K8HU Robert C. 'Chuck' Pirrel Chesapeake, VA QCWA # 36653 Chapter 119

The Radio Hobby is fun solely because of contacts and QSL's with people like you ! THANK YOU !

I was first licensed as WN4HHG on February 5, 1974. A year or so later, went down to the FCC Field Field Office in Norfolk, VA to take and pass the General License code and written tests. Two weeks later, a second short drive to the same Field Office and the Advanced Class test was under my belt. The General license arrived first; I had been issued the callsign, WA4HHG, which would become my nom du garre for the next 38 years. During the next few years, I would become an Extra Class Operator and also add a commercial, General Radio Operators License (GROL).

I'm what might be termed a quasi-serious, sometimes competitive DX'er whose current DXCC Mixed standings are 339 Worked, 330 Confirmed. Most everything I still "need" won't show up unless there is a DX'pedition to that country. So, am focusing more on DXCC CW and DXCC on 160. Am not a contester but have had fun during a few events. Won the Section during an ARRL VHF contest in... 2009 (?) and did the CQ 160M SSB contest QRP racking up some 22,000 points by the closing bell.

I was intrigued by VIA OSCAR 10 back when it was regularly operational, joined AMSAT and built a station which was particularly suited to utilize that long period satellite. After becoming involved with some of the in orbit testing, my station earned the K2ZRO Memorial Station Engineering Award for copying signals from the AO-10 to within ony 3db of the transponder noise floor. The award had several levels of endorsement.

February 21, 2015