Steve Shirley KK7BJF

     I gained my interest in ham radio from a friend in Missoula this past fall while we were talking about what it would take to communicate between there and Helena using radio waves. That idea sent me down the road of learning what it takes to obtain an FCC amateur radio license, and when I found out that there was a test full of questions that I used to know the answers to, I got excited. It’s been twelve years since I completed the Navy’s Aviation Electronics Technician course and I’ve been fortunate to work on all kinds of radios, from HF radios to radio altimeters. However, it’s easy to lose touch with the underlying DC/AC circuit theory, radio wave propagation fundamentals, and I am still trying to remember what a bistable multivibrator is or why it’s important. That said, I am really enjoying relearning everything that I have forgotten, one amateur license test question at a time.
     My shack is currently very small, light, and portable consisting of two handhelds, a Baofeng UV-5R and a Yaesu FT-60 and a Yaesu FTM-300 that I still need to install for my mobile rig. My base station setup (if want to call it that) is the FT-60 connected to a 2-meter halfwave dipole strung through a PVC pipe on a stake in the ground out back.
     So far, my favorite radio activity would have to be Sunday night trivia, hands down; and I also enjoy checking into the nets on the club repeater along with studying for the General Exam. Once I get my general license and figure out which QRP radio I want, I would like to start doing some SOTA and POTA activations.
     I am still trying to convince my friend in Missoula to start studying for his ticket, but meanwhile I am glad that I found a new hobby that I can enjoy and be part of such a wonderful community of fellow hams on the air.
--Steve Shirley, KK7BJF 

January 2022

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