K1HTV

Licensed first in 1958 at age 16 as KN1HTV, Rich has been continuously active on the HF and VHF bands for over five decades.

1958 - K1HTV began chasing DX as a novice with 50W & a dipole in New Haven, CT. Heard the first Sputnik satellite on 20 MHz and got the satellite bug! In 1960, passed exam for Amateur Extra license while at the New England ARRL convention at Swampscott,MA. Also began working at WELI (5 kw) in New Haven, CT as a broadcast engineer. 1963 - Married Phyllis, KN1WSN (now K1WSN). Started new job at WTIC-AM-FM-TV3 in Hartford as broadcast Engineer, working at ‘TIC until 1980.

1965 - Purchased first house in Thompsonville, CT. Worked 36 states on 144 MHz many using meteor scatter. Was a member of CWA (Connecticut Wireless Association). It was great associating with the likes of many old timers like W1BDI, W1TX, W1BIH, W1NJM, W1EOB (N4XR), W1EOB (W1AX) and W1FTX as well as newbies (at the time) like W1BGD (W1RM), W1DGL (W1XX), W1ECH and W1WEF. Have lots of memories participating in the ARRL Field Day events with the CWA gang and guest ops K1ANV (W3ZZ), W1FJJ (W1FJ) and W1NJL (K1VR).

1972 - Moved to Meriden, CT. Tried 2M EME with 80 el. collinear and 500W. Ran with K6MYC, VK3ATN & Sam Harris (W1FZJ/KP4); sigs heard both ways, but never made any 2-way EME Q’s. Worked WA6LET with a single yagi on 2M EME a few years later. In the 70’s was a control operator for AMSAT-OSCAR-5 satellite at Talcott Mountain Science Center in Avon, CT. Worked 36 states (again) on 2 Meters from the new Meriden, CT QTH.

Made a number of firsts: 1st 144 MHz USA to FP8 QSO via M/S (Meteor Scatter). First (and probably only) 2M Packet Radio M/S contact with W0RPK; First USA to Yugoslavia satellite QSO. Made the first known 144 MHz QSO between VP9 (Bermuda) and the mainland with W1NU/VP9. Made the second ever satellite QSO between No. America and Africa (CN8). W1NU was first. Earned satellite WAS & WAC using AMSAT-OSCAR 6 & 7 & early RS satellites. K1HTV was the first station in North America to work ZC4 and EA9 on 50 MHz.

1974-84 was AMSAT Vice President of Operations and member of the AMSAT board of directors.

1980 - Moved from Connecticut to Maryland to work at the Voice of America in Washington,DC. Retired as VOA Technical Support Telecommunications Manager in December 2008.

1982 - Involved in Beta test of the TAPR Packet Radio TNC. Made one of the first QSOs (with W3IWI) using a packet radio digipeater. In 1985, was instrumental in persuading the west coast inventors of NETROM to allow for it’s installation in the first East Coast node (UMD) at the University of MD, with a KU-band wormhole link to California. 1980’s was sysop for numerous NETROM packet nodes in the Mid-Atlantic states. Created and distributed via on-air BBS’s, maps of the connected packet nodes in the USA. Started chasing HF DX seriously again in the 1990’s, always with 100W or less.

Joined the PVRC (Potomac Valley Radio Club) in ‘94. Have worked over 100 countries on all ten bands from 160M through 6 Meters. Have been 160M op at multi-multi station W3LPL in ARRL & CQ DX contests since ‘95. I’ve been in the 6 Meter chair at multi-op K8GP in June and Sept. VHF contests since ‘94. The K1HTV country total is 357 (including deleted), working all countries except P5 (No. Korea) all with 100 Watts or less.

2008 - Retired from the Voice of America and moved from MD to Amissville, VA

K1HTV has DXCC confirmed on all 10 bands from 160 Meters through 6 Meters and double DXCC (over 200 countries confirmed) on all nine HF bands from 160M through 10 Meters. Over 300 countries are confirmed on 20,15 & 10 Meters. Always running low power (or QRP) the K1HTV country total is 357 (including deleted), working all countries except P5 (No. Korea).

I’m an Island (IOTA) chaser with 952 worked and 929 confirmed. On 160 Meters 214 countries in 32 CQ zones have been worked and confirmed with 100 Watts or less. The latest ones worked were ZK3YA, Tokelaus, K4M (Midway Island) and R1FJM (Franz Josef). The K1HTV Top Band total while running QRP (5 Watts or less) is 79 countries on all six continents. The latest 5 Watt QRP DX worked was TX3D on the Austral Islands. Best 160M QRP DX to the west is VK6HD near Perth, Australia (worked twice). Best QRP DX to east is 4X4NJ in Israel, twice with 5 Watts and once with 1 Watt.

On 50 Mhz, 148 countries confirmed with two new ones (E7DX & HA3UU). The K1HTV 6 Meter grid total is over 760 grids confirmed. Now running a K3 at 100 Watts output into at 6el yagi, temporarily on the back porch at 20 feet until the tower goes up. I’m back to chasing meteors again running the new WSJT software on 6M and 2M. Have worked 249 countries with 80W on RTTY and PSK31. Just starting to play with digital SSTV. What shall we try next?

I’m now retired and have moved with my XYL Phyllis, K1WSN, from our old Glenn Dale, MD QTH to our new home in Amissville, VA. I’m still having lots of fun with the hobby after 51 years of operating.