Anyone on here a HAM?

[Power Hungry]

In May of 2023, I got my first amateur radio license, something I actually been wanting to do for many years. It was the Technician Class license and I was assigned the call sign KQ4ITN.

I had put it off for a long time, and the only reason I even got my butt in gear and took my FCC test was because I had picked up a portable radio that not only operated on FRS frequencies, but also operated on the 2m and 70cm frequencies as well. I figured that I might as well take the test and see what it's all about.

Armed with my little Baofeng F8-HP, a 25W amplifier, and a pretty decent antenna, I was able to hit a few local repeaters and make some contacts. Talk about exciting! I very quickly upgraded my handheld to a Yaesu FT-65 and installed a Comet GP-9 on my house, and I was able to really reach out. Of course, bigger is better, so I then bought the Yaesu FT-991A station and started setting up my official "Radio Shack" in my office.

This situation lasted about 3 months when I decided that I really wanted to give the HF world a try. At the end of August, I submitted my paperwork to change my call sign and then took my General and my Amateur Extra class tests. Passed them both the first time, with my Extra passing grade at 100%! Yes, I do like math.

Here we are now, nearly a year later, and I've made contacts all over the world, covered all 50 states, and have even built some of my own equipment. This has been an absolutely fascinating hobby and I'm really kind of kicking myself that I didn't do this much sooner. All those years wasted, but it's all good. I'm doing it now and having a blast!

If anyone cares to reach out to me, my call sign is WD4AMC and you can check my QRZ page here: https://www.qrz.com/db/WD4AMC

I look forward to seeing you on the air!

God bless and 73.