W7ZR BIOGRAPHY

FORMER CALLS

                                    CN2ZR            J68ZR            K2JSP

                                    KH2/W7ZR      KC6ZR           KH6/W7ZR

                                    K9ZIJ              PJ4/W7ZR     V31ZR

                                     VK4AAZ          W6SBZ                 W7KXR

                                     W9KNF           WØKDF         WØMQU

                                    XE2DV            5C5Z

The Hobby
I started in the hobby by getting my novice license in 1954 in Hillsdale, New Jersey. My old high school buddy Phil K2EPD mentored me and sat me in front of the old crank up Instructograph to polish up the code speed to a whopping 5 wpm for the test. 

Years before I had been playing with radios by taking them apart and most of the time getting them back together. We had lots of parts to play with because I had uncles who worked in electronics and I got a lot of junk parts. 

After being licensed as a novice came the trip to New York City and the ominous FCC office to take the general class test. Of course in those days it was code (send and receive) and the written. Sweaty palms and all I passed. 

My first station was the Heathkit AT-1 and Hallicrafters S-38C. The Heathkit I think was $29.95, got 12 watts out of a 6L6. The Hallicrafters was $49.95 and I went into hock on promises to my mother in order to obtain that brand new. 

All of us from that era have stories of being on the air. I have pages and pages of log book entries of just calling CQ with no takers. Of course my 80/40 dipole was only 6 feet off the ground so I could change the jumper to band change. Of course we were crystal controlled then too. We learned how to alter the crystals to get on a new frequency when there was interference. I would get up at 4 am before school to work 80 meters and the illusive W6s. 


Contesting
The same year I obtained my license (1954) I did my first contest. The Novice Roundup. Pounding away with a straight key and my great line-up of equipment including a receiver that could listen to the whole band without turning the bandspread was so much fun that this became the major focus for me in the hobby.

Squeezing in contests between work schedules that were heavy with travel was tough.

In 1980 along with Jim W7EJ we took a trip to the Pacific and operated from Hawaii, Guam, Yap, Truk, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. We operated CQWW SSB from Truk and held a record for the Pacific for a few years.

In retirement now since 1991 I have been much more active in contesting.

Work
My working life was very eclectic. I have worked for the biggies like IBM and I have worked for myself. Some of the things I have done are:

Computer Sales, programmer, and instructor. Restaurant Industry for 23 years as both an owner operator of a franchise restaurant and then with the parent companies. At one point I was VP for International Operations and responsible for all operations outside the Continental U.S.. During that time I lived in Australia for a short time. I owned and operated a dude ranch in Colorado. Was a charter pilot. Owned a small chain of Radio Shack stores. Worked as the MIS director for a computer distributor.

Life was never boring. Even now in retirement I wonder how I ever had time to work.