My name is Carter Craigie, and I was born and raised in Richmond, VA. In 2007 my wife Kay N3KN and I moved from Paoli, PA back to VA, so we could be near our daughter Jenny KA3WVD, her husband Greg (no call), their son James (aged 2 in October, 2008) and a new granddaughter Evie, to be born in November, 2008.
I have held the calls KA3IME, KD3AO, and now
N3AO. I was first licensed as a
novice in 1981 in Devon, PA. I had been an SWL while at Williams College
(1954-1960) in northwestern Mass. I thought it was a gas to hear Radio
Moscow, the BBC, and VoA.
My graduate degree is in Folklore and Folklife Studies from the Univ. of Pa.
While teaching at Cabrini College in Radnor, PA, I returned to radio, still
as a listener. When I learned that an ordinary citizen could also TALK on
the airwaves as well as listen, I started going to classes to get my ham
ticket. I was a novice for at least two years doing CW only on HF before I
tried to get my general. Wow! There were voices in that radio! From that
point on I worked and finally earned my extra ticket. My wife Kay (then WT3P)
also
got her extra about the same time. We taught novice classes for about 5-6
years for the Mid-Atlantic ARC (MARC). I still teach CW classes here at home
now in southwest VA... I'm still not a fast sender or receiver but I really like
CW.
I have been the MARC president for two 2-year terms. I was the EPA Section
Traffic Manager for about 2 years. I have been the MARC Field Day chairman for
years, and was also the club's Traffic Net Manager. But all of that is over now,
as Kay & I have moved from PA to VA! As you can see, I still kept my 3-Land
callsign: N3AO.
As you may know, my wife Kay has gone on to become EPA Section Manager,
then Vice-Director, Director of the ARRL's Atlantic Division, and now is the 1st
Vice President of the ARRL. She loves what she does, and enjoys DXing and
contests especially, among other interests in ham radio...
I have fallen in love with rig (kit) building and have built the following:
TAC 1 (one for 80 meters and one for 40 meters), OHR 500, WM-2 QRP
Wattmeter, DD-1 Digital Dial, a Red Hot NorCal 20 and a NorCal 40, as well as
an Elecraft K2, K1, and a KX1. I make all my own dipoles, of course...
I like to operate HF mobile, and I also like to go camping (and
canoe-camping) and to do portable QRP while in the campsite.
As of this writing (in 2008), I am 70 years
old and have scaled back my outdoors camping. Still, I like to go on day-hikes
and operate QRP. I now live fairly close to the Appalachian Trail in Virginia,
and hope to operate from there as often as I can. If you need the “AT” please
contact me and I’ll see if I can accommodate you. My email address is carter128
at verizon dot net. My cell phone number is 540-250-8184.
I think the people in the EPA QRP Club are some of the nicest and most
helpful people I've had the pleasure of meeting!
73/72, Carter N3AO
EPA QRP Nr. 13
570 Brush Mountain Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060