KG4RBH in Amateur Radio

I had always heard about "ham radio," but never knew anything about it. A friend was involved in it and mentioned something about me getting a license. I did a bit of research and decided to start studying for the exam. In the meantime, I purchased a relatively inexpensive 2-meter band mobile radio (HTX-252) and a magnetic-mount antenna. I installed the radio in my Jeep and started monitoring the local repeaters.

It didn't take long until I was hooked. I could not wait to key up the microphone and start talking on the air. I visited the American Radio Relay League website and found the nearest testing date and location.

I passed the written examination to obtain a Technician Class amateur radio license on January 5th, 2002. Five days later, the Federal Communications Commission issued me the call sign KG4RBH.

Ham Shack information:
Base Station
Rig: ICOM 2100H, 2-meters
Power Output: Min. 5 W; Med. 10 W; Max. 55 W
Antenna: MFJ 2m/6m mag mount - sitting on a pie plate on top of a dresser in the shack

Mobile Station
Rig: Radio Shack HTX-252, 2-meters
Power Output: Min. 5 W; Max. 30 W
Antenna: 2m mag mount on top of the roof

Hand-held Rig
Radio Shack HTX-245, 2-meters / 70 cm dual band
Power Output: 700 mW (batteries), 1.5 W (direct power)
Rubber Ducky antenna