Ham Radio @ WB4IUY / AC4QD

Ham radio is a family affair at the Hockaday household. My wife, Debbie, is a radio amateur with an Extra Class license and her call is AC4QD. My oldest son, Chris, is KF4DBX. Both of my parents are hams, their names and calls are: Duke KD4NNK and Florence KD4NYT. Radio Amateurs are often called "Radio Hams", or simply "Hams".

I have been a radio amateur since I was 14 (mid-1974). I "cut my teeth" on tube gear, building from old ARRL Radio Amateur's Handbooks and using scrap TV sets for parts. My first commercial receiver was a Hallicrafters SX-42 that was given to me in true "scrap box" condition. Looking back at my early stations, it's a wonder I actually ever made contact with anyone! They were good days, though, and I learned much more about radio than if I had bought everything. I only wish I had taken pictures of my old station equipment...

We've been members of TEARA since 1991. The club was a very small club that was originally formed in 1989, and by '91 the members had moved away, had other other interests, and was about to dissolve. TEARA was based in my home town of Clayton at the time, so I had an interest in trying to keep it from evaporating. Debbie and I threw ourselves into the club and got things rolling again, and for many years, we were heavily involved in club operations. We held club offices, ran the nets, built several repeaters, managed many special events, taught loads of classes at Johnston Tech and other locations, etc. You can learn more about TEARA and Amateur Radio by clicking the TEARA logo on the right.

In 1992, Debbie and I founded the TEARA VE TEAM. At the time, there were no VE Teams in the immediate area, and we often had 100+ applicants at the monthly test sessions. We recruited VE's from other areas to help, and in exchange, Debbie and I would travel long distances to help with other groups with their test sessions. Over time, members of TEARA upgraded and/or became Volunteer Examiners, and the TEARA VE TEAM strengthened. The TEARA VE TEAM is still in operation today, and you can learn more about them by clicking the TEARA VE TEAM logo on the right.

Use the menu at the top of the page to see the ham radio content of this part of our website. If you have any questions about anything, feel free to email me at wb4iuy@eastrc.org. We hope you enjoy your visit with WB4IUY & AC4QD!

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