On The Cover: September 2003

On the Cover

On this month's cover, Mike Youngs, KK7VZ, shows off his shack at his home QTH of North Salt Lake, Utah.  Mike, a retired telephone engineer who built systems for Qwest, first got into ham radio through his volunteer job as a scoutmaster, where he saw its effectiveness for communications in remote areas.  He got his Technician Class license to use for scout activities, and was then "bit by the bug," as he says, and became active in other parts of ham radio. 

Mike is now into PSK-31, and has a full-time packet station, used mostly for DX spotting.  He uses an ICOM 706 and a 5-watt Kenwood radio for the packet system, as well as computer equipment not visible in the cover picture.  He does most of his DXing on a Kenwood TS-570.  (The round thing in the foreground is a magnifying work light.) Mike also dabbles in amateur TV, and likes to do public service.  He has a portable weather-proof box which contains nearly as much radio equipment as his shack and can be set up anywhere.  Mike says he helped with communications in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Mike got the chance to provide some very exciting public service.  He volunteered to help with communications during the Games, and used his skills in building systems to assemble and operate a video wall for the security forces' emergency center.  He shared the task of operating it with an FBI agent.

Mike was also placed in charge of mountaintop surveillance at the Olympics.  He was in control of sensitive communications on 14 peaks in the Wasatch Mountains around Salt Lake City.  He and his fellow workers finished setting up the radio equipment about a week before the Games began ... then had to tear it all down as soon as they were over. -- Dan Moseson   (Cover photo by Larry Mulvehill, WB2ZPI)

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