After taking weekly classes taught by K9GSC, (now K9EN) I ran to the house with the envelope that contained my newly issued FCC call.  Hmmm....WB9YXY...lots of dots and dashes to send when working Morse Code, but the waiting was over and I couldn't wait to get on the air!  It was the fall of 1976 and my amateur radio career began.

At age 14, I was now armed with my "CW only" Novice license, a new Yaesu FT301D purchased by my mom & dad, and a 40/80M dipole strung from our 35 foot TV tower.  I was ready to make contacts around the world and my first QSO was with WB6EQG in California. After only a few months I upgraded to General class, and in early 1977 I began operating on 20M. It was at this time when I made my first "real" DX contact with F8TQ in France.  I was hooked!! A little over a year later, a 70 foot tower was raised and a shiny TH6DXX crowned the top.  I really loved going to the mailbox each day to see if there were any new QSL cards to add to my collection.   If there were any, it would inspire me to go to the rig and look for even more DX.  It was so exciting to make contact with someone all the way around the world...without wires!!

Splitting time between CW & SSB, I enjoyed climbing the DXCC ladder. Only once did I come down with the infamous "DX Flu" which kept me from going to school. That day, a CE9 from the South Shetland Islands "just happened" to be on 20M for his weekly schedule, and I..."just happened" to be home sick! Today with 346 countries confirmed, I've "worked them all". Along the way, I also acquired 5BDXCC & 5BWAZ, needing only two more zones on 80M to complete 5BWAZ.  As interest grew in low band operating, I began chasing countries on 160M and eventually earned DXCC on Top Band as well. Presently I have 178 countries and 31 zones confirmed on 160. Probably the most exciting QSO on that band was with VK0SJ on Macquarie Island, in the days before DX Cluster spotting! Sojo was calling CQ and practically begging for contacts as the sun was rising that morning!

As the Middle East is one of the parts of the world that I enjoy communicating with the most, it was through the Arabian Knights Net that I met and became good friends with Salah, N4HCW. He was originally from Jordan but was studying engineering in Atlanta. Occasionally Salah would return to Amman to visit his family and get on the air as JY5SK. Through Salah, I had the opportunity to visit London, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan in 1986. That year, I traveled back with Salah and with his help, obtained a license via the RJRAS. Almost immediately after being granted operating permission I was on the air as JY8XY. (Even though we tried, unfortunately an A61 license was not granted from the UAE on that trip). Since then I have been fortunate enough to go back to Jordan in '95, '96, and 1997. These were all personal trips with the primary interest of visiting my 'second family' and close friends over there. Of course, there was always a little time to operate the radio though too! After handing out so many JY contacts, I eventually received QSL cards from well over 100 countries and qualified for a DXCC award from there as well.

Probably my most memorable contact ever was with King Hussein, JY1 in 1989. I had just finished Christmas eve dinner with my family and I decided to check out the band conditions. I was so excited when I heard the familiar low deep voice of His Majesty, and I started shaking when he came back to my call...WHAT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT!! The King was a little surprised when I spoke a few words of Arabic! He recognized the dialect and was curious as to how I had learned it! : )

In late 1996 when the FCC decided to implement the vanity callsign system, I decided to give up my original call and apply for a new 1X2. I actually didn't apply right away when the gates were opened as my old call was sentimental to me and so many radio friends had come to know me by it through the years. After a telephone conversation with Ken, K4ZW (ex KE9A) in Virginia however, he convinced me to go for it. (Thanks Ken!!)  My only choice on the application was to be one that was still related to my old identity, yet shorter and easier to convey, especially on CW. In January of 1997, I had a 'rebirth' and was issued the callsign W9XY.

After getting married, building a house, raising a tower & antennas, etc, I'm again very active on HF working as much DX as possible. My XYL and I enjoy travel and have been to the Mexican Riviera, the Dominican Republic, Ireland, Scotland, and Jamaica.  In October of 2005 I took an IC706MKIIG, Buddipole antenna, and Paddlette key to Punta Cana, D.R. and made about 350 QSO's as W9XY/HI7 when I wasn't lounging around the pool or beach.  I would have made more contacts, but unfortunately the antenna developed some problem and the SWR was unmanageable.

Looking ahead, I hope to go back to Jordan and perhaps Egypt within the next year or two. This time I'll be taking my XYL to introduce her to the close friends I've come to know in that part of the world. In addition, I'd like to keep the guys at the incoming QSL bureau busy with JY8 cards again too!

Speaking of my wife, before we were married I told her that if she accepted me she would have to accept (translate: put up with) my hobby.   I cut a date short once because I knew I could catch the European sunrise opening on 160 if I got home in time.  I knew she was "the one" when she gave me a strange look but didn't complain!  I’m very lucky that she is so supportive of my hobby as well.  In fact, something must have rubbed off on her as she got her Technician license in 2004 and was issued the call KC9FNH.

My antenna system consists of a KT36XA (6 el triband yagi) at 83 feet (25M), with a Cushcraft 2el 40M yagi above it at 95 feet (29M). For 80 & 160 I currently use inverted vees. Though I enjoy working both CW and SSB, I've been clocked at copying high speed code in my head at speeds of nearly 60 (yes, that is sixty) words per minute.

Now, more than 25 years later, I still have the same feeling as I did when I first started in this hobby. Contacting far away places by wireless is still so amazing, exciting, and, challenging at times. When I first put my fingers to the key, little did I think that this pastime would affect my life so much. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to make so many friends all over the world. If your callsign does not appear in my logbook yet, I sincerely hope that one day it will!

73! Bob, W9XY

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