KJ4ENS
David Westphalen
General Class
Ham Since 2008
United States
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My Ham Radio Interests
Hi and thanks for visiting my page! I have this page to meet fellow ham radio operators and others interested in ham radio and communications. My call is KJ4ENS. I'm a General Class Licensee, an Accredited ARRL Volunteer Examiner (VE), and ARRL Field Examiner (CE)
I actually found ham radio sort of by accident, kinda sorta. It's kind of fun to remember my childhood and radio. My dad actually was into CB and so, like father like son. I still hold the CB call of KSL-9100, even though the FCC no longer governs 11 meters, it's still nice to see that old license on the shack wall.
I contest and do special operating events. I LOVE IT!!! I am very active on EchoLink, my node #396255, HamSphere and CQ100 also. On CQ100 I monitor 14.200mhz 24/7, on HamSphere I monitor 7.055mhz, give me a call sometime. I love to trade QSL cards, send me yours and I'll send you mine (look me up on www.qrz.com..
I monitor 147.240, 147.150, 146.505, 147.045, 146.520 and 145.190mhz 2 meters, and 7.195 on HF.
I have always been interested in weather and hold Skywarn Spotter basic and advanced certificates from the National Weather Service. I am also a ham radio operator and hold a General class license from the FCC and am a V.E., as well. Back in the day, there were 5 different levels of ham licenses (Novice, Technician, General, Advanced and Extra). The Novice, General and Extra class licenses were the exams that also consisted of morse code tests (5, 13, 20 wpm). Morse code is now no longer required as part of the ham exams and now there are only three levels of tests (Technician, General and Amateur Extra).
Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) isn't just a hobby and it isn't CB (Citizen Band), like many get confused. Ham Radio operators are federally licensed through the FCC (Federal Communications Commission). Ham Radio Operators assist the National Weather Service in the Skywarn program as trained spotters going out into the field and reporting severe weather back to them, so they can better know what alerts to send out to the public. Ham Radio Operators also assist the Military through M.A.R.S. (Military Amateur Radio Service). Ham Radio Operators also participate in emergency services in cases of diaster and other related emergencies in A.R.E.S. (Amateur Radio Emergency Services) as well as R.A.C.E.S. (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services).
Ham Radio Operators also assist the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. They collect weather data "Surface Reports" from the Hurricane affected areas in real time for use by the Hurricane Forecasters. These "Surface Reports" are real time eye witness reports and weather data that provide the forecasters with supplemental data that may not be available to them through other means. Ham Radio Operators provide back-up emergency communications to and from the Hurricane Center during and after a direct hit on Miami. They provide Hurricane Advisories over Ham Radio, when other sources are not available to the affected area. They enhance and promote the accuracy and availability of weather data surface reports. The National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida has an Amateur Radio Station set up inside its facility with the station's callsign WX4NHC.
Equipment
The shack is made up of the following:
(RADIO EQUIPMENT) Realistic HTX-202 2 Meter VHF FM HT Transceiver, Yaesu FT-212RH 2 Meter FM Mobile Transceiver, Kenwood TS-520S HF (160 through 10 Meter) Transceiver with Kenwood AT-200 Tuner, MFJ-949E Deluxe Versa Tuner II, Kenwood DG-5 Digital Readout and Kenwood MC-50 mic. Radio Shack PRO-2026 Mobile Scanner, Radio Shack PRO-2053 Base Scanner, Radio Shack PRO-2040 Base Scanner, Regency 1980 vintage 10-Channel Crystal Base Scanner, Realistic DX-100 Communications Receiver, Ten-Tec 1254 Communications Receiver, Galaxy DX959 10 Meter Mobile Transceiver, Radio Shack TRC-511 11 Meter Mobile Transceiver, Midland 1001Z 11 Meter Mobile Transceiver, Midland 74-200 Digital Weather Receiver. Browning Golden Eagle Mark III 11 meter transceiver, Yaesu FTdx-401 (80 throu 10 meter) transmitter, Yaesu FRdx-401 (80 throu 10 meter) receiver.
(ANTENNA FARM) Homebrew Copper 2m/440 J-Pole antenna, Discone scanner antenna, Antron A-99 10 meter antenna, Starduster 11 meter antenna, 200 foot long wire dipole shortware antenna. Homebrew 2 meter 3 element beam antenna, Tram 2m/440 1/4 wave ground plane antenna, 102' G5RV all-band HF antenna 60' high, and a 96' random wire at 25' high.
(COMPUTER EQUIPMENT) HP NetServer/6, HP a400n Desktop 2.70ghz., HP 304w Desktop 1.53ghz, 1981 Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 3, Compaq SR1103WM Desktop 1.80ghz.
Other Interests
My main interests right now are QSL card collecting and working on my ARRL WAS and DXCC awards. I QSL 100% direct and also accept eQSL and LoTW.
Clubs
I am a member of Rutherford County, North Carolina ARES, Foothills Skywarn and The Blue Ridge Weather Watch Network and very active in storm spotting/chasing. I am also a member of Cleveland County Amateur Radio Service (CCARS), and South Coast Amateur Radio Service (SouthCARS). I am also a member of the following:
OMISS #6667 * AFC #1366 * SCARS #7704 * SKCC #5635 * NAQCC #3774 * 30MDG #2416 * DMC #2256 * EPC #7749 * GRIT #904
