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K8HSY

3/7/2015

4 Comments

 

Episode 032 - Ron MiLliman - K8HSY

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Beginning as a short wave listener on his parents Zenith general coverage receiver and later to a Knight Kit Ocean Spanner, Ron Milliman, K8HSY was hooked on radio. Having a supportive father and a great set of elmers and friends led Ron on an amateur radio journey that has lasted over 60 years. The loss of most of Ron's eyesight, as a result of a childhood illness, did not stop Ron from getting his first licenses with a group of school friends, building his own gear and antennas, operating, and eventually becoming a professor and entrepreneur.  Ron joins Eric, 4Z1UG, on QSO Today to tell his ham radio story. 

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First License: KN8HSY, 1957, Age 13

Other call signs: W7GPF, AC4HM

First Rig: Homebrew 6L6 Transmitter, Hallicrafters S38

Elmers:  
  • George Wood, a father of one of Ron's friends created study group to learn the Novice.
  • Leo Brandt, W8AJM,
  • Bob Besser

Michigan School for the Blind - closed in 1995. Began in 1915.  The building is a landmark. The school encouraged Ron and his friends to obtain their amateur radio licenses. 

Resources for Blind Hams:
  • Kenwood Communications - equipment most friendly for people with visual impairments. 
  • Auditory Gimmick - created by Robert Gunderson, W2JIO, to allow blind hams to "read" transmitter meters. 
  • “Amateur Radio and the Blind”, By Butch Bussen, WA0VJR, QST Magazine, Oct 1987
  • Ham Radio and Vision - for Blind and Vision Impared Ham Radio Operators - website by Peter DeNeef, AE7PD, lots of resources and links to radios and equipment for blind operators.  
  • American Council for Blind Amateur Radio Operators 
  • Courage Kenny Handiham Program  

Current Rig: Kenwood TS590 on an 80 meter loop antenna with antenna tuner
Kenwood TM-V71A Dual Band VHF/UHF 

Favorite Operating Mode:  CW and SSB

Ham Awards: DXCC, over 300 countries confirmed

Once was a partner in a FM Broadcast Station - KMMD Mesa, Arizona

Articles by Ronald Milliman:
  • Using Background Music to Affect the Behavior of Supermarket Shoppers, Ronald Milliman
  • Getting Started on 6 Meters
  • Profile of Ron Milliman, Professor and Entrepreneur

Advice to new hams:  Study the history of ham radio
  • http://www.arrl.org/ham-radio-history
  • This is Ham Radio  - early video on the history of ham radio from the ARRL. 
Old Time Transmitter Kits  
  • http://pastimeprojects.com/transmitterkits.html
  • TT1A 2 Band CW transmitter kit
  • 6V6 Transmitter Kit


The RSS Feed for all audio content from QSO today is available from here. 

Please join our QSO Today community by pressing the button below. It is the best way to suggest guests and topics, and provide feedback to Eric, 4Z1UG.
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Hallicrafters S38 Receiver
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6L6 and 5U4 Transmitter
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Kenwood TS-590S
This rig talks to blind amateurs for every setting
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Kenwood TM-V71A Dual Band UHF/VHF
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Zenith 12A58 Floor Model Console Radio
4 Comments
dewaine
3/7/2015 11:12:27 am

david rowe vk5??? digital and voice desiner, code writer. inventor codece.

Reply
Eric 4Z1UG
3/7/2015 03:32:07 pm

Already on my list. Thanks for the suggestion.

Reply
Nancy H Strong
3/16/2015 01:42:00 am

Oh, My. What a great guy. What great parents. What a great example. I live in Arizona and have been unable to have an antenna for a couple of years now. I will try again in my new apartment in a house I have to go to my storage unit to get my flat wire "J" pole. I am just a technician. I am going on an all day Jeep Tour of a secluded desert in Queen Valley AZ, tomorrow. In case of an emergency I want my skills up to speed. I have a Vertex-150, handheld with a couple of choices for mag mount. I have to research the frequencies in that area. But I am having difficulty finding a frequency map. That is why I went to QSO today. Not a whole lot of kept up repeaters in these here parts as far as I can tell. I was very inspired by your story. Thank you, KI6INC, Nancy Strong​

Reply
Eric 4Z1UG
3/21/2015 04:17:02 am

Dear Nancy - thanks for your comments. Ron is every bit as friendly and personable as he was in the podcast.

You live in a part of Eastern Arizona that is served by many repeaters, some on Pinel Peak. If you don't have this link: http://goo.gl/NvLIMN , this is a list of VHF repeaters in your area.

My guess is that you could enhance your enjoyment of ham radio in very restricted circumstances if you had a "micro-node" in your apartment that you could talk to with your handheld. This would allow you to talk to hams all over the World.

Here is another link: http://www.micro-node.com/nano-m1.html . The company is in Las Vegas. You connect the "nano node" to you Internet connection and it will serve as a radio gateway to hundreds of ham repeaters and radios around the World.

Thanks for listening - 73, Eric 4Z1UG

Reply



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