MY NAME IS PETE AND I HAVE BEEN LICENCED SINCE 1964. I LISTENED TO JEAN SHEPHERD, K2ORS, ON WOR RADIO AND I TOO WANTED TO BECOME A COMMUNICATOR. I HEARD HIM CALL K2USA, THE WORLDS FAIR STATION AT THE COCA-COLA PAVILLON SAW THEIR COLLINS EQUIPMENT AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THE AMATEUR SERVICE EVER SINCE. I CONVINCED MY PARENTS TO LET ME ERECT A 10' ROHN TOP SECTION ON THE ROOF OF THEIR NEW HOUSE TO OPERATE 6 & 2 METERS. I HAD STACKED MY CUSHCRAFT BEAMS ON THE ROHN, WENT TO RADIO ROW AND BOUGHT A HAMMARLUND 110A VHF RECEIVER AND A HEATHKIT SENECA WITH THOSE WILD 6146B'S!
I WAS ACTIVE UNTIL 1974 WHEN ANOTHER HOBBY, CARS, SPECIFICALLY PORSCHE CARS INFECTED ME. I HAD NO PLANS TO MARRY SO MY DAD GAVE ME THE MONEY I HAD CONTRIBUTED TO HIS HOUSE AND PURCHASED A 1974, 2.0 LITRE 914, IT WAS A TERRIFIC CAR A FUN DAILY DRIVER AND A SOLID AUTOCROSS AND RALLY CAR. IT WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO B E MY DATING MACHINE, ONE DATE, ONE LOVE AND WITHIN A YEAR I NEEDED MONEY TO GET MARRIED. I BORROWED FROM MY WIFE TO BE, SHE HAD A LEGENDS LIME 1968 MUSTANG, ANOTHER NICE CAR AND THE 914 WAS SOLD. I GOT BACK INTO AMATEUR RADIO IN 1995, AND WENT FROM TECHNICIAN TO EXTRA WITH THANKS TO PHIL LEWIS, N2MUN, AND THE GSBARC CLUB. I OPERATE CW, SSB, RTTY ALL BANDS 160 THROUGH 2 METERS AND 70 CM FM VOICE AND PACKET. I JOINED AMSAT, READ ALL ABOUT THE OSCAR PROGRAM, WHICH IN 1964 SEEMED LIKE ANOTHER LANGUAGE AND UNAPPROACHABLE. WELL AMSAT HAS A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO GET STARTED WITH SATELLITES, WHICH I DID. I STARTED WITH MY HANDHELD AND AN ARROW ANTENNA, TRY IT, YOU WILL LIKE IT! THE NEXT PAGE IS MY SAT START
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