My Experience as an Amateur Radio Operator
After taking weekly beginner classes during the summer which were taught by K9GSC (now K9EN), I had just walked into the house with the envelope containing my newly issued FCC call. I sliced it open and, ...hmmm.... lots of dots and dashes to send when working Morse Code! But the waiting was over, the code was my friend, and I was excited and couldn't wait to get on the air. Licensed as WB9YXY in the fall of 1976 (at age fourteen), my amateur radio hobby - or should I say "obsession" - began.
Armed with my "CW-only" (code-only) Novice license, a gift of a new Yaesu FT301D purchased by my mom & dad, and a 40/80M dipole wire antenna strung from our TV tower, I was ready to make contacts around the world. My first QSO was at night on 40M with WB6EQG in California. After only a few months I upgraded to General class so I would be allowed microphone privileges and also be granted more operating frequencies. In early 1977 I began operating on 20M with my new license and it was at this time when I made my first "real" DX contact with F8TQ in France! Now I was really hooked, and a little over a year later a 70 foot tower was raised and a shiny, big, rotatable TH6DXX beam antenna crowned the top. As time went on, I really loved going to the mailbox each day to see if there were any QSL cards or any new countries to add to my collection. If there were any, it would inspire me even more to go to the rig and listen for DX. To think, I could make contact with someone as my signal would travel all the way around the world...at the speed of light......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. Wouldn't you know, on that particular day, a CE9 from the South Shetland Islands "just happened" to be on for his weekly schedule, and I "just happened" to be there! What a coincidence!!
After rather uneventful license upgrades to Advanced and Extra, over the next several years I continued to rack up my overall country count. Today with 349 countries confirmed, I have "worked them all". As time went on, I gradually migrated to the low frequency bands. I found their characteristics to be challenging and interesting, and challenging. (Did I mention the low bands were challenging?) Along the way, I've 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 198 countries and 34 zones confirmed on 160, and it is one of my favorite bands. There is nothing more exciting than hearing A45XR, FT5XO, or K7C as they crack your speaker with unbelievably loud signals. There is also nothing more exciting than hearing UA9NN or 'MC in the headsets as they rise above the noise level at their sunrise or sunset. Also, nothing beats hearing and working a new G, OE, or DL station that you haven't heard or logged on Top Band before. Sure, you've worked those countries before...not rare, but still fun. Especially in quantity like when the band is open and the northern Europeans get the propagation! Probably my most memorable and exciting QSO on 160 though 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 here 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 Jordan and also the United Arab Emirates 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 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 I was using 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 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 on CW. In January of 1997, I had a 'rebirth' and was issued the callsign W9XY.
After a very short break around 1999-2000 with intermittent operating time for getting married, building a house, raising a tower & antennas, etc, I am again very active on HF working as much DX as possible. Looking ahead, I hope to go back to Jordan and perhaps Egypt sometime. This time I'll be taking my XYL to introduce her to the close friends I have 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 as well. I'm very lucky that she agreed and is so supportive of it. Actually while we were dating, a small test came along. One night we were out late but I asked to cut it short. Not because things weren't going well, but because there was some rare low-band DX-pedition that was going to be on! (Can't remember what it was at this time.) Anyway, I had to get back home in time to listen for it, and also catch the European sunrise on 160! (True story!) Anyway, she survived that test and moved forward. As a challenge to see what all this radio stuff involved, she took classes and was awarded her VHF/10M license in 2004 as KC9FNH. I encourage her from time to time to upgrade so she can use the HF rig as well, but I haven't had much success yet. Maybe someday however.
Besides Jordan, most recent travel with operating capabilities has included the Dominican Republic (W9XY/HI7), Sweden (SM/W9XY), and Hungary (HA/W9XY). (See other web pages.) In the past, we have also visited Dublin Ireland, Edinburgh Scotland, Jamaica, and Playa del Carmen Mexico. As short side trips, you can also add visits to (London) England, (Vienna) Austria, and (Victoria, British Columbia) Canada to the list.
Currently my antenna system consists of a KT36XA (6 el tri-band 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 six-zero) words per minute.
Now, more than 30 years later, I still have the same feeling as I did when I first started this hobby. Contacting far away places without using wires is so amazing, exciting, and, challenging at times. When I first put my fingers to the key in the mid-70's, little did I think that this pastime would affect my life so much. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to make and meet so many friends all over the world. If your callsign does not appear in my logbook somewhere yet, I sincerely hope that one day it will.
73! Bob, W9XY