W5NDS - Rodney F. 'Rod' Moag W5NDS

Rodney F. 'Rod' Moag
Austin, TX

QCWA # 19135
Chapter 67

Rod Moag was first licensed in Western New York in August of 1951 at age 14 as W2KUV, operating CW and AM exclusively until the late 60s. Though blind from age seven, he enjoyed working on equipment and building accessories for his station in those days. He was the only active ham in his high school ham club, and managed to have at least a modest station through his college years first at Syracuse, then in Madison, Wisconsin.

After completing studies for his PhD in linguistics, Rod's ham activities have followed his academic teaching career. In 1970, he received the callsign W0NDS while teaching at the Univ. of Missouri in Columbia where he built a KW linear with a pair of 813s.

From 1975-78 Rod operated as 3D2RM while teaching at the Univ of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, working North America daily on 7 MHz with a halfwave sloper. While there he entertained yachties and other hams passing through Fiji, and traveled to visit hams in ZL, VK, YJ8, and A35.

After taking a position at the Univ. of Michigan, Rod was elected president of the ARROW (Amateur Radio Repeaters of Washtenaw) club, 1983-86 and served for two years as president of the Michigan Repeater Council where he spearheaded the move to 20 KHz. Channelization on the 146-147 portion of the 2M band. His antenna installation in Ann Arbor was a modest 50 ft. tower atop a 12-story apartment building. His VHF, UHF and 160M Dipole worked great at that height.

Moving to Texas permanently in 1988, Rod obtained his current W5NDS callsign in 1996. He served as vice-president of the Austin Amateur Radio Club (AARC) in 1993-94, and is a long time member of the Texas VHF FM Society. Nationally he is a life member of ARRL and QCWA.

Retired in Fall, 2004, W5NDS looks forward to more time to enjoy ham radio, though his hamming sometimes takes a back seat to his semi-professional activities as part-time deejay and in playing and producing bluegrass, Western swing, and classic country music. . His current ham interests include ESSB (enhanced single sideband), getting back on AM, and low-noise receiving antennas. His station is equipped for all bands from 160 M. to 1296 MHz in all modes except RTTY, packet, amtor, etc. Rod likes to have at least two antennas to choose from on any band. Therefore his city lot QTH sports three towers and an ever-changing assortment of slip-up masts and flagpoles.

W5NDS - Rodney F. 'Rod' Moag

October 08, 2015