Thursday, December 24, 2015

KC7ZXY is Back on the Air!

Is this frequency in use? This is KC7ZXY.

Nothing heard. CQ, CQ, Calling CQ. This is KC7ZXY, Kilo-Charlie-Seven-Zulu-X-ray-Yankee. Is there anybody out there?

Hello, and welcome to the new KC7ZXY Amateur Radio blog! I've been silent for a long while and it's high time I returned to one of my favorite hobbies. In fact, it is a hobby which encapsulates many of my other passions all within one convenient package. I have held a lifelong interest in electricity, magnetism, electronics, computers, software engineering, astronomy, audio/video production and the magic of all things wireless. What I have especially missed since I've been away from the shack and my workbench is the fellowship of this welcoming, resourceful, and always helpful community.

KC7ZXY is a call sign that originated in the Seattle Area of western Washington State and was granted as a Technician class license back in 1997. I had been living temporarily in that area after landing an internship at a major telecommunications company immediately after graduating from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering (1992). I remained in the Seattle area until 1999 when I returned to my home town of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

I kept up with my ham radio life sporadically for many years, collecting a lot of equipment, and knowledge. In 2007 when my license was up for renewal, I decided to upgrade to General class. Around this time, however, my employer increasingly sent me out of town on lengthy business trips where I worked long hours almost every day including weekends. This activity nearly eliminated the concept of personal time from my life. Many of my hobbies, interests, and even my relationships withered. I stayed on that job for far too long; always waiting for the day that things would get better.

Eventually, I found a new and infinitely more enjoyable position as a Lead Technologist/Software Engineer with a well known supplier of aviation and aerospace products. I love this new job and the technology with which I am able to work. Another big advantage is that this employer does everything it can to avoid overworking the employees. They want us to always be fresh, happy, and excited to work. The idea of maintaining a balance between professional and personal life is strong with this organization. I am quite grateful to have found a place to work such as this where I can be useful to others and satisfyingly challenged while still being able to pursue personal interests and have a rewarding life outside of the office.

Stating everything above only allows me to begin to express just how happy I am to be able to return to a life that I love; a life where I am useful and free. Yes, I feel more free these days than ever before.

Soon, these blogs will serve to document my return to Amateur Radio and will most likely begin with a series of "getting back to basics" topics while I retrace my early footsteps and find the path back to where I was before the tubes grew cold, the static faded, and the speakers went silent.

It's good to be back! Talk with you again soon!

73,
KC7ZXY
Donald Watkins

► Twitter: @KC7ZXY
► Google+: +KC7ZXY 
► YouTube: KC7ZXY Tube

Copyright Information
International Amateur Radio Symbol Image By Denelson83 (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/International_amateur_radio_symbol.svg/320px-International_amateur_radio_symbol.svg.png

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