Welcome to
The
NA9Q HomepageWelcome to my world and my favorite places on the web. My name is Mike Nowack and I reside in Quincy, Illinois. Here is a bit more information about my wife, my family and myself.
Contents
Job title
I am Lead Systems Engineer for Harris Corporation Broadcast Systems Division in Quincy, Illinois. Harris is the world's leading supplier of AM, FM and TV broadcast transmission equipment. You can learn more about my employer by visiting the Harris web site here.
Key responsibilities
I design AM and FM transmission systems and installations for broadcast applications world-wide. These systems utilize Harris designed and built AM and FM transmitters with output powers ranging from 1 kW to 2,000 kW.
Here is a few of my favorite sites on the web.
I have been a member of the Western Illinois Amateur Radio Club in Quincy, Illinois since 1976. Please visit the club webpage and learn more about our group and its' many activities and programs. The WIARC is an ARRL Special Service Club and has been an ARRL affiliate for well over 50 years. The club holds the call sign W9AWE and is active every Field Day as well as in many contests and is often on the air with special event operations from the western area of Illinois. The WIARC is one of the oldest, continuously active ham radio clubs in Illinois and the midwest.
I have been a Life Member of the American Radio Relay League since 1973 and am an active supporter of its' programs. For more information on the ARRL or about Amateur Radio in general, you can visit the ARRL webpage here. I hold the appointment as ARRL Emergency Coordinator for Adams County Illinois. Also I am a certified field checker for the ARRL DXCC program. Additionally, I am an active Volunteer Examiner certified under the ARRL VEC program.
You can send internet e-mail to me at
mailto:[email protected]. I check my e-mail daily and will respond promptly. If you have questions about information I have posted on this site or if you have an item of common interest, I would like to hear from you.
Our family histories.
My wife, Arlyce (WD9BLQ) and I spend much of our spare time compiling information about our family histories. On her side we are tracing the names of Hansen, Johansen, Tolliver, Talliaferro, and Rosenberg. The Talliaferro line of her family has been in America since 1635 in the Virginia Colony. On my side we are tracing the family names Nowack, Bruner, Erhart, Thorp and Sims. My family seems to be a bit more elusive as we have only been successful in tracing them back two or three generations. In the near future we will be posting the information we have thus far documented.
Travel. 
Mike NA9Q and Arlyce WD9BLQ
on the shore of Lake Yellowstone
One of our favorite projects is to spend our free time exploring the United States by auto and on foot. Our most favorite place in all America is the Nation's first National Park, Yellowstone. We visit that area on the average every other year. We have spent many hours keeping vigil over many of the lesser-known thermal features hoping to catch a view of their infrequent eruptions. We have viewed eruptions of most of Yellowstone's known to be active geysers. Our one major unrealized goal is to see an eruption of Steamboat Geyser, which has very infrequent activity. However, when does erupt, it shoots a column of water into the air in excess of 300 feet, some 2-3 times the height of Old Faithful. Perhaps one day when we can spend an entire summer in the park we will be lucky enough to see this one also.
Also we have made several international trips. Our most favorite place in the world outside of the US is Greece and in particular, the beautiful and historic Island of Rhodes. We are planning to travel again to Rhodes in the summer of 2000 to spend time with our friends in the village of Afondu and roaming the Old City of Rhodes, as well as the ruins and beaches of this magnificent island.
I was born and raised near the Mississippi in Rock Island, Illinois and attended public schools there through high school. I attended Iowa State University, Grinnell College and the University of Iowa majoring in Electrical Engineering. In the past I have worked for the old Pioneer Central Division of Bendix, Grinnell College, the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Iowa and Collins Radio Division of Rockwell International. Presently I am employed at Harris Corporation Broadcast Systems Division. See the Work section of this page for more current employment information.
Arlyce and I have been married for 35 years and we have three children, John (KA9EYT), Stephanie and Michelle. We have one grandchild born in May, 1998, Nathan Michael Smith.
Nathan Michael Smith
Amateur Radio tops the list of my personal interests. I am active on all bands 160 M through 70 cm, SSB, FM and CW. My ham radio main interest is HF DXing and rag chewing. I have been a member of the ARRL DXCC since 1975 and currently my countries total is 338 confirmed out of 342 worked. My station consists of my trusty 20 year old Kenwood TS-820S along with a Heathkit SB-220 which I built in 1976. The antenna farm is a modest installation consisting of a TH3MK3 at 50 feet and inverted Vees on 40M and 80M. On 160M, I have a for-shortened inverted Vee that has shown unremarkable performance. On 2M and 70cm I use small 5 and 7 element yagis at 60 feet.
I also enjoy photography and maintain a record of our family and our travels through this medium. My favorite medium is 35mm transparencies using either Ektachrome, Fujichrome or Sensia. I use my trusty 13-year old Minolta Maxxum 7000 with a variety of Maxxum lenses and accessories. Although we do also use an 8mm camcorder, I still prefer the older film technology as a permanent record and as an art medium.
Last Revised: 12/5/98 9:15 PM