One of the first ham radio podcasts that I listened to was
Ham Nation on the TWIT network with Bob Heil, K9EID, Gordon West, WB6NOA,
George Thomas, W5JDX, and Don Willbanks, AE5DW.
About that time, I wanted to upgrade to Extra Class on a trip to the
USA. I contacted Gordon West, WB6NOA,
who lived near where I was going to vacation to see if he would agree to test
me. He quickly agreed and he rounded up
two more Extra VEs to give me the test.
The truth was that I was not sure that I would pass the first time, so I
also made arrangements a week later in Denver.
Fortunately, I passed by missing only one and I had my Extra after 40
years of being a ham.
Ham Nation is now past its 416th weekly episode
and is still going strong. I contacted “Gordo”
to see if he would be my guest in an early QSO Today episode. With his schedule, he was only now available to
spend the time to make this episode.
Gordo told me that he has never been asked his ham radio
story, so he prepared it for our interview.
As with many of the guests, I do send a list of questions before hand to
make sure that they know where I am going in the interview. In Gordo’s case, he was prepared and answers
all of my questions in narrative format.
We are not having a QSO until the last 20 minutes.
His story is interesting as are his
contributions to promoting our hobby to the masses. His success is the thousands of hams who now
have their licenses from his books, tapes, CDs, and multiple ham radio classes
he teaches each week.
