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KOØZ Ron L. Ochu Girard, IL QCWA # 37697 Chapter 19 |
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I enjoy everything related to Amateur Radio. First licensed in 1975 as a Novice with the call sign WNØQIN, a year later the FCC changed it to WBØQIN, but my licensed lapsed in 1977 while attending the University of Missouri at St. Louis. A few years later, I tested again and received the call sign KOØZ back in the early eighties. At first, I hated the call sign, but DX started calling me! Most ops remember the call because it is a tongue twister. Initially, it is hard to say because of the juxtapositioning of the "O" with the "Ø".
When I lived in St. Peters, MO, (EM 48 qs) I was very active with the St. Charles Amateur Radio Club, WBØHSI.
In 2011, I decided to pull in the shingle and I retired from professional teaching after 33 years as a high school English/Literature teacher with the Francis Howell School district. During that time, I sponsored a high school radio club NØFHN, but when I retired, I wasn't able to get a faculty sponsor to take over. I still stay involved with education by teaching ham radio classes and assisting my wife, Debbie, KC9ULA, with her middle school ham radio club as well as being a retired member of the National Education Association and the Missouri National Education Association.
Now days, I can be found trapsing around Macoupin County, IL, EM59ck looking for unobstructed high spots for microwave operating locations. In addition to working HF, I am a weak signal enthusiast and I am active on 10 GHz.
I am a member of the ARRL, Central States VHF Society, Central Illinois DX Association, Mississippi Valley DX Hogs, Society of Mid West Contesters, Sagamon Valley ARC and the Macoupin County ARC, K9MCE.
Retirment suits me well. I serve as a newsletter editor for K9MCE and I write for CQ magazine's column, "The Learning Curve."
73, GL es DX!
de Ron, KOØZ
This is my Cushcraft A4 yagi with 40 meter add on kit.
Here is a picture of my VHF-SHF tower and antenna array. Pictured is a Directive Systems 4 el yagi, above it is a Directive Systems 12 element 2 meter yagi, above it is a 12 element, 220 MHz yagi and along side it is a pair of K1FO 22 element 70 cm yagis. There is also a 5 element, vertically polarized 2 meter yagi, and above it is a Directive Systems, 55 element 1.2 GHz looper, a 2.3 GHz looper and a 3.4 GHz looper
I am also involved with 10 GHz operations. Here is a photo of my station set up near Gillespie, IL, EM59.
This is my newly installed operating desk. I used 2x4 to support the formica desktop towards the rear and kitchen cabinets to support the top towards the front. The cabinets give me drawers and storage space. All my coax leads are equipped with polyphasers.
This a view of my work bench. It is made out of the same formica top as my operating desk. In order to make the top of desk at a normal height, I had to saw off the kitchen cabinet kickplates to lower the overall height by 3.5 inches, which makes the desk top just slightly heigher than a normal desk.
May 25, 2018