I was born and raised in Southern New Jersey, but I got here (Liberty, NC) as fast as I could! :-)

 My interest in radio began at a very early age.  I played around with an “electronics kit” that allowed me to build many circuits (including three different radios) and learn how it all worked.  I discovered shortwave radio with a Zenith Model 8A02 purchased by my grandparents in 1942.  I still have it today!

 My first exposure to ham radio was when I heard hams running AM on 75 meters.  Of course, I didn’t know at the time what it was all about, but I was very intrigued.  I later learned about ham radio from the World Book Encyclopedia.  Eventually, I met a local ham who introduced me to the South Jersey Radio Association.  The club held classes for those interested in studying for their Novice ticket.  I soon obtained my first ham ticket at age 14.  My original call was KA2FFS.  Eventually, I worked my way thru the ranks to Amateur Extra Class. 

When I moved to North Carolina, I obtained the vanity call K4QE. Ham radio has been my primary hobby since 1979, and I credit it for my profession and for the many life-long friendships I have made.  I can’t imagine my life without it.

I am a Principal Systems Administrator at the SAS Institute in Cary, NC where I plan, build, and maintain large scale analytics compute platforms running on Linux and Windows.