Welcome to W4BB!

Let's Exchange QSL Cards!

I’m a huge fan of QSL cards; exchanging them is one of my favorite parts oft he hobby. If you still do QSL cards, please send me one, and I’ll certainly send one back! SASEs are appreciated, but I will reply 100% to everyone. I also hand-make every QSL card, so the card you receive will truly be one of a kind.

The Setup

HF

ICOM 7300

 G5RV antenna

Typically running ~100 watts for SSB; 10 watts for digital modes

Satellites

ICOM 2730A

Arrow II Antenna (3 elements for 2 meters and 7 elements for 70 centimeters)

Typically running about 5-10 watts.

POTA

Kenwood TS-690S

Buddistick from Buddipole

Typically running ~100 watts for SSB; 10 watts for digital modes

EME

Still waiting to get started on this one!

If you happen to be in/around SC and would let me play with your EME setup, I’d be very grateful 🙂

About Me

I feel like I’m usually the youngest in the room when I attend any meeting relating to amateur radio. I was born in 1999, so many of my fellow hams have been licensed before I was born.

My dad, NR4C (ex. KC4MRJ), tried for years to get me to get licensed. He bought the Gordon West books, and I always seemed to get through a chapter or two and then put it down. After moving back home, I discovered my dad made a QSO via the ISS. It’s something that I really wanted to do (just for the coolness factor), so I got passed my Tech in June of 2022 and was licensed as KQ4BWF in July of 2022. 

Long story short, I ended up wanting to get on HF by myself with my own callsign, so I upgraded to General three weeks after passing my tech. Like many others, I was frustrated that some of the really nice DX stations were on frequencies outside of my operating privileges, so I upgraded to Amateur Extra a month later.

After finally nailing the phonetics of my initial callsign, I lucked out and won the FCC vanity lottery and received my 1×2 callsign in February of 2023. 

Things that are in the works...

AMSAT Rover

EME?

Getting an all-mode radio for SSB satellites. 

DXPedition is a slow work in progress with a few people…

Completed from the To-Do List:

POTA Activation – DONE! Activated K-2905.

 

Satellites

I’ve been really intrigued with satellite operations recently. I’m always looking for advice and new grids. I’m active on all FM satellites, including ARISS, SO-50, TEVELs, etc. I’m hoping to get an all-mode radio to work RS-44 and IO-117 in the near future.

View all of my LoTW confirmed grids on Gridmaster

If you need FM04, please message me, and we can arrange a sked. There’s a good chance that I need your grid square, too!

One unfortunate thing about my QTH is that I’m surrounded on all sides by 80+ year old pine trees, and they cause a lot of interference with UHF signals. If you call me on a satellite and don’t get a response, there’s about a 99% chance that a tree (or two or three or maybe like 150) are blocking me from hearing the downlink on the satellite. If I hear someone calling me, I will try everything I can to make sure we get that QSO!

If I owe you a QSL on LoTW, please let me know. Mistakes happen on my end. I very likely may have mistyped your callsign.

Parks on the Air

POTA...

More details about my POTA experience coming soon…

Clubs and Memberships

The Last Frontier Radio Society has been an immeasurable asset to my success in amateur radio. There are many experienced operators who are always willing to help explain concepts, answer questions, and get you on the air. You can find out more info on our website. 

The Elmers

This is a very short list of the people who have helped me throughout my amateur radio journey. It’s certainly not a complete list, but the folks on here certainly deserve some recognition for the time, advice, and support they’ve given me to improve my amateur radio capabilities.

NR4C (ex: KC4MRJ) – My Dad obviously has to be #1!

WA1EM, WB1BR (ex:NL7CW), W5BAK, AD2DD, KN4EWI, KC0ECQ, and many more that I can’t think of as I’m typing this!

Outside of Amateur Radio

When I’m not on the air, I’m always finding something to fill my time!

Other hobbies and interests:

Image and video colorization and restoration

Cemetery Restoration and resetting Techniques

YouTube (gotta love the YouTubers who examine the why and how businesses succeed, fail, struggle, etc.

The DX Code of Conduct

  1. I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
  2. I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.
  3. I will not trust the DX cluster and will be sure of the DX station’s call sign before calling.
  4. I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the DX frequency or in the QSX slot.
  5. I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.
  6. I will always send my full call sign.
  7. I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.
  8. I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.
  9. I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.
  10. I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine.
  11. When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.
  12. I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
  13. I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.