Amateur radio (or ham radio) is a big part of my life. It has led me to get a degree in a technical field and to broaden my horizons by understand other cultures and people. Ham radio has allowed me to talk to people in forty-seven states (forty-four for WAS since moving) and one hundred and two countries (eighty-five confirmed).

I have been on the air since 1997 and have transitioned from line-of-sight VHF and UHF communications to over-the-horizon HF work and satellite communications. I'm active on 160m through 70cm and 23cm from the FM17 area. If you need this grid (or any nearby grid) please feel free to contact me for a schedule.

I also served as a Petty Officer in the US Navy - Reserve. I have operated from NAM and NAR during my time with the Navy.

My beautiful wife Amanda, KI4IWS, and I love to go adventuring and usually find a way to take amateur radio along with us on our journeys. Maybe we'll make contact during one of our expeditions!

My current operating habits are those of NTS traffic handler for the Virginia section of the ARRL. I serve as a liaison between Virginia and the Fourth Region Net (4RN) Second Cycle and enjoy handling formal, written traffic "into, out of, and throughout the Fourth Region".

I have earned the following awards:

On-The-Air Awards

• The International Amateur Radio Union's Worked All Continents Award - RTTY
• AMSAT Satellite Communicators' Club
• AMSAT OSCAR Satellite Communications Achievement Award
• South African AMSAT Satellite Communication Achievement Award

Service Awards

• NOAA NWS Distinguished Service Certificate
• AMSAT 2007 Presidential Achievement Award
• AMSAT 2006 Presidential Achievement Award
• Project OSCAR Special Certificate of Recognition

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Clubs and Activities I Support

As with any hobby, ham radio has many different programs in which you can be involved in. Below are some of the clubs and organizations that I support:

• Wakefield SKYWARN - Net Control (Area 6)
• Carolina Helping Hams
  I've been working with the CHH for many years, now. It is great fun but a lot of work, too. The CHH helps out charity events with their communications needs.
• Navy-Marine Corps MARS - Member, Region, Area, and National Level Staff
• American Radio Relay League (ARRL) - Member
  The ARRL is the national membership association for Amateur Radio operators. I have been a member of the ARRL for nearly ten years and am an ARRL/VEC Volunteer Examiner. I am also a traffic handler with the National Traffic System.
• Roanoke Amateur Radio Society - Member
• Columbia Emergency Repeater Association - Member
• Coastal Carolina Emergency Net - Member
• National Communications System - National Shared Resources HF Radio Program

Former Duties

• Newport District SKYWARN - Assistant Emergency Coordinator - Technical Officer
  The Newport District SKYWARN is charged with collecting real-time weather during severe weather events in and around the Eastern North Carolina area. I serve as an Assistant Emergency Coordinator and Chief Technical Officer within the organization.
• Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) - Emergency Coordinator for Washington County, NC
  ARES in North Carolina supports Emergency Management and Civil Defense offices with communications.
• AMSAT - President Club Member / Area Coordinator - Southeast Virginia
  The Amateur Radio Satellite Corporation is charged with being a leader in the Amateur Satellite community. Worldwide this group has been involved in over fifty satellite launches.
• Project OSCAR - Member
  Project OSCAR is the original amateur satellite organization and fostered amateur radio into space by launching OSCAR I, II, and III. PO has recently designed and built the 70cm receiver that will fly on the AMSAT Eagle project.

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Web Development

I also work with non-profit amateur radio groups to assist them with their websites. This is important for smaller groups that may not have the resources needed to keep all their members informed of club activities. Some are more involved while others are quite simple. I support the following organizations through website support:

• Newport District SKYWARN
• Pitt County Repeater Association