We arelocated in the Lower Rio Grande Valley near the south tip of Texas. We're close to the Gulf of Mexico not far from the border and Brownsville. Our station is in a corner of our Great Room and the primary equipment is an Elecraft K3 with a P3 and a Tokyo Hi-Power 2.5 kfx amp. We use an IC7000 as a backup rig. We use diversity receive on the K3.

The main antennas are a 565' loop at 60' and a top loaded 82' vertical, Minooka Special style.

82' Top loaded vertical

My XYL has an IC706 and homebrewed antennas on her Chevy Equinox. I have an FT-857 and Flying Saucer antennas on my old Grand Marquis.

A secondary station with a TS850s and a TenTec Hercules amp is in a seperate building near the antenna test stand.

I have held W9UCW since 1954 when I was in 8th grade in Joliet, Illinois. I have always favored 160, 80, & 40 meters, in that order.

My wife is Joyce, WB9NUL. She is a county hunter and president of The Mobile Amateur Radio Awards Club. She has operated a number of contests and she is a world class needle arts person.

We answer QSL's any way the get to us but expect SASE's for direct cards.

What follows is small sample of past station setups, and memorable people, places & activities. I made 20 trips to Central & South America and enjoyed Ham Radio with friends on every trip. I've been a casual DXer on 160 meters for 58 years. I do a lot of antenna measurements and experiments and give many antenna programs at clubs and conventions, as well as colleges as an invited speaker.

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Aki, JA5DQH and his friend Tom visited us at our home in Illinois in the mid 80's.

A large group of us drove over to Ohio to visit with W8GDQ, W8ANO and others in the area. Stew, W1BB came from Boston to join the fun.

Andy Devine, WB6RER was working in a stage play in Joliet in the 70's.

We set up a rig in a motor home behind the theater and he joined us for

several hours, operating on the local repeaters and spinning tales.

Herman, HK1QQ put the four of us on a cargo plane for a free ride back           First 160 Meter Reunion, Minooka, Illinois, 1968.

to Miami. Johnny, WB9AOX, His young son, My daughter Jane and I

enjoyed that adventure.

I have always enjoyed building gear. I have built receivers, transmitters, amplifiers, transverters, about 50 antenna tuners, repeaters, diplexers,lots of antennas and other assorted gear. I also enjoy woodworking and have built a lot of furniature hundreds of small items.

I'm very prowd of having won two cover plaque awards for QST articles.

I hosted the 160 meter Hospitality Suite at Stoufer's for several years during Dayton Hamventions.

Victor, who had helped with our first contest setup on San Andres,                    Stew was a long time close acquaintance. I built a receiving

flew back to the states with me a few years later to attent to some                                antenna for use with his station at the water tower in

business and go to the Tropical Jamboree.Winthrop, Mass.