8th Grade: An interest in radio control is turned toward Ham Radio by my Science teacher, whose name escapes me now... many thanks!

Summer 1974: Attended Skycrest Summer Camp, specifically to earn ham license. Electronics counselor unable to teach required material - in retrospect maybe not even licensed.

Summer 1975: Attended Buck's Rock Work Camp near Danbury Connecticut - home of Amateur Station K1PGQ (Kilo One Poor Green Queen). Took and passed Novice Code and Written tests. Call Sign WN2CNF issued soon after I got home.

10 October, 1975: License issued as WN2CNF.

Date unknown: FCC discontinues distinctive call signs for novices, call sign WB2CNF issued.

19 December, 1976: Purchased used Heathkit HW-16 with HG-10B external transmitter VFO. This was a great CW rig with grid-keying that yielded true full break-in operation. The standard configuration was rock-bound (crystal controlled), but the external VFO provided independant transmit and receive tuning. The most significant lack was of a 100KHz calibrator. Traded for HW-202 2-meter transceiver 25 May, 1978.

22 June, 1977: Passed General Written test, missed General Code test by one or two characters (you had to copy one full minute out of three minutes sent, no multiple choice back then). Technician Class License issued.

24 August, 1977: 28 QSO's later, passed 13 word-per-minute code test. General Class license issued.

Date unknown: Hallicrafters HT-44 transmitter and SX-117 triple-conversion receiver. This was the same equipment that I had used at Buck's Rock.

7 April, 1981: Purchase used Kenwood TS-520S. This rig served faithfully at three locations until the smoke escaped from one of it's power supply capacitors almost exactly 18 years later.

3 April, 1999: Purchased first new HF rig: Kenwood TS-570D - currently serving.

5 June, 1999: Upgraded to Advanced at Bergan Amateur Radio Association (BARA) Hamfest. Score: 86% (43/50). Upgrade posted on FCC database 14 June, 1999.

6 July, 1999: Upgraded to Extra at TCRA VE Session in Westfield, NJ. Score: Theory: 97.5% (39/40); Code 90% (9/10). Upgrade posted on FCC database 14 July, 1999.

14 July, 1999: Submitted request for vanity callsign with W2PI listed as first choice.

3 August 1999: Vanity callsign W2PI issued by FCC.

14 November, 2000: Received ARRL DXCC Millennium Award.