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 While my FCC registration shows my name as "Claude", I've been called John since I was born. I've been a ham operator since 2010. I got into radios as a teen, though, with the Civil Air Patrol. I was an HF net control for about a year and always worked comm during sarex's.

 In early September of 2012 I began my first antenna project. On September 24th, 2012, I completed it. The 4 element "Hentenna" for 2m was a perfect 1:1 at the designed frequency of 146.00 on the first attempt. I also built a simple 2m dipole during that project for testing and comparison, which was also successful. After that project, I began work on HF antennas. You can see my projects, both in progress and completed, on my website at www.qsl.net/kf5fgf/projects.html. I try to keep it updated as time allows.

 

 As I only recently upgraded to General, my HF experience is limited. I currently run an Icom IC-745 and a Kenwood TS-530s with homebrewed 20m and 160m dipoles. I made my very first HF contact on 10m to Seaside, California, on October 5th, 2012. I take great pride and pleasure from building my own equipment. Eventually I hope to build my own radio. That will be my ultimate conquest. A homebrew rig, a homebrew antenna. Perhaps even a homebrew power source of some sort. To talk to the world with something built by my own two hands IS the very core of HAM radio to me (that isn't to say I don't enjoy playing with all the new tech or that I don't very much appreciate it).

73,

John, KF5FGF