Welcome to the Homepage for W8BS/3

Station Information

Contact Information

Current Projects

Biographical Information

DX Cluster Information

Station Information

Yaesu FT-817ND powered with 12v 7ah Batteries

LDG Z100 AutoTuner

Mosley TA-33 up 50 Feet

Cushcraft A505S up 60 feet

Diamond X50 up 65 Feet

160 Meter Inverted L Antenna

Bencher BY-1 Iambic Paddles

Heil Traveler Headset

Acer Aspire One Netbook running N1MM, Ham Radio Deluxe and ACLog 3.0

IBM Desktop running N1MM Contest Logger

Contact Information

E-mail address

w8bs@lexiann.com

Web address

http://w8bs.dyndns.org

Current Projects

Portable Cobra Jr. for Field Day Operation (80 through 10 meters)

Investigating Solar Panels to recharge Station Batteries

6 – 40 Meter End Fed for Portable Operation

4NEC2 Antenna Modeling

Biographical Information

My name is James Snider from Little Hocking, Ohio currently living in Lewistown, PA. I am 50 years old and was first licensed in 1992 as N8RNP. I started out as a No-Code Technician. Early in my ham career, I assisted at an antenna party at Dr. John Lee W8JL (then KD8GF) installing a tower and Mosley Pro 67-B antenna. When the job was completed, John sat me down at his FT-1000, turned on his JRC Solid State amp and told me to use his call and wherever the radio transmitted, I was legal. I was hooked on HF from then on. I progressed up to 5 wpm and got a Drake TR-4C and the Mosley TA-33. I worked many DX stations in those days but started to fall into the 10 meter SSB rut. I put the microphone away and started focusing on CW. I passed all my written exams for Advanced even before I passed the 13 wpm test. I passed Extra Class in 2000 and took the vanity call W8BS.

I have worked HF with amps, worked the satellites and now am hooked on QRP. I have had the FT-817 portable many times, have owned the Icom IC-703 Plus and now I am back to the Yaesu FT-817ND.

With the help of Randy Goff KD8G, I have gotten back into CW and have enjoyed making contacts QRP.

I have run many digital modes and have used Linux for many years. The previous DX Cluster at my location ran Fedora Linux and DX Spider. I have converted the system to AR-Cluster running on Windows 2003 Server.

I recently completed Worked All States and am now working on QRP Worked All States. I only need a few states to complete. I have completed DXCC, now working them QRP!

I regularly check into and handle local NTS traffic for the Ohio Single Sideband Net.

My wife and I enjoy our animals (6 cats and 3 dogs), riding bicycles (both road and mountain) and riding our 2003 Honda ST1300A Sport Touring Motorcycle.

I am a Maintenance and Facility Manager for Ames True Temper in Lewistown, PA. I have also worked for Corning Inc., Schott Scientific Glass, and SABIC Innovative Plastics (formerly GE Plastics).