 |
William R. 'Bill' Ronay Buckhead, GA QCWA # 36542 |
From: qrz.com
First licensed in April 1984 as KB4JPN, I received my General Class on Election Day the following November. Four years later, again on Election Day, I upgraded to Advanced Class. With thousands of QSOs logged, DXCC, WAC, WAS, WAZ, WAN (Worked all Neighbors!) and other "wallpaper" in the book, Amateur Radio just keeps becoming better every day!
What helps make it all worth while??? "Volunteering", that's what. After nearly fifteen years of being an "Elmer" to others in the Atlanta area, it is fulfilling to know I was (and continue to be) able to reach across the generations, extending the efforts of my own Elmer, Maurice Wheeler, K4RMO.
I work most HF bands including the WARC frequencies. For nearly twenty-five years I held down the Net Control post, mainly Tuesday evenings (9:30 PM Eastern Time) on 3.970 kHz,for The Southern Section of the Country Cousins Amateur Radio Network. Beginning Thanksgiving Day 1984 I have had the honor to serve the Cousins' not only as an NCS (continuous through September 30, 2008, but also as an elected officer, including 2d VP (Project Manager)...twice, 1st Vice President (Net Manager), President and,subsequently, Chairman of the Board...twice (1998-2000 and 2004-2005)!
Equipment and working conditions in the "shack" are modest; a Kenwood TS590S. Ameritron ALS600 @ 600 watts, MFJ VersaTuner. The ol' TS450S has been donated to the Morgan County (GA) EMA/EOC and continues to give service for ARES activity. With the ability to work 60 and 6 Meters, I have added a 160 Meter dipole to the 140' Windom Dipole (80-10). Both antennas are at 35 feet. In addition, I also use a full wave 80 Meter Delta Loop. Corner-fed at the bottom (12' off the ground) and flat-top at 55', being able to switch among the wires for 'horizontal' and 'vertical' polarization allows for a variety of patterns and subsequent reports
Being able to snag a "rare one" from a "big gun" is a very satisfying experience...! Yes, I also work UHV/VHF on my Kenwood D100 Dual Band... There are not that many repeaters in the area to "hit" so I am mostly active on 2 M/440 while "mobile".
ATTENTION all of you County Hunters, we are on an honest-to-goodness "County Line"! The "lake" side of the house and yard is in Putnam County. However, the front of the house, office/garage, the biggest part of the yard and the longest parts of the antennae are in Morgan County!
Note: CW is alive and well at this QTH!
KM4LS - William R. 'Bill' Ronay My wife, Camille, and I moved from Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia in Spring 1998. We had lived there for nearly thirty years. We are now in the "Wilderness", as mymother-in-law calls it, of Lake Oconee, approximately 75 miles east of Metropolitan Atlanta...halfway between there and Augusta. To the No'th is Athens, GA. To the South...Macon, GA. Each about an hour's drive. More details at http://events2000.com/billronay.
*****************************************
UPDATE: Attended the ARRL Centennial Celebration, July 17-19, 2014...in Hartford/Newington, CT. Among the many fascinating experiences during these three days, I had the opportunity to operate W1AW/100 (for 15 minutes...) the 40 Meter Phone position.
KM4LS - William R. 'Bill' Ronay The "Hawaiian" shirt is a special tribute to Tad Williamson, WF4W (SK). He wore an Island design just about every where went. In the more than 30 years I knew WF4W (ex-WA4CUG), seldom did we see ol' Tad with a coat and tie! His sudden passing in May 2014 was a shock to all of us and...at every opportunity...we don this apparel 'just because'.
*****************************************
As mentioned earlier, I am a committed volunteer to the local community. These include: . Emergency Coordinator - Morgan County ARES, WR4MC; Communications Liaison - MCSO .Reserve Deputy Sheriff - Morgan County Sheriff's Office; Morgan County, GA
Oconee County Amateur Radio Society, W4EEE; ARES/RACES; serving EMA/EOC, Watkinsville, GA
ARRL Life Member
Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc., #36542
Founding Chairman (2007) - Arts Development Council of Georgia (ADCG), www.adcg.org, Crawford, GA
Camille Ronay, XYL, owns Georgia Made Georgia Grown, LLC. She has been in touch with Georgians all over the state for over three decades, traveling around the state talking with business owners and tourism professionals developing creative ways to promote local Georgia products and resources. Camille was a consultant with the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Tourism Foundation (2007-2009) developing the statewide "Creative Economies Initiative" which which she actively continues on a state and regional level.
Lake Oconee, the second largest man-made lake in Georgia, is managed by the Georgia Power Corporation. The lake is a generous source for the generation of electrical power, the main reason for which it was designed and created in the early 1980s. However, fishing and small game hunting make this fresh-water lake area a very active location all year long.
Reelin' in DX and catfish within a few dozen yards of each other is not too hard to take! This particular photo is a neighbor waiting for the crappie to jump in the boat...
73,
Bill
KM4LS
August 19, 2015
