Male

I live on Taconic Lake 1,650 ft. above sea level in rural Grafton, New York on the Rensselaer Plateau adjacent to the Taconic Mountains. I'm primarily interested in QRP and CW. I plan to stick to wire antennas for the challenge they present and the lake aesthetics.

I was first licensed at the age of 16 in 1966. I still vividly remember taking the 13 WPM test from an FCC examiner at the Schenectady, NY post office. My equipment was an Eico 720 transmitter, a Hallicrafters SX-16 Super Skyrider receiver and a 40-m dipole strung between two old well pipes. I used one of those high tech ceramic DPDT porcelain ceramic knife antenna switches. College diverted my attention and then I got buried in my work for 40 years and had no contact with amateur radio. However, I'm the Library Director at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the President of the student amateur radio club asked to put an exhibit on ham radio in the library lobby. That whetted my appetite. I even loaned my old Vibroplex bug for the exhibit. I then spent a couple of months studying for and passing the Techncian, General and Extra class exams. My original license (WB2VUB) was available, but I applied for the vanity call W2TAC ("TAC" for "Taconic Lake" -- the lake I live on, adjacent to the Taconic Mountains). I'm still adjusting to the new-fangled call signs versus the system in place years ago.

Visit my blog:
http://rensselaerplateaulife.blogspot.com

My post office is Petersburgh, NY, but I live in the Town of Grafton, NY.

Memberships: ARRL, FISTS (#15732), QRP-ARCI (#14782), NAQCC (#6051)

WN2VUB - Novice at age of 16 in spring of 1966.

WB2VUB - Obtained at the age of 16 in the fall of 1966. Used 1966-1968 and only briefly in 1974.

KD2BLX - Issued in January, 2012 after passing the Technician & General exams on the same day. I never used this call sign.

W2TAC - Applied for, and issued, after passing the Extra exam in February 2012. "TAC" ties into "Taconic Lake" the lake I live on adjacent to the Taconic Mountains.

Bob

-5

N 42 ° 44 ' 1 '' ( 42.734 ° )

W 73 ° 24 ' 53 '' ( -73.415 ° )

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