W3PP  

     Welcome to the site of W3PP.  Several have asked that I post some of the details of my station here in rural Delaware.  I hope you enjoy these pages.  Questions and comments can be directed to [email protected]. 

     Background:  I was first licensed as KN3WUW in 1963.  Later in the year, I upgraded to General class with the call K3WUW.  Most of my operating, in those formative years, was from the Coast Guard Amateur Radio Club station K4CG.  My contest participation started early in 1963 and I was a participant in probably the first and only Multi Single entry in the Novice Roundup in 63.  My mentor and examiner for Novice Class was the late Vic Clark, W4KFC.  He was also the inspiration and motivating force behind K4CG which later was developed into a Multi-Multi station for contesting and MARS operations.  In late 1965, after the mandatory two year General class waiting period, I sat for and passed my Extra Class exam before the FCC in Washington D.C.  This was two years before "Incentive Licensing" and carried no additional operating privileges.  During these early years, I joined The Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC).  I honed my operating skills at K4CG and learned a bit about Multi-op contesting at W3MSK/W3AU.  In the mid 80's I helped NX3A set up a Multi-op station here in Delaware where several of the local ops cut their teeth in contesting.  It was during this period that I joined the Frankford Radio Club (FRC).  My federal service career spanned over 37 years and in the later part found me assigned to several overseas posts where I held ON8CE, DA1DC and HS0ZBI.  Throughout my amateur life I resisted several "vanity call" opportunities.  Vic, like many others, had said that their call sign was like their name and just couldn't see changing it.  Upon my return to stateside, after many years of operating with foreign calls, I decided that it was time to get rid of the old tongue twister.  I applied for and received W3PP in 1996.

     Post Retirement:  In the fall of 1996 I retired to Laurel, Delaware where my wife and I had built a modest home several years earlier on 10 acres of rural woodland.  I had a 50' 25G tower with a TH5DXX, a 60' Rohn SSV with a 402BA and a few dipoles.  I invited NW3Y and N6ZO for the 96 CQWW and ARRL DX in 97 for a small M/S operation on phone and CW.  This was from a small spare bedroom, and the exuberance during some of the phone operation was more than my wife could take, and she vacated the house for the weekend and went to the beach.  During subsequent discussions, she indicated that if I would build a Florida room for her, I could build a shack away from the house.  We broke ground for the Florida room that spring.....  The room was completed in early summer.  In early July, I had a little over an acre cleared about 300 feet from the house, and a group of my ham buddies and I started construction of the W3PP shack.  By September of 97 we were in and operated a sparsely appointed station in the WAE.  By CQWW time, there was wall paneling, carpeting, a bath and shower, kitchenette and bunkroom.  I had managed to put up a 70' hazer tower and several temporary towers with tri-banders for these operations. 

     W3PP Evolves:  Over the ensuing years, W3PP evolved into a modest (by comparison) Multi-op contest station.  The radios were located on doors provided by N3KW, from a hospital renovation project.  I built frames and risers for each and arranged them in a "U" in the operating room.  They are still in place today.  I had a TS-830 and an FT1000MP, an Alpha 91B and a Collins 30L-1.  These were the core for the station.  NX3A brought over his TS-940 and a LK-500 amp, and NW3Y provided another TS-940 and an Alpha 96A.  N6ZO brought up another FT-1000MP and a Drake L4.  N3KW brought over his FT-1000MP and a Ten Tec Titan amp.  These equipments were usually brought in the evening before the contests, and W3PP became a full fledged Multi-Multi station.  As the years  passed, antennas and equipment have been upgraded with the addition of more FT-1000MPs, bigger amps and better towers and antennas.

    I am still constructing this web site, and lots of stuff is missing at this point.  Any questions or comments should be directed to [email protected].

             73, Dallas