ROTA-Radio

The Spark: 1970 and the “Sixth Grade Bug” The journey into amateur radio often starts with a single moment of curiosity. For me, that spark ignited in 1970 as a 15-year-old in Michigan. It began with a science unit on electricity, but the real “hook” was following a telephone repairman around our home. He showed…

The Transitional Years: From Teenager to “Family Man” If the 1970s were about getting my foot in the door of amateur radio, the 80s were the decade where I moved in and set up shop. I entered this second decade as a “ham at heart”—unlicensed, but fueled by the memories of 75 watts and a…

The Move to the “Adventure” In 1984, our “nuclear family” of three made a pivot that would define the next decade. We moved from the familiar comforts of Lakeland to East-Central Florida. It was a move necessitated by my career path in church-based education, but for my ham radio journey, it was like moving into…

The Career Pivot: From Pews to Classrooms 1994 marked a sea change in our lives. After nearly two decades in church-based education and youth ministry, I made the jump to the classroom. This was my “Second First Year of Teaching,” taking on a 4th/5th-grade combo in Davie, Florida. This shift brought a routine I hadn’t…

The Move to Paradise (and the Shift in Perspective) We ended the last chapter with my station sitting patiently in a closet. In 2016, Sue and I decided to position ourselves for retirement by moving across the Caloosahatchee River to a manufactured home community in North Fort Myers. It was a well-manicured paradise—five pools, golf…