2026-05-19 Net Minutes

Check-ins (33)

Congrats and welcome to David Snyder (KJ5PZM)!!!
- Newly licensed
- Son of Brad Snyder (W5BLS)
- One of several successful examinees this past weekend

David Bailey (K5DKB)

Thanks to those who joined us for our meeting at the CEOC!
It was fun to meet in a new location, but I’ll look forward to being in our usual location next meeting

Tom Johnson (KI5ZPG)

Keep ARRL Field Day on your calendar
- 2026-06-27/28
- Will be the weekend after our next club meeting
Planning to bring antenna trailer to the next meeting
- we’ll work on replacing the rotor after the meeting

Matthew Barry (KG5LYE)

Lorna Flansburg (KI5FIZ)

Bank balance: $12,273.79
76 members
Thanks again to Volunteer Examiners who proctored the exam this weekend
- 3 new techs, including David Snyder (KJ5PZM)
- 1 level-up to Extra
Next license exam
- 2026-06-20 11:00 (after club meeting)
- American Legion Post 159, 101 Waco St, Bryan [Google Maps]
- If you’re looking to take the Technician Class exam, be sure to have your FCC Registration Number (FRN) from https://fcc.gov

Question #276 for conversation: Were you involved with radio prior to getting your Amateur Radio License?

(If interested in submitting a weekly question, email n5zkf@arrl.net)

Started out building crystal radio set from my Aunt at 8 years old
- Listened to shortwave radio
- Hooked from that point on
Got into CB at about 14 years old
Radio electronics in Military (Air Force) for 12 years
Got ham license shortly thereafter
Will be 80 years old soon, you do the math!

I had been a GMRS operator since the early 2010’s
- Read the license requirement in the manual for a set of walkie-talkies
Got my amateur radio license about 5 years later

Started in middle school:
- Sanger, TX
- Denton amateur radio group put up an antenna for the school to speak with the astronauts
- Had to come to the school in the middle of the night!
Passed Morse Code tech exam

Involved in radio since about 13 or 14 years old
Parents had old Zenith Console radio with 3 settings:
- Long wave
- medium wave
- the magical) short wave
My favorite station: HCJB from Ecuador
- Very fun “DX party line” of stations to tune into
My (unofficial) shortwave listener callsign at the time: WDX0A
- Through QST magazine
Served in Air Force

Started around high school with CB
Moved to maritime frequencies for work
- Marine HF, SSB
- Had to go to downtown Houston to get 3rd Class radiotelephone exam
Low band radio public service
- eventually increased up to current 900 Mhz band
This week, we’ve had two changes in ARES and RACES leadership:
- Brazos County ARES: Ron Estes (KJ5EFO) is new county emergency coordinator!
- RACES District 13: Tom Talley (W5XTT) is new District Radio Officer (covers 7 counties in immediate areas)

Started listeting around 10 years old
- True Tone AM console radio
Ecuador station originally used a beam antenna, but the elements melted
- Upgraded to full-size quad
400 hams in the B/CS area, many of which were stationed at old Bryan AFB (current-day RELLIS campus)
- Several of these folks, including W4RAS /SK brought 2-way radio to the area
Learned Morse code while in Germany
got tech license and got involved in amateur radio shortly after that
Paperwork mix-up at FCC

CB radio at 10-11 yrs old to talk to friend down the street
Mainly stuff for work: Started at Texas Communications, Maintained Nextel analog system
Degree in engineering/telecommunications
Worked support for Motorola
Worked at TTI in 2012, where Dick Zimmer (W5DZ) was my mentor
GMRS got me back into 2-way radio
Got into ham radio shortly after that

Shout-out to Roseanne Cunningham (KC5FGG):
- I went to school in Sanger!
- Family lived in the area for over 100 years

I remember sitting at the kitchen table when I was 6-8
Put together kits with soldering iron, one of which was a crystal radio
Listened to AM/FM clock radio for hours after going to bed
- Tuned signals a little above and below broadcast bands
- Heard some numbers stations on that
- Listened to Mystery Theater shows on AM radio
Eventually got my “Tech-minus” license exam in early 1990’s