[KL7AA] The Man Behind the Curtain: Your Friendly KL7AA/KL7AIR Mailing List Admin

[John Wolfe]

Hi folks,

 

I was responding to an inquiry and comments from Rich/AL4S, then thought I would share who I am with you.  I hope this takes a little mystery out of the man behind the curtain.  :-)

 

73,

John/AA0NN

List Admin, KL7AA and KL7AIR

Wasilla

 

Hi Rich,

 

I created this list for the club almost 20 years ago.  I was really involved in KL7AA at the time.  I was active duty Air Force, volunteered for five years as one of the communications focal points for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race, and was on the KL7AA board for a couple of years.   There were four of us on the base that resurrected the KL7AIR callsign for the Elmendorf AFB club in 1996.  We had a mailing list for KL7AIR that was pretty useful, and then as I became more involved in the big club I offered to put one together for them, which was well received.  Fred Erickson/KL7FE was the membership chair back then, and he would send me updates occasionally so I could update the mail reflector.     The update I attached was on an e-mail from him dated 12 April, 2001. (Note – I changed my mind and removed the attachment...)  I’m such a pack-rat!  Well, with old e-mails, anyway.

 

Then in 2002, with a promotion came the move.    I rented my house in Wasilla and headed down to Mississippi until I retired and returned home in 2006.  While in MS I kept an Echolink node down there and ran an HF PacTOR BBS for the Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS), handling morale and welfare traffic after Hurricane Katrina.  I also maintained the KL7AIR and KL7AA e-mail reflectors from down there so I could continue to make a contribution while I was away.  

 

Now I’m just a working stiff like everyone else – the Telecom Manager for US Fish & Wildlife Service at the Regional Office in Anchorage. 

 

So that’s a little about me and my history with the clubs.   I was all over the repeaters and on HF back then.  Everyone pretty much knew me, but notsomuch anymore.  When I returned I just didn’t have the time for the same level of participation that I did back then, and developed some other interests which happens in life.  I erected my Rohn tower about a year after I retired from the military, and put up a wind turbine and solar panels on it.  See, I figured out the radio-thing.  Did it in the military for 27 years and I do it as part of my duties now – maintaining Daniels repeaters on USF&WS refuges across the state.  I just decided to go and learn about some other stuff for now.  I expect I’ll get back into it after I’m really retired in about 9 or so years.  By then all my mostly new in-the-box equipment will need to be updated.  

 

I’m still up for maintaining the mailing list, being like that smoking-man guy on the X-files.  :-)   That said, just because I created it doesn’t mean I claim ownership of it.  As far as I’m concerned, it belongs to the club(s).  If your leadership would rather have it maintained by someone else, just let me know and I’ll have no problem with turning it over along with the passwords to one of your members.

 

I have a field season in the summer, so sometimes maintenance of the list is sporadic, but most of the time it runs itself.

 

Regards,

John

 

P.S.  I’m still the custodian for the KL7FBI callsign out at Shemya Island, too.  You can see that write up on QRZ.  I’m not out to hoard callsigns.  There’s just nobody out on Shemya conducting HF ops any more, and the Air Force stopped allowing it so I ensure its renewed and preserved. That’s too bad.  NA-37 is rare DX.

 

 

From: Rich Gillin [mailto:Rich at Gillin.US] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2017 8:13 AM
To: John Wolfe <aa0nn at arrl.net>; Dave Webb - N9AIG <vulcan48 at aol.com>
Subject: Re:

 

Good morning, I field questions about the list a lot lately. I have promoted use of it but have to refer all questions to you. Some users think KL7AA is in charge of the list.

Might be time for a blog post or newsletter article about the list if you would like to make one.

Rich Gillin - AL4S
Membership at KL7AA.net <mailto:Membership at KL7AA.net> 
907.884.1404

 

On 2017-11-13 10:58 PM, John Wolfe wrote:

Hi Rich,

 

I am the list owner.  What can I do for you?

 

73,

John/AA0NN

Wasilla

 

From: mailman-bounces at mailman.qth.net <mailto:mailman-bounces at mailman.qth.net>  [mailto:mailman-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Rich Gillin
Sent: Monday, November 6, 2017 12:21 AM
To: kl7aa-owner at mailman.qth.net <mailto:kl7aa-owner at mailman.qth.net> 
Subject: 

 

Who is this mail list owner?

-- 
Rich Gillin - AL4S
907.884.1404
rich at gillin.us <mailto:rich at gillin.us>  - IP at kl7aa.net <mailto:IP at kl7aa.net>  - webmaster at kl7aa.net <mailto:webmaster at kl7aa.net> 
skype: rich.gillin 

 

-- 
Rich Gillin - AL4S
907.884.1404
rich at gillin.us <mailto:rich at gillin.us>  - webmaster at kl7aa.net <mailto:webmaster at kl7aa.net> 
skype: rich.gillin