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Amateur Radio

didit dah dididah

I've been a ham for half a century. I've blogged about it some. Ham-related posts here are labeled: ham radio, SSTV, QRP, VHF/UHF, and so on. But I tend to keep my profile at qrz.com more up to date than this blog.

Licensing History

I started off as a shortwave listener (SWL) in 1972 and learned Morse Code from W1QHG (my Quite Happy Grandfather). My first callsign, WN1RSY, was issued March 2, 1973, as a 2-year non-renewable Novice class. It expired, but I obtained a second novice license, WN1YXL, in July 1975 under new FCC rules. I operated as AK1YXL and AA1YXL during the nation's bicentennial celebration in 1976, then as WA1YXL. I passed the General class exam in the FCC offices at the Custom House in Boston in January 1980. When I became radio-active in Washington State, I wanted a 7-area call sign and got N7TNL (1991). After returning to New England in 2000, I obtained W1QHG to honor my grandfather, but in 2004 settled on N1AIA as a snappy CW callsign that better reflected my licensing era. (The N1A## block was introduced about 1978 and ended with N1ZZZ on December 29, 1997.) Though I never expected to make it to the top, I passed the Amateur Extra exam in January 2021 (thanks HamStudy, ARRL, and Port City ARC). Upon my return to Washington in 2024, I decided on N7ITU.

Operating Awards

Not to boast, but hey, wallpaper:
  • VUCC Satellite # 269 endorsed for 600 grids
  • DXCC # 24,756 endorsed for 150 entities
  • WAS # 34,079 (CW)
  • ARRL Centennial W1AW WAS (QRP)
  • AMSAT Friends of 50
  • WAC
  • RCC

Contesting

I enjoy contesting, but have never built a competitive station. By entering in rare classes, I have managed to earn a number of 1st place finishes, which are listed here. Presented separately are my scores for the New England QSO Party.

Year Contest Mode Category 1st In
2024 Washington Salmon Run CW QRP King County
2022 South Dakota QSO Party CW Single Op Fixed QRP Out of State
2021 New Hampshire QSO Party CW QRP In State (5th overall)
2021 Tennessee QSO Party CW QRP Out of State
2020 Pennsylvania QSO Party CW QRP Out of State
2020 Missouri QSO Party   QRP ME (3rd USA)
2020 Georgia QSO Party CW Single Op QRP W/VE
2020 South Dakota QSO Party CW Single Op QRP Out of State
2020 Indiana QSO Party
Single Op QRP ME
2020 Kansas QSO Party
QRP ME (2nd USA)
2020 Oklahoma QSO Party CW Single Op QRP
2020 Minnesota QSO Party
QRP W/VE
2019 CQ World Wide DX CW Single Op QRP 14 MHz USA
2019 Virginia QSO Party
QRP ME
2018 Minnesota QSO Party
Single Op QRP ME
2018 Virginia QSO Party

ME
2017 ARRL June VHF Contest
Single Op, 3-Band ME
2016 CQ World Wide VHF Contest
QRP W1 (8th US)
2016 ARRL International DX Contest CW QRP ME
2015 ARRL International DX Contest CW QRP ME
2014 ARRL International DX Contest SSB Single Op 10 Meter ME
2012 Illinois QSO Party

ME
2012 Missouri QSO Party

ME
2011 Georgia QSO Party CW
ME
2010 ARRL International DX Contest SSB Single Op 10 Meter ME (9th W/VE)
2010 ARRL International DX Contest CW QRP ME
2010 Minnesota QSO Party
Single Op QRP ME (7th W/VE)
2009 ARRL International DX Contest CW QRP ME
2009 Minnesota QSO Party
Single Op QRP ME (6th W/VE)
2008 ARRL November Sweepstakes CW QRP ME
2008 ARRL International DX Contest CW QRP ME
2007 ARRL 10 Meter Contest Mxd Low ME
2003 QRP-ARCI Spring QSO Party

ME
2002 WWDXC Salmon Run

ME
2001 WWDXC Salmon Run

ME
2001 ARRL Sweepstakes CW QRP ME
1993 CQ Worldwide Contest CW Low Power KH4
1993 59 Japan International DX Contest

KH4
1986 CQ WW WPX Contest CW Single Op All Band VO2
1985 ARRL 10-Meter Contest CW Single Op ME
1985 CQ WW VHF WPX Contest CW Single Op, Single Band, QRP ME
1985 IARU Radiosport CW
ME
1983 73 Forty Meter World Championship SSB Single Op ME

Related

NewEnglandQRP.org webmaster: 2006-2014

Page History

meta name="CreateDate" content="1998/12/18"
Last update: 2025/02/18

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