My Story
(or how to bore some really fast!)
I could ask, where do I begin; well duh! The beginning! I was born in July, 1958 on Staten Island, New York. Growing up as an only child I found my avid love of sprts, playing third base and center field on both my little league and high school baseball teams, and cornerback and halfback on my high school football team. I am a huge fan of the New York Rangers hockey team; the clock above my computer is a Rangers clock, the mousepad a Rangers mousepad.
In November, 1974 while working in one of my high schools audio/visual offices I found a radio with the marking "shortwave" on it. I knew shortwave could travel immense distances; not knowing what was about to occur, I turned the radio on and started tuning the dial. I heard Russian broadcasts, German....and then I tuned into the CBC from Montreal; the noon news ended and I heard the weather report for across Canada. I was HOOKED! I listened to the next program "Northern Messenger" with a very eager interest. And, I knew what I wanted for Christmas; a shortwave radio. Nothing else.
Long story short. I received a Radio Shack Patrolman 10; I spent countless hours all night on the weekends tuning exotic places on the dial; the Phillipines, Belgium, Brazil and so many more countries. The world was literally mine to listen to, and I did. Thanks to that gift, I was able to study Russia and China in depth in school and get excellent grades. All because of a 16 year old kid falling in love with radio, a passion that still exsists in me and always will.
In 1979 I received my novice class "ham radio" license (you see a pattern emerging here?!). Not only was I able to hear foriegn countries, I could now talk to people in them! My first contact into Japan I will never forget; I made it as I was to leave for work; I was late and had a good reason (my boss was also a ham, so he truly understood). Now, I have a state of the art computer system, I make contacts via radio using digital modes, PSK31, and radio teletype (RTTY). I will be happy to answer any question as to ham radio or short wave radio listening you may have.
My best friend is a little white haired West Highland terrier named "Scooter" and lovingly called "Scooty". How good a friend is he? How many other dogs have a radio station named for them?! Read all about his station by clicking the Radio Scooter International link on my home page.
Now, if you are still awake..that's good!