- formerly N2BYC, became AA2C as of December 27, 2007 - Memberships: FARC (Foothills Amateur Radio Club, Pickens County, SC);  070 Club #346***FH-#108***DMC-#203***EPC-#2819***30mdg - QTH moved from South Jersey to South Carolina, January 2010.

I suppose you are reading this because you just "worked" me or heard me on the air, need my QTH address or just want to know, 'what's up with this guy, AA2C?' I hope I didn't embarass myself, hi hi. Also, I go by my middle name, Curtis (Curt for short), so that is why you read 'Paul' here on QRZ. PSE QSL Direct (preferred), BUREAU (NJDX Assoc) and LoTW also works for me, too. I reply 100% to anyone honoring me with their card, no SASE required. I can do eQSL as well as an AG, but I don't check it often as it is my least preferred. Call me old fashioned, but I believe the paper QSL is as much a part of amateur radio culture as the responsibility to generate a good signal or the desire to put together a good station.

Now for the 'fluff'. Interesting to note, I am updating my "bio" here, because I was just contacted by my original Elmer, Lee [WB2ZTZ, whom I haven't seen or been in touch with for some 30 odd years since, as life and child rearing often intercede and preclude these long time childhood friendships], this morning in fact (Sept. 1 '09), who being amazed that I had gone on and attained my Extra Class license, reminded me of my humble beginnings in amateur radio, and how and where I tested for my original Novice class license, which I had totally forgotten about. I would bet that I was probably one of only a handfull of hams, if not THE ONLY ham to have taken his Elmer proctored Novice exam at a fairly renouned strip club [Minnie's Bar and Lounge in Camden, NJ, home to the once famous Miss Vicky, lovely wife of ukelele strumming "Tiny Tim;" they were married on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show back in the 80's] over several beers, several pole dances, and over a requested extra candle for double the candle stick power for better reading. This occured in my early 20's, the bicentennial year of 1976. Prior to that I was an interested but less than avid SWL.

I recently snuck back into ham radio after a 17 year hiatus, shortly after I had received a telephone call from another old ham friend and hunting buddy I hadn't seen in a meer 10 years. He had been living and working abroad and we had lost touch. We exchanged anecdotal stories of good times "back in the day" and he asked me if I had any equipment left. He still had an old Kenwood TS-930 SAT boxed up in a closet somewhere (which was still better than anything I ever had back in those days and a rig that I'd always admired). Anyway, he was thinking of throwing up a dipole and

Well, since I hadn't been interested in the ham hobby since the advent of the XYL, 4 kids and the PC, and all that I could think about were images of $$$ going out the window, I vociferously declined. But then it just stayed alive in the back of my mind like that persistent hangover, and one day on eBay I saw that TS-930 that was always out of my reach as a young guy starting out raising a family, and I just threw out a low ball bid, my first ever eBay bid at that, and, well, here it was. Then came the simple wire antenna . and a tuner . and a keyer . and just as I had feared, now all that stack of stuff in the picture above plus two crank up towers and a ground mounted HyGain Hy-tower with a gazillion radials. Damn, hooked again. Another fallen-off-the-bandwagon member of AA (Amateurs Anonymous).

I must admit, the modern amateur radio experience is a real hoot for me. Once again I get that wide-eyed thrill you first got as a kid when you happened upon your future elmer's station as he was actually talking to some guy halfway around the world! Not so much of a big deal today, I know, because that sort of thing is run of the mill for almost everyone, from my 92 year old dad down to my high school aged daughter, and even the likes of me when I can pick up a hand-held cell phone and talk to a very good friend in Spain from my lawn tractor using direct dial! But, the fact that I can now mouse-click on some squiggly lines on a computer screen and some guy's transmission prints out right in front of me like magic, and there it is - MY call sign - and this squiggly line is being sent to ME! How cool is that?! I turn to share my amazement with my worldly-wise daughter [14 as of the original writing here], who is busy typing to thirty or so of her friends on her own computer while simultaneously talking on the house and cell phones - and she gives me that look of, "Yeah, so? You're IM'ing." Young people today just don't get the significance of generating and transmitting your own "IM". They are reared on instant gratification and take things like satellite and broadband communications for granted, and can't possibly appreciate the ga-zillion hours of work digging tower foundations, planting radials, and all the stuff we do to promote our own "IM". But for me, as a startin' to get kinda older guy, the hobby is again full of wonder and fun things in which to experiment. The digital modes - for me, bring back the old excitement and intrigue the hobby first gave me when I was a kid. And yeah, bustin' a pile up also does it for me, now that I am old enough to own some decent equipment, on property big enough to put up some real antennas.

Thanks for reading the Chronicles of AA2C. I hope it was worth the time spent, and maybe even illicited a chuckle or smirk of shared humor with the ham experience.

73' and hope to catch you on the bands de AA2C sk sk dit dit