va3pc

All About Paul

What can I say? Married, one child, two major hobbies (ham radio and computers), and a diesel nut (Jetta TDI).
I grew up in Schreiber, Ontario (a little town of 2,000) on the north shore of Lake Superior just a short two hour drive east of Thunder Bay.
I attended High School there, and then went off to University - Math program at Waterloo. Just a bit too young I think, cause by the end of second year I was overwhelmed by it all and withdrew. After all, the Waterversity of Uniloo had six times as many students as I had people in my hometown. After a year to lick my wounds (and get my cash flow back in shape) I went to Sault College for a course in Electronics Technology, and three years later headed off into the working world.
I've worked for Transport Canada in the Nav-Aids and Communications Electronics section, Motorola Canada Limited as a Field Technical Representative, and then accepted my current employment with the Provincial Government (Ontario Provincial Police) as a Telecommunications Technologist in 1987. I retired at the end of 2017, so now my weeks have six Saturdays in a row, followed by a Sunday.
Along the way, I was granted certification by O.A.C.E.T.T as a Certified Engineering Technologist (CET), finished off my B. Math degree by correspondence, and night courses in programming, networking, computer security and Linux at Canadore College led me to a certificate in Programming.
I've lived in Schreiber, Thunder Bay, Waterloo, Toronto, Timmins, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, London, Owen Sound, Wiarton, Milton, and North Bay before finally settling in Callander where I've been in my curent house since 1990! You might think I enjoy travelling (and actually I do), but try to limit it to the summer holidays where we (the family and I) have been to both coasts multiple times.
Radio has always been a passion of mine since the General Radio Service days (remember CB's? XM36-1027 was my call). I was active in REACT, Sandbagger's Anonymous, Provincial Emergency Measures Organization and a few other groups. I was issued my first Amateur License (VE3KOI) in 1979 and within a few years got the itch to construct a repeater. VE3ERX was available when a friend of mine moved to Manitoba so I requested the call. The repeater went on and off the air for a few years as I moved around, but is currently on the air in Powassan on a frequency of 147.030+
While I was in Milton, I hosted one of the first packet BBS's in the Toronto area (using VE3KOI). It went off the air when the W0RLI BBS software went beyond the capabilities of the Xerox 820 motherboard and two 8inch floppy drives I used for storage.
My current focus with Amateur Radio is Contesting with RTTY and SSB and HF mobile operation.
Of course Ham radio is not all about fun, I am the President of the local club - North Bay Amateur Radio Club, an assistant director for Radio Amateur's of Canada (Ontario North and East), and an ARES District Emergency Coordinator for the Magnetawan area of the province. As well I am the trustee for the callsign for the OPP in North Eastern Ontario (VA3OPP) and a call that is used at General Headquarters in Orillia in the Provincial Operations Centre (VE3POC).
I am also a delegated examiner - Industry Canada and Canadian Power and Sail Squardons - for Radio Operator Certificates - Amateur (all classes), and Maritime Restricted Radio Operator.
Hey - ham radio is great! When you lose enthusiasm for one particular aspect of the hobby, another is waiting in the wings. I wonder what will grab me next!

'73 Paul