I work for Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) which is a world wide Christian broadcasting ministry. I work in the Pastoral Department, where I review programming for doctrinal integrity, as well as helping to man our world wide prayer line.  I also currently Pastor the Du Quoin Seventh-day Adventist Church in Du Quoin, IL.  I am also a member of Southern Illinois Adventist Community Services Disaster Response, which provides warehousing and distribution of donated goods in times of disaster. We also have chainsaw response teams.  Our agency serves 42 Counties in Southern IL.  I have also served my community as a member of the Franklin County EMA. I am currently a member of the Franklin County based ARES organization through the LEARS radio club.  I also teach an on-air class in traffic handling.  I got my first "ticket" when I lived in Mansfield, Ohio.  I passed my General test in June of 2009, and am working on my Extra license.  I want to expand my interests in traffic handling, as well as developing a prayer net.

Skywarn  programs are very important here in Southern Illinois, because we average about 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year.  Severe weather fronts occur quickly, so hams play an important part in severe weather spotting.  We work very closely with the National Weather Service office in Paducah, Kentucky.  Southern Illinois is vulnerable to tornadoes with an average of 35 occurring annually, which puts much of the state at around 5 tornadoes per 10,000 square miles annually.  Southern Illinois is part of "tornado ally."  The deadliest tornado on record in the nation occurred largely in Illinois. The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 killed 695 people in three states; 613 of the victims lived in Illinois.

The Southern region of Illinois is very close to the New Madrid fault line, which is the largest potential earthquake zone east of the Rocky Mountains.  This is of great concern to Hams here, and greater emphasis is being placed on ARES preparedness.  More work needs to be done in organizing traffic nets in the region.  I have completed the first 2 of the 3 parts of AREC training, and hope to finish the last segment in early 2007.  I also have an interest in APRS, and hope to incorporate that into my spotting activities soon.  I recently bought a new rig that should allow me to pursue all of my interests, the Yaesu FT-8800R.

Amateur astronomy!  Besides amateur radio and music, I also enjoy amateur astronomy.  I use a home made 6" Newtonian reflector on a German equatorial mount, as well as an 80mm apochromatic refractor made by William Optics (right).  I have a particular interest in lunar studies, as well as a general interest in star clusters and the Messier objects.  I would like to know more about amateur radio astronomy!