AA4LR

Bill Coleman
Loganville, GA

I started in amateur radio in 1975 as WN8WOY, later WB8WOY. My brother Ben (now NJ8J), had gotten his license that year, and I followed about 7 months later. Amateur radio introduced me to computers in 1977, and today I make my living writing software. My Novice expired after two years, but in 1979 I obtained my General class license as N8BHE and upgraded to Extra the next year. In 1985, I turned in N8BHE for AA4LR.

While I was exposed to contesting at the Georgia Tech club station W4AQL, the contesting bug didn't really bite until I entered the ARRL Sweepstakes in 1986. By 1988, I had won the low-power Phone category for the Georgia section, a feat I have repeated several more times.
In 1989, I won the Southeastern Division for low-power Phone (that was the year that Hurricane Hugo scraped the Virgin Islands clean).

My home station is rather modest, just a tribander at 50 feet and wires, so most of my contesting focus has been on domestic contests. My favorite contests from home are the North American QSO Parties on CW, Phone and RTTY.

I first came to NQ4I's M/M in 1996 for the CQWW Phone. Rick has built (and continues to build) a fine station. Over the years, I have operated his station from every band at one time or another.

Since Rick added the second "mult" positions in the last few years, most of my operating has been from those stations, beside some very fine run operators, such as WRTC winner Jim VE7ZO and four-time WRTC competitor John K4BAI.

I look forward to any opportunity to operate from NQ4I. It is a privilege to be in the company of such a fine group of operators, and use such excellent equipment. I always learn something from the experience.