WI4R

Lee Weaver
Peachtree City, GA

My father was an electrical engineer and many of his friends were Hams back
in Alabama. I guess I was sort of raised in a Ham Shack. We moved to St.
Petersburg in 1950 and our next-door neighbor was a Ham and I started
helping him with his antenna experimentation, kit building and he started
Elmering me. My best friend's father was a Ham and we used to hang out in
his shack. A few years ago I worked a Ham that lived in the very same house
although the original ham had become a SK. I think it was about 1953 when I
first took my Novice exam. I could send very well but couldn't copy the 5
WPM. We moved to Palm Harbor in 1958 and there were several Hams in my
neighborhood. I took the Novice exam several times and still couldn't copy 5
WPM. In 1960, I joined the Navy and was around all kinds of communication
operations including many MARS stations around the world and afloat. I took
the Novice exam a number of times and still couldn't pass the 5 WPM. In
1979, I moved to Peachtree City and went to work for Delta. There was a ham
on my crew and he was going to the FCC to upgrade to Advanced and asked my
to ride along and take my Novice exam. Needless to say I couldn't pass the 5
WPM but while I was waiting on him to take his written, I mentioned to one
of the people there that I had failed the 5 WPM but I had copied everything
on the 13 WPM and most of the 20 WPM while I was waiting. They asked if I
would like to take the 13 or 20 WPM exam and I opted for the 13 WPM exam and
made 100% and walked out with a General Class License (KA4MNS) after 27
years of failing the 5 WPM. I still can't copy 5 WPM to this day. NQ4I
became my neighbor in 1982 and after one CW contest with him I went back to
the FCC and passed the 20 WPM and Extra. Rick and I have been contesting
together ever since. We organized the Dixie DX'ers about 1983. I'm still not
much of an operator but I enjoy being around the action and watching the
real operators. My wife is from Panama so I got WI4R/HP1 back in 1983. I've
operated from Panama, Costa Rica, Guantanamo Bay (KG4TT), Dominican
Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Croix and several Navy ships and
stations.