My interest in radio dates back to when I was seven years old and I received my first transistor AM radio for Christmas. I thought it was fascinating (and still do) to hear stations from all around North America at night. Over the years, my interest in radio grew to include short-wave listening, scanner listening and for a short time CB radio. I had some influence in studying for my Amateur Radio license by two hams, a friend of the family, Ralph Williams WA7VCP of Longview, WA who is now a silent key and my high school electronics teacher, John Havery WA7IEJ. I graduated high school in 1975, however it wasn't until ten years later in the Spring of 1985 that I decided to study for my Novice license. I passed the exam and was issued an Amateur Novice license on June 28, 1985 with the callsign of KA7VTQ. I then studied and upgraded to Technician class and after achieving that, I upgraded to General class and received the callsign of N7KMN. Again, I studied and upgraded to Advanced class and received the callsign of KG7HT. In August of 1999 I applied for and was issued the vanity callsign of W7LEW. I requested this vanity callsign to match my MARS callsign of NNN0LEW. In August of 2000 my MARS callsign was changed to NNN0PAT, I then applied for the Amateur Vanity callsign of WA7PAT which I received on September 6, 2000. The "PAT" suffix is great, since my name is Pat.
Public Service Through Amateur Radio
The main purpose of Amateur Radio is to serve the public. In that regard, I have strived to do my part, serving the community through my involvement in Amateur Radio.
As the Assistant District Emergency Coordinator for the National Weather Service, I have been working with NWS in Portland, OR on the "Skywarn Project" which includes setting up an operational Packet Station at NWS for ham weather spotting, possibly an HF station dedicated to a Navy MARS frequency for HF Communications when necessary. Ken Wilhelmi N7QQU has been instrumental in setting up the Packet station at NWS. With this position, I am also the liaison between Navy MARS and NWS as well.
In the past I have served as the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) Coordinator for Multnomah County, Communications Coordinator for the Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross, Area and Region Emergency Communications Coordinator for the Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS), a registered member of Skywarn Weather Spotters network and my station is equipped with a weather station.
Formal training in emergency communications/emergency management came by the way of classes through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Military Affiliate Radio System, American Red Cross and with the Portland Fire Bureau's Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET).
I belong to several clubs and
organizations including: Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS),
Hoodview Amateur Radio Club, Portland Amateur Radio Club, Clark County Amateur Radio Club, American Radio Relay League (ARRL), FISTS CW Club, FISTSNW, Ten-Ten
International, Western Oregon Radio Club (WORC), Amateur Radio Repeater Group
(ARRG), Multnomah County Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Radio Amateur Civil
Emergency Service (ARES/RACES), Oregon Trail Chapter American Red Cross
Communications Unit, National Radio
Club (NRC), Skywarn, and the American Meteorological Society of Oregon.
I have also been a member at one time or another with the Oregon Tualatin Valley Amateur Radio Club (OTVARC), Clackamas Amateur Radio Club (CARC), Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Emergency Team, and the Gateway Elks Lodge.
MARS Participation
I was introduced to the Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System by Joe
Noecker K7FGN in 1988. After my Amateur Radio license upgrade to General
Class, I joined MARS as a "Tango" member and went through the training
program. MARS provides an excellent program for learning the proper way to send
traffic (messages) and provides the essential training needed to handle daily
routine traffic or emergency traffic during a disaster situation. Since joining MARS, I have served in many positions
including; Oregon Area's Assistant for Emergency Communications, Region
Director's Assistant for Emergency Communications Planning, Assistant Area
Coordinator for Oregon and most recently as the Area Coordinator for Oregon. To
learn more about MARS, please refer to "Region Seven Navy-Marine Corps
MARS" on my links page. My Navy MARS callsign is: NNN0PAT.
Through MARS, this station is a registered member of the National Communications
System's Shared HF Resources (SHARES) program. There are well over 100 Federal
and State agencies involved in the SHARES program. This station under the
operations of my wife Bren W7EN, a former MARS member, was one of the first two
individual MARS stations to be invited to participate in a SHARES
exercise. For more details on SHARES, please see the SHARES link on my
links page.