WØZIF Bernard L. 'Bernie' Wiklund Ramsey, MN QCWA # 36734 Chapter 8

I was first licensed as a Novice and Technician Class Ham in 1955 while in high school. I was attending the old Vocational High School in Minnapolis, MN and studying radio, TV, and electronics repair as a trade. Our 11th grade teacher, Charles Disser,was a Ham, and he "suggested" that all 30 of us study and try to get our Novice licenses. We did just that, and all of us passed! Five of us, myself included, studied for the Technician license. We all passed that test as well.

Built a Heathkit AT-1 transmitter from a kit, and with the help of a National SW-54 receiver, logged a number of cw contacts during that first year as a Novice. My best "DX" was Pascaguala, Mississippi. That license expired in 1956. I did not use my Technician license at all, and it expired in 1960.

Raised three children, worked as an engineer for an elevator company in North Minneapolis for 43 years, became an instrument and float rated commercial pilot and flight instructor, and pretty much got away from Ham radio. That is until a few years ago. The Ham bug bit me in 2010, and so around Thanksgiving in 2011, after a lot of studying, ( Much had changed in Ham radio in 55 plus years ) I took the Technician Class test and aced it! It turned out that I would not have needed to take the test, and could have been "Grandfathered in", but after all that time I could not find the original paper copy of my Technician licence, and my FCC records had been lost in a hurricane out on the East coast in the 60''s. Oh well!

In 2012 I decided to study and take the General Class test, and passed that. Also in 2012 I became a VE, with the idea of giving something back to the hobby. I'm currently studying the Extra Class license material, and plan on taking that test in the summer or fall of 2015.

The Ham radio equipment I have now was all given to me through the generocity of the widow of a Brother Mason and Shriner who was a Ham, and I hope to begin using it this year.

In 2014 I served as President of my Shrine radio club called ZARC, which stands for Zuhrah Amateur Radio Corp. Zuhrah is the name of our Shrine Center in Minneapolis / Hennepin County. We try to be "on the air" on CQ-100 on 3.845 (LSB) voice and 14.070 PSK31 (USB) once a week on Tuesdays at 7 pm CST. We call it "ZARC-Net".

Meanwhile I'll continue to check in as often as I can on the CQ-100 "Hoot Owl Net", which operates Monday through Friday at 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm on 7.242 mhz., and the CQ-100 "Masonic Net", which operates Sunday nights at 8:00 pm CST on 14.310 mhz.

Currently work 40 plus hours a week at Anoka County Airport as a ramp technician, and 15 hours a week in the "Senior Companion" program in Anoka County, MN.

Was installed on 8 January 2014 as president of my Shrine amateur radio club (ZARC) for 2014.

Last but not least, my e-mail address is bernwik@comcast.net

My wife Carole and I are also on Facebook as Bernie Wiklund

July 16, 2015