About Me

My adventure into Amateur Radio began when I was 16 years old. But first allow me to tell you how I first got my first introductions to two-way radios. I got my first feel of a two-way radio when I found a set of walkie-talkies in my grandfather’s bedroom closet when I was about 5 or 6 years old in my home town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Later on he had a CB radio installed in his car. As I grew older, I had an interest in electronics in middle school, and high school. Since I have been addicted to technology.

When I was 16 years old and living in Fall Creek, Wisconsin the pastor of the church that I was attending was an Amateur Radio operator and he had a lot of towers and radios on the property across the road from where I was living out in the country and he told me about the hobby and I was hooked.  Unfortunately I moved back to Eau Claire, and long and behold my new next door neighbor was also a ham, and he became my Elmer and I learned a lot more from him. He was great man. There was only one problem.. I could not learn Morse code for the life of me. About a year later the FCC came out with a new license which was called the Tech-no code. I started to study again, and I was doing very well. Unfortunately I never got the chance to take the exam.

A lot of things happened in my life when I turned 18, and I never got around to taking my test.  Including several years later when I was 36 years old I ended up injured on the job and with my back being the main source of my injury, and having surgery years went by and I could not do a lot of things that I have done in my past for hobbies, and it was very frustrating.

One day five years years later I was reading an article in a magazine and it was about an Amateur Radio operator, and that give me the itch to see what I can do to get into the hobby again.  I did my research and I started to study and a few months later I took my required test, and passed my Technician exam with only one wrong out of the 35 question test, and almost exactly two years later I upgraded to my General class license after experimenting with my Technician license and learning the protocols, and operating procedures.

Since I have been licensed, I enjoy operating contests, HF nets, Field Day, and making contacts throughout the bands, with 40, 20, 17, and 10 meters which are my favorites.

I feel privileged to be an Amateur Radio operator, and having the opportunity serving a community when I lived in Blair, Wisconsin with being a member of Wisconsin ARES/RACES and being assigned the Emergency Coordinator for Trempealeau and Jackson Counties

Thank you for coming to visit my website. I look forward to having a QSO with you on the bands someday soon.

73,

Chad, KD9AXO