I've been a Model Railroader since 19681225, an Amateur Radio Operstor since 19930414 with the call sign of KB8QEU, and into Genealogy since 20030501. Into electrical since 19730616, electronics since 19790625, all forms from vacuum tubes to the leading edge of quantum memory, processors and engineering there of!

I have several degrees, and will not elaborate for I got them for the knowledge not to show off!

Ed McKinney Circa 2003 as VP and Warning Co-ordination Meteorologist Specialist of The National Weather Technologies Service!

I was born in Mabscott, West Virginia in spite of what my birth record states that I was born in Saint Johns, Michigan in 19540414; but, after chatting with blood kin, I feel differently and records shows it in the Raleigh County, West Virginia Court House as being born in Mabscott.

I was adopted! Actually, I am adopted twice! First time was by Okla A. McKinney and Arawana Pauline LAMBERT McKinney in May of 1954. Second adoption occurred at the Spring Revival at Crow Baptist Church, Crow, West Virginia, 1969, when I turned to the LORD whom took my place in death, the grave and is now beside the FATHER GOD as my advocate!!!

I fathered four kids. Three girls and a boy. Then my wife after 23 years left me. No other children I fathered by any other mate.

I, chose, to marry two more times and they also left me.

You will notice that my first three marriages were where "I" chose to marry. Then "I" gave up.

GOD lead me to my current wife whom GOD placed us together in 20150103 in Prestonsburg, Kentucky.

I, now, am helping Terrie to raise her two grand kids!

I am proud of all my kids! Also am a Grandfather of eight!

In high school several of us were in the library chatting about how many kids we wanted. I kept quiet, hard to do, knowing my Daddy was #17 of 19 siblings. So, not wanting that many kids, I settled on an even dozen. Back to the library, I finally was asked how many I wanted to father, and hearing many "twos", "threes" and a few "fours and fives", I stated twelve!

Several gasped. One stated, and she definitely was not my type, "Not by me!". I fired back, quickly, "Definitely not by you! I would never impregnate you! You're too liberal!"

Well, I got my dozen! Four kids and Eight Grand Kids! GOD knows BEST!

I lived in Jenny's Gap, Glen White, Glen View, Table Rock/Beckley, Grandview, MacArthur, Tilden, Charleston and South Charleston, West Virginia; Dallas, Texas; Mabscott and Raleigh, West Virginia; Saint Petersburg and Tampa, Florida; Cool Ridge, Beckley, MacArthur, Sophia, Sinks Grove, Alderson, Hinton, Oak Hill, Sophia, Beckley, West Virginia; Prestonsburg and Lancer, Kentucky! Yep I moved around! Several in particular towns.

I am not going into great detail of my work history for a big chunk is classified NTK, but will state a general as thus: A & P Grocery, Carolina Market, Town and Country Department Store, Industrial Electric, Gold Farbs Electric, WBES (WCHS FM) Radio, West Virginia State Capital, United Electronics Institute - West Virginia; Texas Instruments, Dallas Texas; VRN International, Saint Petersburg; HoneyWell, Tampa - Florida.

After returning to West Virginia, I gotten involved of Severe Weather Research and became the Vice-President of The National Weather Technologies Service.  Funded by individuals and black box funded bu Uncle Sam. At our peak, we had a budget of several hundred million dollars. Then my CO, Tom, gotten non-reversible illness and gave up the organization. I am now the President of The National Weather Technologies Service, now based in Lancer, Kentucky. Of which, no more government funding, it is on paper only. However, I want to honor Tom by holding on to it with hopes his and my dream can come about.

I also had a lot of small jobs in order to support my family, through out my history!

Till I moved back to West Virginia from Florida with four kids and a wife in tow, and after being placed onto  permanent disability, I had time on my hands, other than keep up with three very active girls and my son still in diapers, I was relaxing. Having two police scanners, I listened in on Amateur Radio communications.

I always wanted to be in Amateur Radio, but, with bad hearing, I could not pass the code tests! However, in late 1992, I was listening to ham radio about a March Of Dimes Walk-a-Thon. I met with a couple hams that who were to be involved, Kile and Dreama Nelson ... as well several others who are now "Silent Keys", as well as John and Kathy Hymes.

I decided to learn the "No Code" level of study to get my first Amateur Radio License. I did! Later, the FCC combined the No-Code into the Technician level which moved me from Np-Code to the Technician level.

In 1995, while living in MacArthur, West Virginia, I noticed that there are no reliable linking repeaters throughout each county of the Southern West Virginia. So, off to do the research!

I learned that at that time my methodology will not be financial feasible. Microwave systems were in the tens of thousands of dollars.

After doing a 250 mile radius repeater data logging of the repeater locations using MacArthur, West Virginia as the center point. I had a data base to work with. Also, as I moved I redid the database with my location as the center point.

In 2014, I met with Ray Novac, of Icom, told me about a new methodology being used in his home area. That was the ticket! Their 5 Gigacycle microwave systems were reasonable priced and does much more that I expected!

So I dove into my project much deeper. Plotting locations, planning, engineering and etc!

All of which I spent over 44,000 hours from 1995 to 2019. In July of 2019 is when I gave up my dream because no one wanted such a linking system that would have linked many counties over Southern West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. All of which carried voice, data, telemetry, video and more. Not only for hospitals but other entities would have benefited, such as EOCs, VFDs, EMAs and designated shelters.

At this time it still hurts, because of attitudes, and I can not go into details of the death of a dream.

I will remain in amateur radio but will be hard, and work on just a few possible sites. For, I noticed the 145.330-(100.0) repeater as well the sister repeater 224.140-(100.0) repeaters were off air for several years. After chatting with the former owner, and seeing the frequencies were available. Now, I am working on recovering that coverage in the Williamson, West Virginia area as well adding a UHF repeater to that stack.

So, a total of four sites is now my project. Sites are : Sugarloaf, Floyd County, Kentucky - Primary; Williamson, Mingo County, West Virginia; Pilot Knob, Wyoming County, West Virginia and Pikeville, Pike County, Kentucky, as well a stack at my home for experimenting on.

Added are two more sites of Skeleton, Raleigh County, West Virginia and Huff Knob, Flat Top, Raleigh/Mercer Counties (On the line), West Virginia.

So a total of seven sites. All will not totally cover the area but is a start.

Each having their own personalities.

Folks, my website shows of a lot of stuff I've been involved in, and there is a lot here to read and see.

As time goes on, I will have a link to my family tree research and Model Railroading, which I love but only can watch now and collect.