K3GZO Gilson C. 'Gil' Sheffer Gettysburg, PA QCWA # 36134

I was first licensed in 1959 as KN3GZO as part of the Adams County Amateur Radio Socity (ACAR's) first class (see picture below) (anyone recognize the rigs in the picture ?).

When I received my novice ticket I started to use my fathers Johnson Viking Adventurer (W3CBZ) who had passed away in 1956 and a heathkit AR-3. My antenna was somewhat of a mess. Did not quite understand the concept of HF antenna's at the time. It could have been long wire with no tuner, could not afford the 60 feet of coax at the time.

In 1960 I was at the Army Security Agency's training center and School in Ft.Devins, MA and decided to take my general test, Code speed was well over 20 WPM, thanks to USASA and K1KBO who left me hang around. and I actually studied the general test, but murphy's law stepped in. No one told me you had to make an appointment and I did not and traveled to Boston and found out they only gave the code test a couple of times a week.

Over the years I was in an out of ham radio with calls WA3ECI, and WA3RSV. A couple of years ago I discovered I could apply for a vanity call sign so I applied for K3GZO and received it 50-more years from the origional license.

Current rig is a Yaesu FT-990, and yes, an end fed 53-foot long wire with a 9-to-1 dual-core UNUN, being fed by a LDG AT-1000 pro-2 autotuner.

Ham radio did however put me on the path of communications, as an announcer/engineer (with a first class radiotelephone license), a QC technician for Frederick Electronics Corp.

In Fredrick MD, for a while as a technician working on the goverments DIDS system for Gautney and Jones in Washington, DC, and as a field technician for HF Communications in Fredrick, MD installing new equipment at stations like WCC on Cape Cod, MA and at WNU in Slidell, LA.

I have just retired after 40 plus years in the broadcast industry as an announcer and engineer.

I can thank ham radio for a lifetime of work.

October 30, 2016