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User:NX1Z

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by NX1Z (talk | contribs) at 21:15, 21 November 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

My commute to work
My Amateur Radio Station








Introduction

Hello! My name is John O'Brien. I am a ham radio operator, hence my strange user name.

I like to play with radio. I have earned the highest class of license from the Federal Communications Commission to operate radios on the ITU and WARC Amateur radio bands. This makes me a "Ham" radio operator. My radio callsign is NX1Z. The coolest thing that I have ever done on the radio is talk to the Astronauts and Cosmonauts on the International Space Station. My other big hobbies are hiking and taking my truck off-road. I like to combine radio with my other hobbies, so I have radios that I take hiking with me and I have radios installed in my truck. Many people that I have met on the air (radio) have become life-long friends. Radio is the original internet (and it’s always been wireless) but there is no spam or viruses to slow things down.

Ham radio operators are always there to help in emergencies. They bridge the communication gaps when catastrophe strikes. Whether it’s a hurricane, earthquake, Tsunami or anything that disrupts the communications of the authorities, the ham radio operators step-up to keep the lifesaving communications going in times of disaster. When hams are not helping with emergencies, they communicate with each other just for the fun of it!

My new thing is flying. I plan on getting my private pilots license. I just want to fly for the fun of it and because it is an achievement that I would be proud of. I have only managed a few lessons, but I love what I have experienced so far.

Family

My best friend is my beautiful wife Licia. She is exactly opposite me, but that keeps things interesting. She is a Gemini so she has two personalities; I am the only one that knows them both. She makes fun of my radio hobby all the time even though she thinks that it is cool that I can talk to the Space Station. But she likes to talk to some of my friends on the radio too.

Intentions

As for Wikipeadia stuff, I want to contribute without stepping on peoples toes. I am not here to show people how smart I think I am about the things that I know about and will never claim to be expert of any topic. I am certainly not here to fight with people or ruin the hard work of other users. When I add photos to articles, I am NOT promoting myself. It’s just easier for copyright purposes to use pictures that I have taken myself.


Articles created by NX1Z

  • Non Yet. Relax, I am working on it.


Articles NX1Z contributed to

  • I copy edited some sections of Radio and added a pic of my amateur radio station.
  • I added a picture to Rock crawling because it had no photos of rock crawling. Good article though!
  • I added a picture to QSL card because there was no example of an Amateur (Ham) Radio QSL card.
  • I added a picture to Monterey Bay Aquarium to show that there is an area for visitors to handle small animals like starfish.
  • I added 5 pictures to Calaveras Big Trees State Park which show tree size, the tree tunnel and Discovery Tree info.


Images NX1Z uploaded




Mauritius kestrel
The Mauritius kestrel (Falco punctatus) is a bird of prey from the family Falconidae endemic to the forests of Mauritius, where it is restricted to the southwestern plateau's forests, cliffs, and ravines. It colonized the island and evolved into a distinct species from other Indian Ocean kestrels, probably during the Gelasian or Early Pleistocene periods. The Mauritius kestrel can reach a size between 26 and 30.5 cm (10.2 and 12.0 in), with a mass of up to 250 g (8.8 oz) and rounded wings with a span of approximately 45 cm (18 in). Males are slightly smaller than the females. It is a carnivorous bird, eating geckos, dragonflies, cicadas, cockroaches, crickets, and small birds. It hunts by means of short, swift flights through the forests. This Mauritius kestrel was photographed in the Ebony Forest reserve near Chamarel, Mauritius.Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp