The story of W2RF

Like many radio amateurs, interest in radio surfaced in childhood. In my particular case it was with the discovery of instructions for building a crystal radio in the Scout Handbook. My father miraculously produced the parts and I put it together. It worked! I fancied that I was hearing rare DX but it was certainly only local broadcast stations. The next event was several years later when on the ritual after school visit to the comic book store I picked up a strange magazine called QST. I opened it to a page which to this day is emblazoned on my brain: a circuit diagram! A surge of energy rushed through me like I had never felt before, and it said "This is it!" Soon I had my ham license, a radio, and a tower. I went on to study physics and then detoured into a career in computer technology. Gradually I came back to radio, and now enjoy putting my computer skills to work in furthering software defined radio technology. In truth, there is no finer fraternity than the amateur radio fraternity.