1983 - New 2X1 callsign AND Computing

On January 7, 1983, my new Extra Class License (pictured left) sporting my new callsign came in the mail, and I was issued KN1I. This year, my interest in DX increased, and I begun to work more and more countries towards my DXCC.

​The 20 meter band also was expanded on SSB down to 14.150, and I begun working stations in that portion of the band on May 22, 1983. This was also the year that I would begin getting very interested in computers and their application to Amateur Radio.

My very first home computer was a Radio Shack Color Computer. This unit had 16K of RAM in it, which I upgraded to 32K. The software I ran was primarily log software at first, but I experimented with SSTV with this computer, with mixed results. I decided to go the Commodore route, so I picked up a VIC-20 computer and got on RTTY, using EPROM cartridge-type firmware from Kantronics such as Hamtext and AEA's AEAText. I also had an AEA CP-1 computer patch interface (pictured below).

This unit hooked up between the radio and computer. I also had the Commodore cassette tape drive. I also had the Commodore cassette tape drive. I also picked up a Commodore 64, which had 64 K of memory. Added to this was a Commodore MPS-801 printer, 1541 disk drive, and other accessories. Here is a picture of me with the ham equipment and Radio Shack Color Computer and Commodore disk drive in the left of the photo (pictured left). I had both VIC-20 and C-64 computers set up at the same time at one point, both RTTY capable, as well as the "CoCo" for experimenting. Software was only available on tape at the time, or 5 1/2" floppy disk. No hard drives! I also applied for a new amateur radio license plate for my new callsign. Here is that plate (pictured left). A photo of me at my station is also below. During 1983, I worked a total of 20 new ones for DXCC.