This is the QSL.NET Web Site of:


Me at Luckenbach, Texas

With Great Gratitude and Thanks! to Al/K3TKJ
for making QSL.NET available.

Click here to skip the links, and see a little bio on ex-KA5THB otherwise...

On with the Links!

Check out the
Virtual Radio!
Virtual Radio
Stay Tuned!
WA5BXO
Great friend,
Outstanding operator,
and fellow AM'er!
NEWSLINE
Available in Text,
RealAudio and True Speech formats

KA1THM
Internet-Hamgate
Great Ham Radio
Ham Radio On-Line
On-Line magazine
Click on the Diamond
ARRL Diamond
to go to the ARRL homepage

The FCC
Link To FCC
Web Site
SAREX
Link To SAREX
(Shuttle Amatuer Radio EXperimentation) Information
NORAD
Link To NORAD
Two-Line Element Sets

Satellite Tracking
Link To SATTRACK
Pass Predictions
The W5YI Group Amateur and
Commercial Radio Supersite
Search for a Callsign from
QRZ.COM

Another source for
NEWSLINE!
Part 97
Rules and Regulations
with NPRM's!
Satellite
Link To AMSAT
Information

W7FG's Site
W7FG Vintage Manuals

WA1SOV
Wa1sov
Telecommunications
WebPage
Earthcam
Earthcam
Live Video Cameras from
Around The World
sarrio
The Raymond Sarrio Company

Peek into Space
Hubble
The Hubble Telescope!
Calculate Harmful

RF Exposure levels
Some useful

Constructions projects

Click here to read an interview with Mr. Beverage, of the Beverage antenna fame

A little biography on ex-KA5THB

I hit this ol' earth a running back in December of 1958, right here in San Antonio, Texas. Back then, the popular rigs on the band were the Heathkit DX-100's, SX-28's, BC-610's and gobs of Homebrewed and horrified/modified military surplus rigs. They were all over the bands. Homebrewing was -the- way to go, to get what you wanted. Hell, it still is! "Storebought" rigs were for the exclusive and wealthy people.

Hams even had 11m back then, and CW was the only mode allowed on 40m. But, the best band for DX was taken away from us, for lack of use. Then, more information was learned of the Sunspot Cycle and we were left with only 10, 15, 20, 40, and 80m. 160m, in most places, wasn't allowed for use by Hams, at that time, and anything above 50mc was purely in the experimental stages.

Now, here on the eve of a new millenium, we've got 3 more HF bands, and the V/UHF bands are riding on an all time popularity high with the advent of No-Code technicians. It's STILL a great time to be a Ham Radio Operator!

Since I was raised around Ham Radio (my Dad was W5OMR (Floyd R. "Ed" Edmonson - b. 1920, d. 1988)), I knew of all those old rigs, and even got a chance to operate some of them. In fact, my current station consists of an HT-37, driving a pair of 250TH's in push-pull, link-coupled in a Homebrewed final.

You can view pictures of the rig at http://www.qsl.net/w5omr/am.html.


It was a difficult decision, on what call to use/keep. Either keep the call I've had for the past 15 years, or acquire Dad's old callsign. I opted to keep dad's callsign in the family before someone who had no idea who W5OMR was, nor his values, got that call.

My -first- Ham Radio love is CW. I learned the code when I was 8 years old, with the help of my dad, for a Cub Scout project, and it's stuck with me. Although I didn't get a licensed until early 1984, I had only to hook up an old code practice oscillator and run through the alphabet again, to refresh myself. After the first week of "Ham Classes", I told my instructor that I wished to take the Novice exam, and did so at his house. Aced the CW, missed one question on the written (frequency allocation had changed on 75/80m. So I was off by 50kc. :) ) and then recieved

It was a proud moment for myself, but moreso I think for my dad (Rest his soul).

That was in Feburary of 1984, and in September of 1984, the last time the FCC came to San Antonio, I went down to upgrade to General. Missed the CW test by one question because the acoustics in the auditorium at Brooks Air Force Base were simply ATROCIOUS! But, I managed to pass the written test, and was legal on CW on all the novice bands, AND had 'fone privledges on 50mc and above!

Didn't do a lot with any 'fone operation, save for some mobile work on 2m (to communicate with the house) and stayed after the CW. In Feburary of the following year, another ham and I went to Austin, Texas for their first "VE" testing session. I ACED the 20wpm code test, and got my General Class license.
Not long after that, I took and passed the Advanced test, and then in in 1992, finally went down and took and passed the Extra Class examination.

You can still find me operating CW on HF, and can be sometimes be found on a weekly schedule on 40m at 7.040MHz in the early evening hours (thereabouts) with some other FINE operators. During the winter months, we can be found at 3.673MHz. Come by and join in, if CW is your bag.

Most mornings find me on 75m AM, around 3.880Mc, plate modulating the 250TH's, with other AM'ers and individuals who would rather "roll their own" equipment.

Comments, Suggestions, link additions or just plain ol' e-mail are welcome at

[email protected]

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The W5OMR Ham Radio WebPage was last updated on
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