I hope you enjoy your visit here. Please email me and let me know what you think. A little bit about me. I live in Firestone, Colorado ( Grid Square DN70md). I have been into radio since my youth. My introduction into amateur radio was by a junior high math teacher (7th grade, in Asheville, NC). I forget his name, but used some principles of amateur radio to explain some of the math. After that, I started trying to read everything I could about it and checked out the Amateur Radio Handbooks from the library. For years I kept learning and then got into CB radio in the 1970’s, then got my first ham radio license in late 1972 in San Diego, CA. My Novice call was WN6OTL, which was only good for a year. Upon graduation from high school, I joined the USAF. My license came up for renewal while I was in Basic Training, and my drill instructor would not allow me to go to the MARS station on base to renew it, so I lost my priveleges. After BMTS, I got into the Security Police career field, and once again enjoyed talking on the radios, though in a different capacity. Once, I got to my first duty station, I had a lot going on so didn’t get back into ham radio, though I did get back into CB radio. I did get back into monitoring public safety frequencies, and then while stationed in Germany got back into Shortwave listening. Then after I was stationed in Minot ND, I startedlistening to hams on the scanner and realizing that I wanted to get back into ham radio. In 2000, after a few job changes took me to Grand Forks ND, Where I met some hams to helped me get tested and I got the new Technician class and received the callsign, KC0JPO. I upgraded to the General class in Bismarck, ND in 2009. In 2012 retired and we moved to our present house, Firestone, Colorado. Started getting nostalgic in 2016, and applied to get my old Novice call back as a vanity. It was granted and that is the story of how I got into radio and now hold my old call of WN6OTL . Loving public service aspect of radio, I am involved in Air Force MARS and am the State MARS Director for AFMARS for the State of Colorado (which we have about 15 members here in Colorado), the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), which I have been involved with since I have been relicensed. While in North Dakota I worked the great flood in Grand Forks, though I wasn’t licensed, I helped out other amateurs. While I was in New Town ND during the flooding in Minot,ND 2011 I assisted with communications and the setting up of shelters. When I arrived in Colorado, I immediately learned how Colorado ARES was set up, and become part of Adams County ARES. I am the Public Information Officer for this group. I am usually net control for any Skywarn nets for our group, as I don’t deploy any longer nor storm spot, except from my house. My equipment consists: Antennas: As I am in an HOA, I requested and was approved (due to the fact my hobby involves work with FEMA, DoD, State Homeland Security) to ground mount a vertical, and I now have an 80 meter dipole wrapped around the edge of my roof, and multiband dipole mounted on a mast at 30-35 feet in a tree and a VHF/UHF j-pole also tree mounted at about 30 feet. My radio’s consists of a Kenwood TS2000 HF/VHF/UHF and a TS-440SAT both of which have been modified for MARS use (outside the amateur bands and on military frequencies). VHF/UHF radios are an Alinco DR570, Yeasu FT1500, a Midland taxicab radio which has been converted to 6 meter use, Tram D42 CB (yes I am still into CB radio) 3 scanners (a Uniden Homepatrol, a Radio Shack PRO197 and a Radio Shack PRO 2067). I have multiple HTS: a Yeasu VX170 2 meter handheld, Yeasu FT60, Wouxun KG UV3D for the 220 band, a Tytera MD380 UHF Digital Mobile Radio, a Kenwood TH-D7 and an Alinco DJ191 which is modified for use on MARS VHF repeaters. For SWL use I have a National NC88, which was my first receiver given to me by my parents in 1968, after they discovered my interest in radio. Of course I have weather alert radios and I am heavily involved in weather and am part of the amateur radio weather nets here in Colorado. I have several weather stations as well. My home station is also set up for with emergency power so that just in case, I am able to communicate. I have completed the basic FEMA course (Introduction to the Incident Command System) as well as the ARRL EC-001 (Introduction to Emergency Communications) To learn more about Amatuer Radio click here I am also a scanner listener. I like to listen to aircraft, public service, utilities, etc.