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N3EQF Thomas J. 'Tom' Dandrea St Cloud, FL QCWA # 37911 Chapter 45 |
First licensed as Novice in 1971 as WN3QEI and logged many CW contacts with the crystal controlled ARC-5 station and a long wire. Failed the written General Class exam (passed the code!) and went QRT after the 2-year license expired. Eventually, the ham bug bit again and I passed the Novice and General exams in November 1985 and took the callsign N3EQF. Extra Class was achieved in 1986 (CW was never a problem!).
Was an active member of the Steel City Amateur Radio Club for many years and served as an officer for a few. Enjoyed many contests and Field Days with the gang at SCARC near Pittsburgh, PA. Worked for 28 years as a Simulator Engineer in Pittsburgh beginning in 1977 - for then Allegheny Airlines that merged and morphed into USAir and USAirways through the years. When the training center for USAirways in Pittsburgh closed, I took a position with the CAE company in Orlando, Florida in 2005. There, I was a Simulator Engineer at the then brand-new JetBlue training center, where CAE provides engineering and maintenance for all of their crew training equipment. Eventually became a Group Leader and then Manager where I continue to work as of the date of this writing (hoping for retirement in a few years to spend more time playing radio!).
Wrote the "Log-EQF" logging and station control program for DOS which later became the Windows "Win-EQF" program. Supported this software for nearly 20 years.
Living in an HOA community in Saint Cloud, just south of Orlando, so the antenna is a 28' flag pole with a remote tuner. At the shack, it's the Elecraft K-line (K3S, P3, KPA500) that loves pulling signals out of the noise on 40.
Member of ARRL, and QCWA #37911.
August 22, 2021