I was first licensed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) in 1961 as WN8AQL in Marquette, MI.  In addition, I operated from Biloxi, MS and Austin, TX, and held the call-signs WB5FCO and WJ5MH.  AJ8MH was issued September 26, 2008.  My wife, Pam, was licensed March 20, 2009, and holds the call-sign KD8KMN.
 
AJ8MH is a member of ARRL, and the Hiawatha Amateur Radio Association of Marquette County.  AJ8MH has also been a member of FISTS (#14321), SKCC (#5857), AMSAT, YL - ISSB (#9420), QRP - ARCI (#3904) and 10-10 (#5991).
 
  My interest in electronics started in 1961 when I was eleven years old.  Not too long after my initial interest, I studied and tested for my Novice amateur radio license.  At fifteen, I took the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) exam for the 3rd Class Broadcast Permit, and started to work for Lake Superior Broadcasting (WDMJ AM/FM).  I worked for them while in high school and college in addition to WNMR-FM at Northern Michigan University.
 
In 1968, I joined the United States Air Force and trained as an air-traffic control radar technician serving in Amarillo, Texas; Biloxi, Mississippi (I survived hurricane Camille while in Mississippi in 1969); Nakhon Phanom, Thailand; and Austin, Texas.  During my tour of duty in Thailand as a radar tech, I did volunteer work for the Military Affiliate Radio Service (MARS Call-signs AI8NP and AIA8NP), and the American Forces Thailand Network (AFTN/AFRTS).
 
Military Service Notes (1968-1972):  Air Force Communications Service (AFCS) Air Traffic Control Radar Maint 3380th CMS Squadron Keesler AFB Biloxi MS - 1987th Comm Squadron Nakhon Phanom (NKP) Thailand - 2013th Comm Squadron Bergstrom AFB Austin TX - Volunteer work: Air Force 6001st Support Squadron AFTN/AFRTS Nakhon Phanom (NKP) Thailand.
 
After leaving the Air Force in 1972, I worked 2 years for Gulf Coast Broadcasting in Gulfport, Mississippi.  I was a Top 40 DJ for WROA AM, and program director for WROA FM.  In October of 1974, I started working for Teltronic Communications, a Motorola Service Center, and this is when I tested and was granted my "commercial" license issued by the FCC in New Orleans.

  In 1978 I left Mississippi and moved to Austin, TX.  I worked as a radio technician for Austin Communications, another Motorola Service Center.  I also worked part-time for KKMJ, Majic 95 FM.  Austin was the birthplace of my daughter, born on "Cinco de Mayo," 1981.
 
I started my cellular communication career as a technician for McCaw in 1987, and quickly moved into engineering then management.  Some years were better than others, but my personal satisfaction greatly diminished when the McCaw / AT&T Wireless operation was sold in late 2004 to Cingular Wireless and the organizational culture changed.  When Cingular was renamed to AT&T Mobility, it was certainly not the original AT&T that I enjoyed working for.
 
In February 2008, after 21 years, I retired from AT&T Mobility (Cingular / AT&T Wireless / McCaw Communications) as Operation's Manager and joined the ranks of the unemployed.  Having enough of the big city life, I left Texas and moved back "home" to Marquette in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, fully realizing that most people move south when they retire.
 
After settling in Marquette, I worked a little over a year with a great staff at Northern Star Broadcasting; a group of 2 AM and 3 FM stations including WDMJ and WJPD-FM.  I decided to completely retire shortly after the stations were sold to Sovereign Communications in 2010.  The sale didn't have anything to do with my decision.  It was just time to close another chapter of my life.
 
Since the 60s, I've had an interest in photography, and still do today.  With the advent of digital photography and photo editing software, I've taken a renewed interest.  Designing web pages is an interest that parallels photography and allows me to release some of my artistic abilities.
 
(Visit Flickr Photostream to view my photographs.)

  The radio-room (my little museum) in Michigan is on-the-air.  Current antennas include a Mosley TA-33-M-WARC (4 element beam) at 36', a homebrew sloping inverted-L for 160 with a trap for 40 meters, and a homebrew standard inverted-L for 80, 75 and 30 meters.
 
Over the years, I've experimented with packet satellites, most of the digital modes, antennas, built QRP rigs, and I've operated in many contests.  In 2002, I found duplicates of the Hallicrafters equipment I had during the sixties.  I refurbished all of it, and actually use the station.
 
Refurbishing the old station lead to many other projects including an RCA Radiola, a Hallicrafters SX-16 and SX-99, an Echophone EC-1, Heathkit AT-1 transmitter and a complete Heathkit HW-101 station.  I've also refurbished a small collection of telegraph equipment manufactured by Signal Electric of Menominee, Michigan.
 
Check the Site Map for pictures and links to many of my projects.

  These days, you'll find me chasing DX as I try and make up for lost time.  With so many avenues to follow in this great hobby, I lost focus.  My DX totals really aren't what they should be, but I'm making an effort to greatly increase the number of entities worked.  Links to my tracking spreadsheets are listed below along with my current totals.
 
I've managed to assemble a good station since I returned home, and for the first time in 50 years of ham radio, I now use a small amplifier to help me compete with the "big boys."
 
73, and hope to work you on the bands...again, or for the first time.
~  Joe  [ AJ8MH ]
 
Site Quick Links:
 
1) The Beginning 1961 through 1971
2) The Early Active Years 1972 through 2007
3) Today (This Page )

1)  I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
2)  I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.
3)  I will not trust the cluster and will be sure of the DX station's call sign before calling.
4)  I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never tune up on the DX frequency or in the QSX slot.
5)  I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.
6)  I will always send my full call sign.
7)  I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously!
8)  I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.
9)  I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.
10)  I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine.
11)  When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.

12)  I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
13)  I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.
 
*14)  I will have patience and ignore the jerks, especially the pile-up police, on frequency tuners, wrong VFO space-cadets, other jammers, pirates, all other LIDS, the ill-mannered and the inexperienced, both on frequency and on the DX cluster.
 
*15)  I will remember that the technology can be turned off, and I can do something more productive to pass the time.

"I'm often asked what you can do to help amateur radio and help enforcement.  There's several things you can do.  One is, don't engage people and don't humor the idiots.  We have a certain number of idiots, just like the legal profession does, the plumbers profession, medical, whatever.  It's just our society."

"But, stupidity can't be regulated, no matter how good the rules are.  The thing you do to help the most, is to just turn the big knob.  Every rig has one.  Whether the transceiver has 20 buttons or 77, it has one big knob."
 
Riley Hollingsworth, Retired Special Counsel, FCC Enforcement (11/2014)