I am still around, believe it or not

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I am still around although not very active. This past year and some I have been very involved with ham radio (my call is WX1USN and am an Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator) and I have been certified as a Volunteer Examiner and help run 2 - 3 different testing sessions where we test people who want to become hams or upgrade their licenses to the next level. As a top level amateur I am able to test any ham for any license.
I have also been extremely involved in photography and the local camera club, actually have more cameras than telescopes.

My main problem is that I have too many hobbies. Photography (no. 1), Astronomy, Ham Radio (astro and ham fight with each other), genealogy, coin and stamp collecting, model building,

check out my website you can get there by www.jeffpadell.com or www.wx1usn.com

https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmpadell/albums

[Bigzmey]

Having too many hobbies is great. Enjoy! I had to park some of mine, because I don't have time for all of them.

[StarBru]

Glad you're back, I remember you and reading and enjoying your posts! Too many hobbies.......yes, I can relate. Cameras, telescopes, computers, guitar, music, reading, etc. I can only do several at a time and every few years, I shift!

[messier 111]

It's good to hear from you , thx .

[helicon]

Great. I have two main hobbies, astronomy and coin collecting.

[The Wave Catcher]

Hi Ben,

The more hobbies the better. Over this holiday, I’ve spent a lot of time with family, got some good visual observing in, and had fun in the CW World Wide CW Contest too. I hope to spend more time in the contest after I get back from taking my youngest son to the airport.

73,
Steve - AA5TB

[Gordon]

HI Jeff!
We've missed you!

I understand too many hobbies. I try to keep mine slimmed down to just a couple. Fixed income kinda forces a reduction in hobbies.

[AstroBee]

Hey again Jeff. Jeff & I just had a conversation on another forum a few days back. Great to see you here again. We have a guy, or gal, not too far from our home that is a big ham operator. He has a huge antenna tower in his backyard that must be 100' tall. That's one hobby I know nothing about. But I do collect coins (That I would really like to sell...), and up until about a year ago, had a huge camera/lens collection. I sold every bit of my DSLR camera gear since I wasn't shooting commercially any longer and invested it all in astro gear.

[Frankskywatcher]

Love the call sign is that a vanity one ?
I have done VE testing on and off over the years. Call sign is WR1R it’s great in CW.
I would have to agree that you have alot of hobbies but I like every one that you have!

[Ylem]

Glad to hear from you Jeff!
I used to have a Novice, back when they used to expire
I still remember my first contact, Japan, on 40 metres, maybe we actually hit 4 wpm

(I had a Johnson Viking and an ARC-5)

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Love the call sign is that a vanity one ?
I have done VE testing on and off over the years. Call sign is WR1R it’s great in CW.
I would have to agree that you have alot of hobbies but I like every one that you have!

WR1R,
Yes it is a vanity call! My original call was N1USD. I liked it be as a former US Navy photographer I always wished it was N1USN. I got my ticket in 1995 but never used it at all, the volunteer crew on the battleship Massachusetts while I was helping redo the radio room talked me into trying for my ticket so I studied the book and morse for 2 weeks and got my Tech Plus (5wpm) but being busy raising 3 boys and all that goes with it I put radio aside.
In Feb 2022 one of my fellow Trustees at the Seagrave Observatory in N Scituate RI talked me into getting involved in ham with a $50 Baufung HT. I was concerned about gadget, I go overboard. I went to hamtestonline.com and studied for 2 weeks and passed my General 100%, no wrong, I also picked up a Kenwood TS-140 and a used Hustler 5BTV vertical antenna, didn't put down any radials and started making contacts. I also started doing POTA from my jeep with the TS-140. I quickly fell in love with HF. doing POTA and HF took away from astronomy, I also became a VE and the guys there mentioned how Extras can test everyone so I again went to hamtestonline and studied for 2 weeks (there is a pattern there) and studied 8 hours a day (retirement has its privileges) and PASSED WITH ONLY 1 WRONG!
When I passed my general and found out about vanity calls and started searching on QRZ and the ARRL for USN calls. Most are taken. I am also into SKYWARN and we have a local Skywarn net on 2m here in Walpole MA south of Boston. SO I tried WX1USN (WX for weather) and got it!
I got my WAS with phone, and then this past July I discovered FT8/FT4 and started doing that in the shack. I have gotten my DXCC mixed and am at 154 countries including HONG KONG, Pitcairn Island, Norfolk Island, India, Japan, Australia, South Africa (on 5 watts), Greenland and a Russian Research Ship in the Arctic Ocean.
When I got my Extra I treated myself to a Kenwood TS-590, if you don't care about a waterfall it is a great radio! I use my computer with kiwiSDR for the waterfall, don't need one on the radio.

Check out my QRZ page!

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

Glad to hear from you Jeff!
I used to have a Novice, back when they used to expire
I still remember my first contact, Japan, on 40 metres, maybe we actually hit 4 wpm

(I had a Johnson Viking and an ARC-5)

Thank you, check my previous reply with pictures so I don't type it again.

After getting my Tech Plus at 5 wpm I have totally forgotten code HI HI

[Frankskywatcher]

Sorry for the late reply here I’ve been very busy with my American Legion Post here in Myrtle beach.
That was a great “ story” and I used to live in Bristol, Providence and then Woonsocket before retiring and movie to South Carolina.
That’s awesome that you jumped in with both feet!
I got my ticket punched in 88, 89 with one of the best all time solar cycle ,you could work the world with a coat hanger and 2 watts LOL!
I was a creature living at the bottom of 20 meters on CW and had a closet full of boxes of QSL cards !

[Ben Cartwright SASS]

I just got a QSL card from Thailand! I have been doing FT8 alot, some people look down on it but I like how visual it is. I mostly try to work stations with 5 watts and a vertical antenna