellowship of others, especially in his Southcars family.
BIO: TOM KG5ZI
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
SILENT KEY 1-28-2021
Tom (KG5ZI) was born in Berlin, Germany in November 1956. Born of an American, Army father and native German mother. Tom and his parents took the 9-day boat ride from Bremerhaven, Germany to New York City in 1959. All got sea-sick!
Initial life and education were in a typical midwestern-US-like fashion, with all life activities, growing up, and schooling in NW Ohio. After graduating from high school in 1974, Tom spread his wings and left for Phoenix with a couple of high school buddies. A little less than a year later, it was a hitch-hike home in only 39 hours, which was only 2 hours longer than it took to drive out straight through. He had only $18 in his pocket when he left Arizona. The 70's were very adventurous times for Tom.
Once home in October 1975 and bored to tears, Tom went into the Navy and Air Force recruiter offices to see if he could pursue a radio career in the military. Wanting to talk into a microphone was the reasoning and his only desire at the time at almost 19 years old. You see, he had been Vice President of his high school's new Video Communications Club, where he cut his teeth in TV and Radio as a kid, using up-to-date equipment, production techniques, and presentation procedures learned from the new Warner Cable company liaison in town, cooperating with the school to promote cable TV. Cable TV was brand new then. The club was producing multi-camera, multi-microphone productions of many types and the kids would show these productions on the local head-end facilities of a few cable companies within a 30-mile area for all residents to see. 3/4 & 1-inch helical-scan video tape machines were used to playback the productions. It was cutting edge at the time. The club members also operated a real, low-power, FM radio station from time to time when allowed to. Tom was deeply involved in all these activities.
As for speaking into a microphone in the military. Tom ended up doing just that for almost 20 years in the Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller and Controller Supervisor. Thereafter, he continued that ATC career doing contract work and controlled in numerous facilities, including Albuquerque Radar Center, St. Louis Regional Tower, and MAC Center in Antarctica in 2001.
Tom has done lots of traveling in his lifetime. While in the military, his initial assignment was in Cocoa Beach, where he did lots of surfing and some flying. He has also visited and lived in numerous countries, to include Panama (and the Canal Zone), Germany, Belgium, the UK, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, and Spain. He lived in Madrid for 4 years in a bi-lingual capacity. In Europe, Tom earned a Bachelor of Professional Aeronautics degree from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's International Campus. He also took numerous electronics courses throughout the years, because of his interest in the field. He has held an amateur radio license since 1980 and is an Amateur Extra.
After retiring from air traffic, Tom worked in a few other fields, to include Motorola radio repair, IT-related ventures, commercial 18-wheel truck driving, real estate sales, and the mortgage business for over 7 years. Tom loves people and learning from them. He is happily married and has 2 sons who are successful and living in Las Vegas. Tom is also very proud to be an American but loves other peoples and cultures as well. Tom is currently living once again in NW Ohio and is a follower of Jesus Christ. Tom is also proud to be a part of the SCARS family.
BIO: DAVE KB9EWG
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
I was born in Kenosha, WI August 8 1963 and I always tinkered around with different things trying to find out how they worked including tearing apart a toaster and I would play Cops and Robbers as I was a big fan of Adam -12 and pretended to do Adam-12 Police calls on my walkie talkies when then I was about 12 years old my Uncle George got me into Citizens Band I have been active on radio in one form or another ever since.
I was first licensed back in 1989. I started as a Novice taking my Technician shortly thereafter and later my General. Then 21/MARCH/2015 I took and passed my EXTRA TEST I have been keeping very busy since than. Since I am an apartment dweller and limited on antennas, I decided I will never be a big gun DX station, and rather than waste my Extra privileges I would explore other venues. As well being a W5YI and ARRL VE and now a GLAARG VE and I have been an Elmer for many years am an active Storm Spotter and also active in ARES/RACES. I use A.P.R.S. using APRSDROID and a Mobilinkd Bluetooth TNC as well as my Yaesu FT3DR. I am also on Echolink and I am a net control station on South Cars VOIP via Echolink, But Echolink was not getting me on HF and so I started exploring other options, well I started exploring QRP. Well, I then bought a Xiegu X1M Pro 5 watt QRP SSB/CW radio, a Super antenna MP1, an MFJ 971 portable antenna tuner, and several batteries including a 12 amp Lithium-Ion. Since the radio only draws 1.5 amps on TX I should be able to run all day I also have a solar battery charger which should give me a longer running time. During warmer weather, I take my QRP set up out into the field and activate a number of City and County parks around La Crosse and the surrounding areas. I have set up a page on Facebook to help keep track of my QRP operations and will include photos and maybe even some video. One of the parks I do activate is Grandads Bluff which is a bluff almost 600 feet up overlooking La Crosse should make for some nice photos. I have installed indoor antennas and became active on HF this way. I also FT8 and I am also active on SSTV, PSK31, and other digital modes as well as SSB. I log on LOTW, eQSL, hamlog, QRZ, QRZCQ, and HamQTH as well as direct. I QSL 100% electronically or by paper. I have earned my Worked All States and my DXCC as well as many other operating awards. Since joining the Greater Los Angeles Amateur Radio Group VEC I have been very active in assisting with online Amateur Radio Examinations Well that is my update for now. I am also on YouTube my ham radio channel is dpcommradio and my weather and siren channel is dpcomm1 my general-purpose channel is dpcomm2. I also have a YouTube channel for my dog Kole who is my Service dog in training. I hope to catch you on the airwaves or on Echolink soon 73 DE DAVID KB9EWG
BIO: DAVE GW8SZL
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Dave GW8SZL was born in Newport, South Wales on the 27th January, 1962.
Dave’s interest in radio started at the age of ten when he was bought an Elizabethan Pathfinder Radio as a Christmas present by his parents. This covered HF, VHF and UHF which was very unusual for the time.
Having listened to and identified all the utility services and broadcast stations, he came across a very strong signal on VHF around 145 MHz where people were just chatting away like in a normal conversation. This intrigued Dave as he had never come across anything like this before so continued listening for months and months trying to find out what he was actually listening to. Then one day a door to door salesman knocked the door and his father answered. He heard the radio on in the next room and he said to Dave’s father so you are a Radio Ham are you? Dave’s father replied no and the Salesman said well I just sold some encyclopedias to a gentleman down the road and he has exactly the same thing on in his living room, in fact the same conversation is still going on. Dave overheard the conversation and asked who this person was and would it be possible to have a chat with him. The salesman said he could not give out his details without confirming with him first but he did have his telephone number. So Dave’s father gave him a call and we all met up and he showed me around his shack and Dave was hooked. Dave then visited the Newport Radio Club and studied for the UK Full amateur radio license and passed first time. There was only one license class back with the examination comprised of three parts – Licensing Conditions, the Technical side and the CW test. Dave was the youngest member of the Newport Radio Club at that time and the rest his history. Dave believes if it was not for that chance encounter with the salesman he would still be listening to that repeater and never have discovered the fascinating hobby of amateur radio.
Dave is married to Sue and has two sons, Daniel who is 30 and Declan also known as the Mini Chief who obtained his first amateur radio license at the age of 9 (MW6SZL) and has recently upgraded to Intermediate Class here in the UK with the call sign 2W0KYH (The Kind Young Ham).
After leaving school Dave went to university and studied Mathematics, Physics, IT and Chemistry and has spent most of his time working in the Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Oil & Gas and Nuclear Industries worldwide specializing in bespoke Instrumentation and Electrical Control Systems from the design concept through to and including the commissioning stage.
BIO: STEVE KF5VH
SCARS WEBSITE MAGICIAN
SCARS VOIP STAFF
Steve was born and raised in South Bend Indiana. His Dad is K9YXO and got him interested in all things electronic and in 9th grade helped him get his first call sign WN9FXY. He attended Purdue University in West Lafayette Indiana and worked at WXUS on the air. After an ASEET and BS at Purdue, Steve worked full time for the PUrdue Boilermakers for a little over 10 years. Steve designed, built custom circuits and software for research projects & engineering labs. In 1975 he booted the second UNIX system on campus, administered the system, wrote device drivers, new system calls and new applications in C, FORTRAN, BASIC, GASP4 and RATFOR. The last 4 years at Purdue he was the Manager of Network Services for Purdue ECN (the Engineering Computer Network).
In 1985 Steve relocated to Lafayette Louisiana and started working for USL (University of Southwestern Louisiana, now the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (Geaux Ragin Cajuns!)). He was the first director of Information and Media Networks at UL Lafayette (1985). The group is responsible for computer data connectivity, telephone services, smart classrooms, telephone operator services, A/V equipment loan, compressed video meeting services, traditional printing services and digital duplication. The group also serves as a technical information resource for the entire campus. Steve retired as Director in December 2013. He currently works part-time for UL Lafayette as a Special Projects Engineer.
Steve has a wonderful and understanding wife Linda, KA9TWO, and two great sons (W5JSM and KC5UCG) with families and his four grandkids (including KC5AMM). He has always been driven to try lots of things before they close the lid on his box. So at various times Steve has been involved in: R/C Planes, Model Rocketry, Water Skiing, an assistant SCUBA instructor, Bowling, Fishing, Competitive Target Shooting, Photography, Horseback riding, flying as a Private Pilot (PP-ASEL-IA), Civil Air Patrol, Karate, Volunteer Fire Fighter and Medical First Responder, currently volunteers with the technical team for the parish Homeland Security Office and of course Amateur Radio (the only hobby that has stuck).
SCARS VOIP BOARD MEMBER
SCARS VOIP STAFF
I was born January 12, 1956, and was raised most of my life in a city called Oshawa which is located in southern Ontario Canada 40 miles east of Toronto. I met my wife Maxine when I was 17 and we have been together for 49 years and have been married for 42 years.
I started at General Motors in September 1976 and became a team leader and spent 33 years there and I retired in March 2008. I became interested in radio at the age of 14. I listen to a lot of shortwave and scanner radio and got my citizen band radio license at the age of 14. Finally, because of my love for radio I got my amateur radio operators License January 10, 2018.
The bands I talk on at this time are 70 cm, 2 meters, 10 meters and down to 80 meters. My working conditions are an Yaesu FT 900 / 100 watts I use for all SSB bands and is tuned by a Vectronics VC300DLP tuner and is fed to a G5RV in an inverted vee configuration about 35 ft high and have a Heil Goldline microphone down in front. I use a Yaesu FT 7800 for my 2 meter and 70 cm and have a Yaesu FT 60 handheld. I am also in the process of trying to learn CW and I use a Bencher paddle key. I also do net controlling for The South Coast Amateur Radio Service and became a board member May 6 2022. My other past time hobby is fishing all year round.
