Friday, January 06, 2012

It's official, I'm a Ham. (I now have proof)

...and now I have the papers to prove it.

As I've written before in this space, I started on this project back in 1986 when we lived in Aylmer Ontario and I headed off to a local Amateur Radio club to see if I could find some new friends, and maybe even get my own license.

A local guy, older, crusty, smoked like a chimney, High School math teacher, took me under his wing and helped me get set up with at least a receiver and an 80 meter dipole antenna, so I could start listening. And listen I did. early in the morning before I left for work, and often in the late evenings, I would crank up the old radio and catch the ONTARS checkins on 3755.

I still have that old Heathkit HW-12 radio and I'm still using the dipole he got me started on. But life, work, family, all took up so much of my time that I just set it aside for a while.

"A while" turned into 25 years, and last year, spurred on my a few ham friends in this church here, I set aside vacation time to focus on the study and preparations for the exam. A 100 question test, drawn from 1000 possible questions, I set myself to learn electrical theory and practical radio practices.

On December 5th I wrote the exam and passed with a 97%, probably the highest I've ever scored on any exam in my life. I passed with Honours.

What with all the Christmas mail in the system, it took a while to receive my papers from Industry Canada, and every day I'd be the first to the mailbox to check if my license had arrived. Well, it finally did arrive, and is proudly posted in my room.



I have been awarded call sign VE6VOR, which is a good call sign because it's easy to say, and to repeat and has a nice mix of consonants and vowels. :)

Victor Echo Six, Victor Oscar Romeo is already on the air operating locally on 2 meters, but my next ambitious undertaking is to get on the HF bands, -Shortwave. So I am gathering supplies as time and mostly money allow. Antenna wire, transmission cables, and of course a radio. The local guys are helpful and willing to lend me a radio for the time being, once I get an antenna up in the air.


So maybe all that just to say that even after 25 years dreams still can come true. A bit of work and effort if you want it enough, and there you go, something new can happen.

What are your dreams?



73, (Amateur Radio code for Best Regards,)
From the field.





3 comments:

  1. Well congratulations. All you need now is a little mustard.

    ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congrats!
    I hope you enjoy it all more then you expect.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations! Honours, no less. I'm impressed. Well done.

    ReplyDelete



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