NF4A

Charlie Wooten
Panama City, FL

Licensed: 1962 as WN4IMC when I was 12 years old in Panama City, Florida. One year later, upgraded to General/Conditional WA4IMC. Was active through high school in SS and CD Parties. Worked in high school at the local television station as a cameraman, then to director of 6 and 10 news.

I graduated from college in 1971 with a BA in broadcasting but had always had an interest in the technical side of broadcasting.my degree was in everything but the technical aspects of broadcasting. I was able to obtain my FCC 1st Class Radiotelephone license and Advanced Class amateur ticket when I was 18. Contesting and DXing were my main activities in ham radio through the 70's but I was off the air from 1978 until 1989. In 1989 I got back on HF mobile and proceeded to work all 3076 counties for the CQ USACA award (#717). This feat was accomplished while operating mobile. I was traveling all over the US installing AM and FM transmitters and studio facilities and since I drove everywhere I went so that I could have all of my tools and test equipment handy, I was on the air mobile quite a bit.

In 1991, I was approached by the US State Department to do some broadcast engineering work in Eastern Europe after the fall of communism. From 1991-1997, I was able to operate from (then) Czechoslovakia as OK8EMC, Hungary as HA/WA4IMC and Croatia as 9A/WA4IMC. Through the early and mid 90's I was in Eastern Europe several months a year and I would schedule my work dates there so I would be there during the either the ARRL or CQ DX contests. Starting in 1995, I operated with the 9A1A group in the ARRL SSB and we were the #1 world multi-multi that year. Almost each year from 1995, I have operated either the CQWW or ARRL DX contest (either CW or SSB) from 9A1A. In 1998, I operated as 9A/WA4IMC and was #1 EU and #4 World SOSB20 in the CQWWSSB. In 2000, after upgrading to Extra, I changed my call to NF4A. In 2002, my good friend N4PN started traveling with me to 9A for the ARRL and CQWW contests and we have continued these trips annually as our time permits. In 2003, Paul and I were given our respective personal 9A calls.9A4PN and 9A5PC. My favorite contest is the CQWPX (CW and SSB). In 2006, I was asked to be a referee at the WRTC in Brazil. That was probably the most ham radio fun I have ever had.

I am an active member of the Florida Contest Group (the VERY stupid ARRL 175 mile rule precludes my full participation even though I live in Florida). I have a modest station in Panama City, Florida, the city where I was born and raised. I am active every year as a Rover in the Florida QSO Party. I am the Southeastern Division representative on the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee.

Professionally, I am Director of Engineering and IT for Clear Channel Radio, who owns 6 broadcasting stations in Panama City and over 1000 stations around the world. I maintain high power AM and FM transmitters, studio equipment and the computer network. I also assist Clear Channel with technical problems at other markets in the Southeastern US. I am on the Clear Channel Hurricane Response Team and spent 3 weeks in Biloxi immediately after Katrina keeping the Clear Channel-owned stations on the air. In 2003 and 2004, I was named Small Market Engineer of the Year for Clear Channel. In 2005 I was named overall Engineer of the Year. Clear Channel has several of its employees around the country who are active contesters..K6AM and K9GX just to mention a couple. I have worked for Clear Channel full time since 1997.

It is an honor to be one of the operators at NQ4I for the past several years.