YES, I was in the US Navy and NO, "K1NVY" is not a vanity call sign because of my Navy service. I was issued KN1NVY at age 16 in Waterbury, Connecticut, March 14, 1960 long before I decided to go Navy. While on active duty ('67-'69), I was A-Division Officer USS Lexington (CVT-16) and MPA USS Belmont (AGTR-4).

My interest in Ham Radio led to a career in engineering with a BEE degree from Villanova University (W3YP), 1967 and MS (Physics) from the University of Washington (W7YD), 1987.  I dropped out of industry in 1975 to go to sea in the Merchant Marines as a ship's Radio Officer.  I sailed for 8 years (ROU '75-'83). After I quit shipping out, I attended the University of Washington for the MS and re-entered industry.  I dropped out again to teach math and physics at Cogswell College ('90-'98). I truly enjoyed teaching and wish I had gone directly into academia when I left Villanova. I retired in July '09.

I work 100% HF CW on the air daily working DX and rag chewing. Nothing is more pleasureable to me than a QRQ rag chew with a capable op who can accurately send and copy Morse using proper procedures and abbreviations.  Why some ops even bother with CW is, frankly, amazing. They just don't know how to operate and butcher the mode.

See pix's below for more stuff---73's, Fred.

I do chase DX always looking for new ones. Current score is 295.I doII am not a contester nor do I belong to any on-air or local radio clubs.I am not a contester nor do I belong to any on-air or local radio cl

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No mics, no frills at K1NVY. I've been sitting at this op desk 33 years. The IC-7800 is the primary rig with the TS-850SAT (LPPAN, EMU-0204, NaP3) for occasional use. The TS-850 drives the 4CX1000. The Fujitsu P1510D notebook boots up with QRZ.com and runs NaP3 for the TS-850. Special thanks to Paula/NX1P for her expert help with TS-850's interfacing to the PC. I recently acquired a high S/N Kenwood TS-940S and have yet to integrate it into the op desk. Not shown is the work bench with the usual assortment of computers and RF test gear; network analyzer, spectrum analyzer, RF vector voltmeters, scopes, generators and racks of other stuff.

TS-850 mod's: I added the SGC Audio Low Level DSP board and an analog op amp peaking audio filter (my design) after the CW mixer. I rewired the front panel so that the Proc, Play-2 and Play-3 push buttons enable the peaking filter, DSP and DSP filtering. This rig with these mods has the sharpest filtering and most effective NR I've ever heard and that includes the IC-7800. Sorry Icom but it's true, my TS-850S can isolate a signal better than your '7800. I can send anyone interested a Power Point slide or Visio drawing of these mods. The pix shows the '850 driving the 4CX1000 with NaP3 running on the display.

The TS-850S drives the 4CX1000 (10 watts in, KW+ out) into the all band CF Zepp. The amp on top is a single 3-500Z for the WARC bands. With the Johnson Thunderbolt plate transformer, this amp puts out some serious one jug power. I built this amp for a friend who used it in his 5th wheel. All controls and cabling had to be on the left side so it would fit in his 5th wheel. I acquired it after he quit RV'ing and optimized it for the WARC bands. I made the 4CX1000 for another friend who seldom used it so I bought it back and used it as my primary amp for several years.

Second shack located in TV room, IC-745, IC-AT500 auto tuner, 17M doublet remotely selected with a DowKey relay. I call this setup my "couch mobile". Widowed since 2001, I live alone with my 'boys' Stanley and Neal (Jack Russell terriers) so anything goes. My house is evolving into an 8 room shack.

My Kawasaki motorcycles. These bikes are N-O-T Harley's!!!! All "cruiser" bikes are N-O-T Harley's. You can't GIVE me a Harley and all you HD lovers out there know what I mean.

Yellow bike is 2001 Kawasaki Vulcan Classic with 104,200 miles (license plate "K1NVY") and the red bike is a 2002 Kawasaki Nomad with 46,000+ miles. I painted the Kawasaki Vulcan C3 Corvette bright yellow and did the Kawasaki Nomad in C4 Corvette Torch red, fun project. I used SprayMax urethane primer and base coat then laid the decals (Purpleiron.com's "Dream Catcher" feathers), finally coated with SprayMax rapid dry clear. I also have two Corvettes, '84 C4 and a '98 C5. You won't find me in a RV park with a bunch of retired, gray haired old folks bragging about their grandchildren, not me!

Me!! 2 el monoband quads (10, 15, 20), 3 el 20M Yagi, wires for 17, 30, 40, 80M plus an all band CF Zepp (95 ft long, up 90 ft, 450 Ohm ladder line into 4:1 balun thence RG-8 into shack). I find this antenna performs as well if not better than my resonant monoband wires which I have since disconnected and no longer use.

Where it started 52 years ago. Ham Radio has been the engine of my life. I live and breath this stuff. First receiver was a Heathkit Crystal Receiver (1958). Picked up a local AM station (WATR) one mile from my house, very exciting. Graduated into a Knightkit Ocean Hopper then a Hallicrafters S-38E (1959) with a Heathkit QF-1 Q-Multiplier both of which I still have. Novice xmtr was a Heathkit DX-40 adding the VF-1 VFO when I received the Conditional Class ticket (same day I got my driver's license). Next upgrade was the Heathkit Mohawk rcvr and Warrior amp. Added a W9TO HB keyer in 1962 and used it for 44 years with the original 12AU7's. As an engineering student at age 19, I bought a Hallicrafters SR-150 (1963) which has been sitting on the shelf for the past 35 years.

The 'boys', Stanley (7) and Neal (13).