Station History for KB4RAC/W4GFQ
KB4RAC - Puerto Rick (KP4)
I began working toward my ham license while stationed with the Navy in Puerto Rico in mid/late 1985. On the base where I lived/worked was a Chief (Fred Bourne, NP4IG) who was a Ham and a Ham Shack (KP4USN) available for use. Since my rating in the Navy was related to communications most of the written challenge for Novice was in learning the rules. The really hard part for me was learning Morse Code. Even at 5 WPM - it seemed a daunting task. So I studied the tapes as best I could. In November we came to the sudden realization that the Chief was soon transferring. So in a frenzied rush I got to where I thought I was OK and he presented me with the Novice exam - including the code.Realize that this was the "old style" wherein any ham could administer the standard test to anyone. Then the results (presuming you passed) were submitted to the FCC. Well I passed the exam and in the Spring of 1986 I received my license and call sign KB4RAC (no rapid licensing back then!). I realized later that if I had not used my FPO address but instead used the PR mailing address, I would have received a KP4 call sign.
Well now I was official. So I ventured up into the ham shack on base and nervously attempted my first contact - in CW. However, I cheated. In the shack was a PK64 TNC that had the CW mode in it. Since my privileges were pretty limited at the time, I decided to use the CW mode and get on the air using this equipment.
A Shack of my Own
I continued working in the base shack until July where I set up my own station in my home. A Kenwood TS-520 feeding a dipole that was (if it was lucky) 12 feet in the air. By early 1987 I had my own PK64 in service and had a full fledged station running.Technician Class
By this time I pretty much had the bug well in hand. So in September I attended the PR ARC convention and passed my Technician license. This lead to voice privileges and an expanded band access.Back to the States
In November of 1987 we left Puerto Rico and my ham activities continued in Pensacola. First using the base ham shack and then (after Christmas) at my apartment off-base. That was a pretty small affair - I used a coffee table on one side of the living room.In February we moved to my ultimate station in Homestead, FL and of course we had to set up a ham shack in one corner of the house. Same basic concept as in Puerto Rico - TS-520 feeding a dipole in the backyard with a height of about 15-20 feet or so. Pretty basic.
At that time VHF Packet was pretty big and I needed a better signal so in April I purchased a 4 element VHF Beam and 37 foot push up mast to get a signal out to the various PBBS's operating in the area.
While my TS-520 was working for me - I coveted a new and fancy (read a bit more modern) transceiver. So I bought a Kenwood TS-440 and matching power supply and I loved it!
On the Road Again
In the best tradition of the service, 3 years later saw me moving yet again. This time up north to Maryland. Waldorf, just out side the DC beltway area, to be exact. Once again I set up a station but this time I had an entire closed in garage to work with. Still not much more than a backyard to string a dipole in but I managed.In 1995 I accepted an early retirement and we moved to a more permanent home (we were renting the prior residence). Again I had a garage to work with but this time a fairly extensive tree collection behind me. At this QTH I experimented with using an HF multiband vertical and ended up (in 2003) with a 40' tower and a pretty decent VHF station.
Since I had passed my novice code exam I had credit for 5 WPM code speed. When they reduced the General class license requirement from 12 WPM to 5 - I jumped at the opportunity and obtained my General class license. A bit later I tested and earned my Extra class license - again without having to code test. While not the best of solutions for using Morse - it surely made it easier to advance up the line.
In 2001 I requested, and was granted, my current call sign of W4GFQ.
Last Move (I think)
In 2004 I was offered the chance to move back to the area I was born and accepted. So once again we packed up the house (first time on our own) and moved back south. My new residence is just outside Green Cove Springs (where I was born quite a few years ago) and resides on over 2 acres of land. About half of this lot is nothing but woods. Antenna structures galore!I set up my shack and worked HF until late 2006. Then I ended up taking about eight years off for other things. I returned to the hobby in early 2014 and have been working on reestablishing my capabilities. At this point I have my station up on HF consistently, have an ability to be on VHF digital (but not much there these days) and have just put up a 6 meter beam for the Sporadic E season and six meter DXing.
