KB5VP Donald M. 'Don' Price Charlestown, MA QCWA # 35166 Chapter 146

I was first licensed in Mar 1977, Salina, KS as a novice. Upgraded in 1981 to General in Tulsa, OK and following month upgraded to Advanced by taking test in Dallas, TX. I passed the Generalat one of the semi-annual testing sessions held in Tulsa by the FCC. Even though I did not study for the Advanced, I made a try at it and failed.

So, a trip to Dallas was required and since I had momenteum wanted to get into the next possible test. This was back in the days when testing was only done at an FCC office. I drove down to Dallas after finishing up on my second job teaching computer science at a local school. Arrived in Dallas a 2am. After 4 hours of sleep, then got up and took the test at the FCC office in downtown Dallas. Upgraded to Advanced. I did not try for Extra.

I believe it was 1987 when I passed the 20 wpm code requirement for extra and the following year passed the extra exam. I had to study after missing the exam by one too many questions without studying.

In the 80's I was very active on AX.25. I lead the OPRA initiative to form a network of nodes across the state of Oklahoma. Our intentions were supporting remote county safety office which did not have access to any weather data at the time. Oklahoma as you know is in tornado alley.

In the early 80's (have to check log books to confirm actual year) I built a helical wound vertical for 80M. This was 130' of 14 ga wire wrapped around a sewer pipe. I built it out of things I had around the garage and what I could buy cheap at the local hardware store. I would stand the sewer pipe vertical, and grounded the antenna to the water table which at that site was only 15' underground. No radials. For a top hat I used a old used cookie sheet my wife gave me. Mike always beat me on DX but that one year on CQ contest when the 80M band opened up to the west I received a 59+ signal on 100w from a KH7 on first call while Mike barely was able to pull out a contact using all of his full legal limit power. It is the only time I've ever beat Mike in a pile up! The antenna was so named, "The Sewer in the Sky".

Late 80's I became very active in ATV. My goal was to put a operating station together at minimum cost. I accomplished this for around $400. This was back in the daysbefore cheap web cams.I operated ATV with full duplex voice with friends most often with Mike WD5GLW (K4MIA). I introduced video in 1989 to safety operations of the KRMG raft race during Labor Day which was a float down the Arkansas river. I beamed pictures back to command position from the 21st street bridge east side. Following year I was incorporated into the safety procedures this time positioned at the 21st street bridge, west side, where many of the rafts hung up and got into trouble at the end of the race.

1986 was year of my great tower project. I put up a Hygain HG-70 with stacked mono-banders on 20/15/10. Using Hygain 205BAS, 155BAS, and 3 element Cushcraft for 10M.

1985/1986 installed Argonaut in my family van and worked WD5GLW while on vacation traveling around the country. This was so exciting as Mike never knew where I would be checking in every few day, and I could share almost in real time the vacation experience. The highlight was keeping a schedule with WD5GLW working him from Mendocino, Calif and he never knew I was going to be in that state.

1988 took the family on a ski trip to Colorado over Xmas vacation. First family ski trip. Again, WD5GLW (K4MIA), worked me late night while driving the night shift to the ski slopes saving me from falling asleep.

1997 installed TS-50S and Bushwacker antenna in my Jeep. Worked all well. Worked so well I was able to keep a schedule with Mike, WD5GLW in Tulsa from the Assembly Sqshopping mail parking lot in Boston.

1998 put up RG25 tower and TA33JR up in Baltimore, VT. Was one of my best antenna systems ever.

2003 I installed satellite operations and worked AO-51. 2003 was my first operation from CT which I have done yearly now.

2003 was also a big year. It was the year my wife, Sara, earned her ticket. KB1KAN was awarded her ticket after passing test at MIT. It was her promise of marriage to earn a license. It was one of the most happiest days of my life. It was always a pleasure to hear her on the radio with the french accent.

2005 was able to build a remote controlled system to operate via Internet control. I operated all over USA, UK, and France via the internet.

2007 at the Windsor, VT house installed the DX88 which was temporarily used in 1992 in Tulsa.

2008 was a big year. Installed and raised the HG-70 again. It was 17 years this tower was stored on the ground after taken down in 1991 in Tulsa. Upgraded the DX-88 with 70 radials in the ground to optimize that antenna.

During the tower raising I sent SSTV pictures of the concrete pour of the tower base. I was copied 598 in Italy, and my friend Mike, K4MIA was able to almost follow the project in real-time. Mike said, "This was probably the coolest thing we've ever done." It was very rewarding to share the concrete pour with Mike after all the other projects we've shared over the years.

2008 I also installed two 369' switchable beverage antennas.

July 20, 2009 was a very sad day when my precious wife Sara, KB1KAN, passed away after enduring breast cancer. She was always proud of her licensing but most enjoyed talking to me on the radio. I miss her desperately and hear her sweat voice on my radio. Her call was put in my tower base in 2008.

2009 installed the TA33Jr on the HG-70. Also started operating 1KW with 220V installed to the shack.

2010 I finally have rebuilt my remote access to my station. I installed a Remoterig.com system using the RS-2000 remote at my apartment in Boston. It has worked very well with very little glitches. Only glitches seem to come from either very poor Internet service from Comcast, or some timing issues using the Kenwood RS-2000 over the internet. I have worked DX, regular scheduled contacts, and even an airnautical mobile flight just 150 miles south of Greenland.

I also installed and have working SteppIR Big IR vertical. Works on all bands but mostly use on 40/80M.I have 70 radials down on 40m and 30 radials down on 80m. 100 radials total. Hope to get a few more 80M radials down in 2011.

Also upgraded the amplifier to a Alpha 9500. Really has changed my DX chances.

2011 upgraded my ham shack to full counter top and cabinets. All made from Vermont maple and built by Vermont craftsman. It has made my operating experience now expectional to have all the space and organization.

2013 I upgraded my station to a TS-990S. It is an amazing radio. It is the best CW radio I've ever owned. I have completely enjoyed this radio and every chance to work QSO. It is my dream radio. I also upgraded my Mosely TA33jr to a MA33. My yagi is now at full legal limit. Now I am ready for winter of 2013/2014 and the sun cycle peak. Also ugraded station with whole house generator.

2014 I operated from CT7 exclusively on PSK31 Aug 16 through Sep 4. I made over 85 q's and worked around 47 countries. I operated using the TS-50S and used in addtion to the MFJ 1622, an Alexloop, and a Windcamp 40m-10m dipole. The dipole was my favorite on 20m, 17m, and 15m at this location. I was able to operate the Alexloop on 30m, 20m, 17m, and 15m. I was really impressed with the Alexloop and it brings some unique advantages for highly portable operation. I made all Q's on the Alexloop at 10w. I worked K4MIA on the Alexloop using 10w and we had a 579 QSO. It was really great QSO. I also operated with new Rigblaster Advantage interface which worked very well. Radio projects this year included: new stand off brackets for the HG70, grounded HG70 with ribbon, new grounding for HF switch box, New trapped dipole for 160/75/40, new pushup pole for 2m at 25 ft, new house entry box and grounding, routed cables through entry box from basement window, ligthening arrestors on all cables, new grounding system in shack. I also have remote station working again.

2015 This was the year I finally got involved with DMR. My interests with digital radio date back several years when I was in the development of PBX products. Seeing the TDMA standard authorized by the FCC caught my imagination and seeking way to get involved. The Connecticutt Valley Amatuer Radio Society chose to sponser a digital repeater on Mt Ascuteny and I became involved to see that project through. I programmed the SL 5700 Motorola repeater and installed with a team of helpers to the mountain on Oct 24, 2015. It was a true plug and play experience. Since then I've programmed many different digital radio for friends and club members. I also gave several presentations on DMR, DMR radio programming to the membership. DMR is a great protocol and has much potential for amateur radio. If you don't all ready, you should try digital radio. I operated CT7 this year with a new Steppr CrankIR antenna.

2016 At the Vermont State convention this year I gave a talk on digital radio and covered DMR. http://www.ranv.org/ Updated my shack by using the cabinet system built for Baltimore, VT location. With the built in lighting the shack now looks first class.

HF radios I've owned: TS-520S, Argonaut.

HF radios I use: Paragon, Argonaut, TS-50S, TS-2000S, B2000, TS-590S, TS990S,Hammerland HQ-180,

Digital Radio: CS750, CS800, SL7550, XL 7550.

Favorite HT was the TS-24000 which was my first VHF radio and my reward for earning the advance ticket. Now my favorite HT is the TH-D7. Now that I have a TH-D72 I think this will be my favorite HT. I get so much use out of these HT with SSTV, APRS, and Skycommand.

Antenna now using: Mosley MA-33, Steppr IR BigIR, Buckmaster 160, AlphaDelta 160/75/40, Bozak 2m, M2 eggbeater 2m/70m, Steppr Crank IR.

I have truly enjoyed my amateur radio hobby. It has been my favorite endeavor in my non-prefessional persuits. I've had a chance to share many great projects through my amateur radio experience. I still get much pleasure out of making QSO with stations 1,000's of miles away. On any mode. Needless to say, I've enjoy every minute of the people I met, projects I've completed, and things that I've learned. It is a hobby that has continously offered a challenge to better understand physics, and electronics.

73
Don KB5VP

November 04, 2016