I upload my QSL’s after every radio session to eQSL.cc, LoTW, HRDLOG.net and QRZ.com. Don’t you wish everyone else did??

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I’m located on the Hudson River right next to West Point Military Academy, about 60 miles ( 96.6km) north of the World Trade Center in New York City.
I’m an Electrical Engineer in New York City specializing in underground communications and networks. My primary client is the NY MTA.

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Currently I’m Running:

(3/24/2020) New shack equipment:
EXPERT ELECTRONIC MB1 (All I have to say is WOW!!)
KENWOOD TS-590SG
TEN TEC EAGLE 599AT
ELECRAFT XV144 Transverter
ELECRAFT XV222 Tranverter
ELECRAFT KPA1500 Solid State Amplifier
HEATHKIT SB-220 Amplifier (Completely Restored with new wires and components)
Palstar A2K Tuner
Zero-Five 43 Foot 10-160 Meter Multiband Vertical Antenna
204′ Double G5RV by True-Talk
Arrow OSJ 146/440 for VHF / UHF
Arrow OSJ 220 for 220MHz

My CW Keys are:
Begali Stradivarius Iambic
Begali 60th Anniversary Iambic
Begali Pearl Stainless Steel Limited Edition – “Eclipse 2016”
Vibroplex Vibrokeyer Deluxe

Mobile OP’s in my F150:
ICOM IC-7000
Larsen NMO-150
Larsen NMO-2/70

Portable OP’s:
Kenwood TH-D74 (An incredible HT! Worth the high price!)
Baofeng UV-82 (8 Watts)
Wouxon KG-UVD1P

Radios I currently have for sale:

ELECRAFT XV144 Transverter
ELECRAFT XV222 Tranverter
HEATHKIT SB-220 Amplifier (Completely Restored with new wires and components)
PALSTAR A2K Tuner
Baofeng UV-82 (8 Watts) – Never used
Wouxon KG-UVD1P- Never used with lots of accessories

Everything Barefoot!
(Well, I used to….I have a KPA1500 and a SB-220 now!!)
I have no tower or yagi’s!!! 
Digital Modes never exceed 10 Watts…….
Now it’s a challange!!

Besides, my wife won’t let me have a tower with some big ol antenna…..

Now some folks have asked why I don’t have a picture of myself on this page….

Well just remember… you asked for it!!

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A little information about me……

I was first introduced to radio when I was just about 7 years old. This was back in the early seventies (ok, 1970) and my parents bought me a CB radio.
It was a Midland 13-864, 23 channel base and I loved it!!
(I am trying to locate one in mint condition. If you know of one please contact me)

I always wanted to become an amateur radio operator but there were no elmers in my neighborhood. I enjoyed being a CB’er into my early teens and then I discovered sports and …….GIRLS!!!

So much for the CB…..

Well, I didn’t get back into radio until my college years while studying to be an engineer. I wouldn’t call it radio per se but electromagnetic theory and wave propagation put me back on the path. I eventually graduated and became an engineer, well, sort of, I needed to live a bit first and do some very wild and crazy things young men like to do, so…….. I joined the army and went to OCS. Six years of that and I was ready to settle down in my career as an engineer.

Well, sort of….. I ended up working as a mechanical engineer. Control systems and aero and fluidic dynamics…… Yep, real exciting stuff…..not!

Moving on…… I finally started doing electrical engineering around Y2K and found my passion….communications; data, network and of course….. Radio!

I learned about underground communications specifically……I was doing and am still doing underground communications work for New York City Transit……Yep…. The NYC subways…..and I love it! Underground radio is a whole new animal especially with the structures, tunnels and propagation delays between “Off-the-Air” signals and the below ground signals. There are some very unique challenges that need to be overcome and some very creative engineering to make it all work.

In 2011 I accepted a contract to be a direct consultant for the Department of Subways, Communications Systems and Engineering department for NYCT. This was a very unique opportunity for me to work with the folks who were my clients for so many years. I knew many of them for years but they were always on the opposite side of the table from me. Now we were on the same side for the first time……… and it was a huge learning experience for me.

After I started there, two of the engineers asked me what my call was and being the sarcastic person I am (yes, it’s true)  I replied “They call me Mr. Schaller!” It was a good laugh for a moment and then they asked me again, what’s your callsign? I told them I didn’t have one and they were shocked. “You mean you’re an Electrical Engineer and you do underground radio and you don’t have an amateur license?!?” Well! They were not going to have that……”You’re getting your ticket and no argument!”

Sure, why not. I always wanted to so why not now. The best part was they tried to Elmer me….. For the technician license. Way too funny!

I grabbed a couple of books online, put them on my iPad and studied for two weeks during my train ride to and from work every day.

I walked in off the street to my local clubs field day exam session and took the Technician exam…. Aced it……then I took the General Exam…… Aced that one too….. The VE’s looked at me and asked if I wanted to go for the Triple Crown and take the Extra Class test…. Sure, why not….I passed but missed acing it by two questions and I knew it…. I transposed one of the circuits….. Oh well, dumb mistake……. But I was an amateur radio operator now!

All the VE’s wanted to shake my hand and congratulate me; I was the second person in the history of their club ever to do that. Way Too Cool…….​

Truth is….. I’m an electrical engineer who knows radio; the technical part was a no brainer for me. What I really focused on was memorizing all the rules and regulations! That’s what I really needed to study.

Since that day I was hooked… Bought some old Kenwood boat anchors off of QRZ and EBay, rebuilt them, used them, sold them and bought new equipment (well, some new equipment)

I’m done….. I check QRZ every day for the swapmeet, propagation reports and articles. When I get home I’m either on the air or designing (my wife says plotting) my next system and shack!

Yep….. I got bit really good by the Ham bug. So much so I am learning CW now, not easy for me but I’m doing it…..

And that’s how I finally became an amateur radio operator.