 |
W8OP Alan R. Carpenter Fairmont, WV QCWA # 26123 Chapter 30 |
I achieved DXCC Honor Roll (Mixed) on March 17th, 2014 (finally). I would like to thank the VK9X/K7CO guys (Jon & Christian) for making this achievement possible. Thanks guys!
I am now active on ('no keyboard') RTTY. Working with the "canned memories" in my IC756 Pro III. So my transmissions have to be limited in content. I refer to this method as "RTTY on the cheap". It's not pretty but it at least gets me on the mode. Hi. I am up to 205 entities worked now.
Many thanks to Leo, WY7LL (SK in 2013), for my last TPA contact (WY on RTTY). Issued TPA #529 on 2-15-11.
If you are a K, N or W call and we have contacted and you need LoTW confirmation from me, email me, I'll check my paper logs and I'll upload our qso.
Many thanks to Abel KE1AF for RI on 10 m, TO FINISH UP my 5BWAS !!! I've not applied for the award yet. I am trying to replace the 2 paper qsls in the 5BWAS application with LoTW ones.
I am also working on 10BWAS with only LoTW confirmations. Have completed 488 of the 500 slots.
I answer qsl 100%. I am always happy to exchange paper qsls.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALL HISTORY:
I am at least the 6th holder of this callsign since 1915 and if you have any information on the previous holders of 8OP or W8OP, please contact me.
Previous call holders that I am aware of are (in order):
1914 & 1915 8OP issued to Charles L Reynolds, 25 Sturges St., Binghampton,NY
1921 8OP issued to Ralph J. Lampe, 715 Leeson Ave., Van Wert, OH
1925 8OP issued to J.J. McConnell, 114 West Main St., Carrollton, OH
1929 8OP issued again to J.J. McConnell
1936 8OP issued to William E. Coleman of Jenny Lind Ave., McKeesport, PA
W8OP was issued to Paul C. Rohwer (unknown year),Paul was a member of OOTC (1738) and was a "spark gap" operator. He first transmitted in 1921 using the call 9AYS. He became a silent key July 1985.
I obtained the vanity call W8OP in October of 1997. My daughter, Jenna (K8AFI) has obtained her Extra Class license, so the call should continue in the family after I am gone.:)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WN8BMX(1968-70), WN8LGF(1971-1973), WB8BMX (1976-1997), W8OP. Passed General (13wpm) in 1976, Advanced in 1987 and Extra (20 wpm) in 1987.
I enjoy chasing DX, IOTA Islands, 6 meter grids and working USA Counties. If you're interested in County Hunting, check out www.countyhunter.com. I completed confirmation of ALL 3077 USA counties and received the CQ Magazine USA-CA 3077 Award (#1077) in October 2003. I have almost 50% of counties worked for 2nd time around.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AWARDS:
My confirmed DX totals are currently:
340 Mixed (332 active entities) (Honor Roll - Mixed) (8 entities needed- 3Y/B, FR/J, FT5W, KH3, P5, VK0/H, VP8/SS, ZS8).
330-CW..... 302-Phone..... 201-RTTY..... 9 Band DXCC
DXCC Challenge Award (2,074)
160m 105 (109 wrkd)
80m 168
40m 233
30m 229
20m 318
17m 289
15m 269
12m 213
10m 216
6m 58 (59 wrkd)
Worked 174 countries with QRP (5 watts) on CW.
A-1 Operator Club (5/27/09)
USA-CA 3077 Worked All USA Counties #1077
Triple Play Award #529 (2-15-11)
W. A. S. (basic, 160 meters, CW-LoTW & phone-LoTW).
VUCC 6 meter certificate #1,627 (grids worked/confirmed: 393/375)
IOTA 100, 200 & 300 Islands of the World Certificates (361 confirmed, 405 worked). Also hold IOTA North American Certificate.
Worked All Europe Awards - WAE Top plaque (#91) & WAE I certificate (#116). [update: 7-7-13: I just worked Bear I. for my last for WAE. :) ]
W.A.Z. Awards (mixed & cw)
IARU Region II & Region III Gold Seal Awards
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS:
Active with Mountaineer Amateur Radio Association (W8SP) since 1968. Currently President for the 2013-14 term. Our club was 90 years old in 2009. The club is currently working DX with the club call and we've worked 300 entities and have 285 confirmed.
ARRL member since 1968 - Life Member since 1978
ARRL DXCC / WAC / VUCC / WAS card checker & ARRL VE Examiner. Many thanks to the WVDXA for the DXCC field checker nomination.
Royal Order of the Wouff Hong since August '04. Member ofthe W8SP R.O.W.F. team.
QCWA member #26,123, active with Chapter 30 as sec/treas.
West Virginia DX Association Member (W8AH) since 2006. What a great group of ops !
3.905 Century Club (40 meter #151 and 80 meter #521).
Bozo Amateur Radio Fraternity Member #628 (www.ab0zo.com) thanks to Mark, W9OP.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My little pistol station:
My home station consists of an Icom 756 Pro III & a IC-746 (non pro) with an AL-811H amp.
Antennas are a 4 element Mosley TA-53 (5 band) at 73 feet, (2) 30 m dipoles @45 ft., (2) 40 m dipoles (NE/SW @60 ft. & NW/SE @50 ft.), 80 m dipole @ 60 ft. & 5 el. 6 meter beam at 80 ft. Inverted "L" on 160m (65' of it vertical) with 8 buried radials. I erected a 515' beverage for 160m for the winter months. I do a lot of 'down in the trenches' listening and have a LOT of patience.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My wife, JoAnn and I have been married 29 years. My daughter (Jenna - K8AFI) is an Extra Class and graduated from Potomac State College of WVU with an Assoc. of Applied Science in Equine Production and Management in 2011. My son (Chris - K8RUN) is a General Class and graduated from West Virginia University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.
We live on 4 acres in the country, so I have a fair amount of room for antennas. While mobile in my Ford Ranger pickup, I use an Icom 706MkII & Z100 tuner with Hustler antennas on 80, 40, 30, 20 & 15 m.
I graduated from Fairmont State University in 1972 with an A.S. in Engineering Tech. (drafting) and 1974 with a B. S. in Engineering Technology. I've been employed by Industrial Resources, Inc. since 1974. We company design, fabricate and construct coal preparation facilities and bulk handling systems for the coal and rock industries. I've been a proposal engineer in the sales engineering department since 1978. My work mostly entails the layout and estimating of belt conveyors & stockpile reclaim systems.
OTHER INTERESTS:
Semi-active caver (speleologist) and Fellow and Life Member of the National Speleogical Society #15,240FL. I am a life member of the Monongahela Grotto. Back problems and WNS (White Nose Syndrome affecting cave dwelling bats) has prevented me from caving much recently. I have participated in the New River Gorge Bridge Day several times and rappeled the 870 ft.. What a ride !!!
My son & I are Eagle Scouts & I have been involved with Boy Scouts for many years and am currently an Asst. Scoutmaster. I served on staff at the 2005 & 2010 National Boy Scout Jamborees and visited the 2013 Jamboree at the new Summit Bechtel Reservation (what a world class facility). I am a Brotherhood member of the Order of the Arrow (Lodge 550).
Early last spring (2012) I purchased a 20 yr old BMW K75RT motorcycle (3 cyl. liquid cooled) and have returned to riding a BMW after a 25 year absense. "K" series BMW's are refered to as the "Flying Bricks" because the engine looks like a big black brick and they say that they're bullet proof. I talked to a BMW rider recently who's friend has 2 K75's with over 200,000 miles on EACH bike. I usually ride it to work Rain, Shine or Cold (25 deg. F or above & dry roads) ! Just returned from 3 passes thru The Tail of the Dragon (318 curves in 11 miles) @ Deals Gap, TN. That's 953 turns we traversed in about an hour. What a ride ! It's like our WV roads only more compressed & intense.
Former Referee for the U.S. Soccer Federation at the local level (1995 to 2005), U.S.S.F. Associate Referee Assessor (2001-2005) at the state level. Retired from soccer officiating Fall of 2005
To my German Ham Radio Friends: my favorite band is the SCORPIONS !!! Thank you Hanover !
I have researched family genealogy since 1996. Surnames: Carpenter, Cross, Keenan, Glover, Horner, Golden, Blake, Layman, Hoult, to name a few. I published "The Descendants of William (Bill) Cross, Jr." in 1997 (my maternal gg grandfather).
Recently (2012) I became re-interested in beekeeping after a 24 year absence and have started all over again with two hives. Rejoined the Marion County Beekeepers Assn. and the West Virginia Beekeepers Assn. I added 1 more hive in the spring of 2013 (lost 1 hive over the winter2013/14 - probably due to Varoa mites).
Really enjoy hiking and have been a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for many years and have hiked +350 miles of the A.T. over the years. In process of hiking all the trails in WV State Parks near my qth. So far have completed all the trails in: Valley Falls, Tygart Lake, Cathedral, Audra, Watters Smith, Stonewall Jackson & Coopers Rock S.F. I've almost finished Canaan Valley S.P.and Blackwater Falls S.P.and just started Holly River S.P., Tomlinson Run S.P., Kumbrabow S. F. & Twin Falls S.P.
October 25, 2014