N5PA Website

Updated:  Dec-21-2024 9:40am 
  Clear Temperature: 39.3°F   +2.8°F/hr Humidity: 64% Dew Point: 28.1°F Wind: NNE  4.0 mph Gust: 10.0 mph Barometer: 30.414 inHg  Rising Rain Today: 0.00 in UV Index: 1.1   Low 

My Ham Radio Station Page

Like many hams, I have acquired equipment over the years. I am not one of the hams that buys or trades for every new rig that comes out. I usually buy a rig that is proven and is in the midpoint of its offering by the manufacturer or find a good, clean, used rig. I have only bought seven main HF operating rigs in the last 40 years and currently sport a fleet of four HF Rigs. I have had my Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark-V since buying it new in 2000. My little Icom IC-706 MKIIG was purchased in 1999 to take on personal DXpeditions, in this case, to Malawi as 7Q7PA. In 2011 I bought the estate of a DXer and put an Icom IC-756 Pro III into the lineup with the other rigs. I purchased an Icom IC-9100 at the Capital City Hamfest in Jackson, MS in Jauary 2017. In January 2018 I added a new ICOM IC-7610 to my fleet of HF rigs. This is Icom's new Software Defined Radio (SDR) with 2 distinct receivers. I am mainly a Contester and DXer. Some of the newer high-end rigs might be better and have more features than my current fleet, but I am legally deaf and I do not know that I would notice that much of a difference. I enjoy CW and RTTY contesting, but I will jump in there on any of them. Listed below is a partial listing of my station equipment. I hope to hear you on the bands!

Since Hurricane Katrina, I have basically been off the air and have made very few contacts. We have a farm in Southwest Mississippi that is about 120 miles from our home in Ellisville. In August of 2013 I set up a temporary Cushcraft R-6000 Vertical, a 160 Meter Carolina Windom, and an Icom IC-756 Pro III. At first the vertical was only about 3 feet off of the ground in a gulley in the back yard. Later I moved it to the top of a 30 foot push-up pole. I installed 220 volt wiring and outlets so I can run my amps over at the farm. Contesting with 100 watts into a vertical is not what I consider fun! I have erected a K4KIO Hexagonal Beam at the home QTH and Carolina Windoms for the low bands. I have 90+ feet of Rohn Tower and a Hy-Gain 53 foot crank-up tower that I am going to erect at the farm. Then I will be able to do some serious Contesting and DXing!