My ham life started way back in 1991 in Subic, Zambales. After the Mt. Pinatubo eruption, I had to find a way on how to establish constant communication with the National Disaster Control Council in the DU3 area. We need to have on the spot disaster reports as soon as possible to be able to make the necessary disaster moves as the alert signals being provided by the local government may just be a minute too late for me and my family. And the two-way radio was the only answer.

So I bought a good second hand IC27H from an American amateur who was all set packing up and ready to leave lahar country. He had a lot of excess baggage which included an Alinco Power Supply, HD73 Rotor and a 40 feet aerodynamic tower which I bought at rock bottom prices. After spending long hours with my IC27H, I started to enjoy what this little radio is giving me and I was slowly and unknowingly being annihilated by this thing which at this point I can already call it my newly-found hobby. Together with the hobby, my fondness to stay home was increased and my savings account is slowly being slashed. Through the help of an amateur friend DU3MCJ/Mike, I learned what real ham radio is all about. I took my amateur exams late that year and was later given a callsign. I didn't know that from that time on, tinkering and soldering would be a daily ritual.. And of course the rest was history…

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IC-740

ICOM IC-27H IC-260A IC-V68

IC-V100 IC-02AT IC-02N

IC-2N

KENWOOD TM-261

ALINCO DR430

YAESU FT73

FTL7002

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My work with the United States government take me all over the country the whole year round. I am anywhere in the Philippines 20 days in every month, 12 months in a year and my only companion is my TS-50S and a Comet antenna which I set up in every hotel I check into. The cellular phone is a very easy way to communicate with people in the city but more often than not, I go to very remote areas like Tabuk in Kalinga Apayao, the Mountain Province, Pagudpud and in several other places where my vehicle could not bring me and hiking for as long as 11 hours is the only way to get there. And, my cellphone gets a "no service" response. Then it's only me and my reliable, lightweight and powerful TS-50S checking with the wife and kids back home.

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My friends call me Abet and my former NTC-assigned callsign is DU1KDO. I had to make an official request for a change in callsign because somebody I met in the 40-meter band has also been assigned my callsign. NTC officials were wondering how it happened as they keep a log of all callsigns issued to amateurs.

My XYL, DY1JSB is also a licensed amateur and we have two kids, Carla and Doreen .

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Aside from Amateur radio, I'm also into photography . I also enjoy cars and guns a lot.

Tinkering with electronic gadgets and soldering has been part of my daily life.

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Last Revised: Nov 21, 1998

To e-mail comments: du1lxv@qsl.net