N5GG Amateur Radio

N5GG - Amateur Radio

N5GG's PROFILE

1. Name: Colin Buckup

2. Nickname: Skipper

3. Call Sign: N5GG

4. My current license class is: Extra

5. Other Call Signs Held: PY2WTY from 1976 to 1980; PY2CGB since 1980; AC5TV

6. Club Positions Held with DARC: Director in 2001; Vice-President in 2002, 2003; President in 2004

7. I have been in ham radio since: It all started in a Boy Scout Jamboree on the Air in 1975, needless to say that it was love at first sight. In 1976 I got my first Novice license in Brazil and never stopped.

8. I received my first license when I lived in: S�o Paulo, Brazil

9. My favorite mode is: CW

10. Occupation: Electronics Engineer / Project Manager / Instructor

11. Community Activities: RACES member

12. Birth Place: S�o Paulo, Brazil

13. Hams in the Family: My spouse - PU2WTY

14. If I had a different job, it would be: Airline Pilot, Astronaut

15. My favorite amateur radio activity is: Chasing DXCC countries on CW on the HF modes, I also enjoy the new (and not so new) digital modes.

16. My favorite rig is: I used to love my old R4C/T4XC Drake line which gave me my first DXCC award, but nowadays I really like my homebuilt K2 Elecraft

17. My other hobbies are: Flying single-engine airplanes and no-engine gliders, riding motorcycles and I also like sailing, scuba-diving, swimming, hiking, camping and outdoor activities in general. Photography is a must with all these activities.

18. The biggest HAM moment: Uh, this is a tough one, so many... Highlight: My very first CW contact without my mentor's help. Never new that someone could shake so much at a CW key.

19. I wish I knew how to: Be a good cook.

20. If I could afford it, I'd drive a: I really like the Jeep platform. Must be fun rigging one of those with a good station and antennas. But with the current price for gas... I rather stick with a nice motorcycle

21. My favorite junk food is: A good Burger...

22. My favorite restaurant is: A nice steak house

23. My ideal vacation is: Someplace with my loved ones away from cell phones, computers, e-mail, pagers, TV, Web-pages and other leash-gadgets. If you throw in some white sand, sun and salty water and maybe a margarita or two then it's almost paradise.

24. My favorite magazine is: QST, no question!

25. I regret that: we sometimes spend more time and effort in front of a computer than with our friends and loved ones. (Did you get the message? Turn the darn thing off from time to time...)

26. If I won the lottery, I would: be very happy of course, but would still try and pursue my job and live a modest and useful life. After all, it's just money�

27. If I could change one thing about amateur radio, it would be: Change the zoning restrictions, covenants, etc. for antennas and aerial systems. Antennas might not look pretty to some (for us hams they always do! That's implicit) but with decent full size antennas like in the good old days it would be so much more fun!

28. If I had three wishes, they would be:
a. Peace on earth
b. A dream-come-true-super-ham-station right out of the catalog
c. Retain the ability to make more wishes�

73's de Colin - N5GG