[OKDXA] Hello from K5YAC

[N5OK]

Mark,

Sure good to hear from you.  Glad to see you back at it.

73, Coy

On Wed, Feb 10, 2021 at 3:51 PM Mark Chouinard <chouinard.ok93 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Currently 20 degrees and ice everywhere here in Collinsville, OK.  No
> better place to be than in the shack with a hot cup of coffee, which is
> where I am testing equipment and getting my logger ready for WPX RTTY this
> weekend.
>
> Been a long time since I've been on the OKDXA reflector.  Was active with
> the group in the early 2000s but split off for a while to focus on another
> project, which you can see on my QRZ page if interested.  Many of you knew
> my Dad (K5YAA), who passed away in Nov 2019.  His last decade was a tough
> one for all concerned, even some of you guys at times.  As you may know,
> Mom (Carol - K5YAB) passed away quite unexpectedly in August 2020.  My
> brother and I are just now going through some of their things, which in
> part prompted me to rejoin the organization.  Dad has a TON of awards in a
> binder going back to the 1960s, milk crates full of plaques (more than he
> could display) and stacks of plastic storage bins full of QSLs.  I had
> forgotten how many Qs he cranked out in the 90s alone with many awards to
> boot.  I've found several short stacks of unanswered direct QSLs (recent)
> that I am working to provide replies to.
>
> I was emailing with K5WE a bit ago as we have a common interest in my
> area.  I told him how my son Tyler (in 2018 - then 13 years old) asked me,
> "Didn't you have a radio set that you used to talk on?"  I told him that I
> did, and we proceeded to unpack the old TS-850 and listen to faint signals
> on a wire that evening.  I got set back up and Tyler helped me with logging
> duties during the 2018 WPX SSB contest that year, then he proceeded to earn
> his Technician and General Class license within a week of each other at 13
> years old (KG5ZGW, now W5EAA).  We operated from Owasso for about a year
> when an opportunity to build in Collinsville at Airman Acres came along, we
> couldn't pass it up.  Probably good that I was recently on the air as it
> helped me to consider and incorporate proper station accomodations in the
> early sketches.  Now I sit here with several open conduits through the slab
> and proper grounding right through the floor of the shack.
>
> I'm not a big DXer or much of a great contester, but I enjoy being on the
> radio and competing against myself in a number of contests.  K5YAA had some
> heavy equipment across the way, most of which is too big (and now too
> dilapidated) to get my interest.  I saw what was required to erect and
> maintain that stuff and I just don't know that I'll try to replicate.  Plus
> my other hobby has wings... two mistresses is sometimes one too many.
> However, I will be standing his HDX-555 back up here at the house and plan
> to top it with a couple of his smaller yagis or maybe a HEXX Beam.  For a
> guy who has only used ground mounted verticals and wires, this should put a
> few new countries in my log and help my scores a bit.  My only concern is
> that this next level of equipment might just make me want a little more
> gain, a little more power, and so on.  :)
>
> As I explained to Jeff in my email, I've been licensed since 1995 but have
> never been on the air during a peak (95-98, 02-08 and now 18-present).
> Looking forward to cycle 25 and I'm gearing up for it.  Hope it's a good
> one!
>
> Thanks for letting me (re)introduce myself, and sorry for being so windy.
> Guess I get it from YAA.  If I start talking about lily pads, the Lone
> Ranger, the Man of Steel or you hear me say "HI HO Silver!"... somebody
> take away my keyboard! hi hi
>
> 73,
>
> Mark Chouinard - K5YAC
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-- 
Coy C Day, N5OK
20685 SW 29
Union City, OK 73090
H(405) 483-5632 C(405) 448-2368
n5ok at arrl.net