History of K5LBU:
I was first licensed in 1960 at the age of 18. This was my last year in High School.
I was a Technician class and chased DX on 6 meters for several years before going off to Texas A&M where I studied electronics at the Institute of Electronic science. This was part of the engineering extension division of A&M. Married in 1966 worked in Electronic Warfare division for several years at LTV in Garland, Texas. Also worked for Galaxy Electronics in Iowa for several years.
In 1979 became member of JAARS part of WBT and went to Ghana to install new antennas and received the call of 9G1LL. In 1980 went to Juba, Sudan and operated as K5LBU/ST0 as Dr. Sid ST2SA requested that I do. In 1981 operated from 5Z4 and TJ for several days.
We came back to Texas in 1983 to Houston and have been here since. In the years between 1985 and 1990 operated from 6Y5/OA/HZ1AB, as I owned a commercial Radio store here in Houston.
In 1991 we went to Zambia with the FMB of the SBC and there I held 9J2CF. In 1994 we went to Sierra Leon where I held 9L1CF thanks to 9L1YL who was a great person and was fun to visit with the 2 years we were there. Several other hams in 9L land were great friends also and I have missed them.
Came home to Houston and have stayed put these last several years. In 1999 my wife died from Lupus and I went back to teaching school. I have installed a ham station at my Middle School and our call is K5OMS, which stand for Olle Middle School. In fact the station there is better than I have here at home.
It consists of a Kenwood TS570 AL80-B amp 70 ft tower with a C3SS at 75 ft and a 5 el 6 meter at 84 ft. At 60 feet is a 2meter/440 antenna at 50 ft is the center of a B&W inverted V. We work the world.
At home I only have an IC746 driving an Alpha-76PA and an 8el log at 40 ft. For the low bands 160/80/40 is an Alpha-Delta dual band sloper. I work almost everyone I hear.
In 1999 I made a 2-week trip to VK land and operated as VK4KBU. In July of 2000 made the first trip to ZS land with my daughters and their husbands. Andre ZS6WPX picked us up at the airport and off to Kruger National Park while driving around through the park I operated K5LBU/ZS6 then we went to Swaziland where had the call of 3DA0CF and since then have been back in July of 2002 and November 2002.
Hope fully this year of 2003 I will be back and operate my call of 7P8CF and C91CF.
Hope to work you on the bands!
73's
Frosty, K5LBU