Hello and Welcome!

Over the Rainbow, and up the Yellow brick road to the land of OZ here in Lacey Washington

Now that I have run out of new countries to chase, I am very involved in Audio using SSB. I am one of the hams who likes to listen and transmit audio that sounds pleasing to the ear and is better for general conversation. 

I was born in Tacoma Washington. I was first licensed as KN7EEF as a Novice in 1958 and then K7EEF as a tech. I was inactive as an amateur operator because of college and starting a young family, until 1985 when I again started back in Ham radio. I passed the extra exam and was issued the call NV7J. I changed my call to W3OZ in 1997.

 I am currently retired from the Washington State Patrol where I was the Data Center manager. I live in Lacey Washington with my wife Jackie.  My main interest in amateur radio is working DX and currently have been credited with 349 confirmed countries in the DXCC program.

I am a past president of OARS Olympia Amateur Radio Society. Please visit me most evenings on 14.178 at about 23:30Z.

My station consists of a  Elecraft K4D, an Elecraft KPA 1500 Amplifier, a Elecraft K3/P3, Kenwood TM 241A, and an Icom IC-T90A handheld.

My current antenna system SteppIR 3 element at 70 feet, I also have a Cushcraft 13 ele beam on top of the tower for 2 meters.

I used to have two racks of audio gear and many devices to make my audio sound better to me. In the early days us hams who wanted to sound better than the narrow ear splitting audio that was on the bands, we had to put commercial audio gear connected to our rigs. We did not even have simple EQs like we have today as part of most modern rigs. Now with the newer rigs you can put a good microphone on your rig adjust the many audio feature they have and sound just great. No need for box after box of audio gear.