VA7QQ Allen D. McNeil Penticton BC, Canada QCWA # 31928 Chapter 151

Known as VA7QQ also uses VE7BJA but rarely.

My amateur radio history starts in 1956 at the age of 16 when I joined a local amateur radio club in Prince George British Columbia.

Radio became such a passion that I ended up joing the Royal Canadian Navy after finishing high school and becoming a radio operator. I got my advanced certificate while in the Navy and had two callsigns during my service time; VE3GLO in Ottawa Ontario and VE4MD in Churchill Manitoba.

After five years in the service I went to work with British Columbia Telephone Company where I spent 35 wonderful years helping develop the world of cellular and fiber optics as a technician and later in a management position. I ended my telecom career spending five years with Sprint Canada in a management capacity in Calgary which is when I first joined QCWA chapter 151 and have been a member ever since.

While in calgary I was the secretary of the Calagary Amateur Radio Association and the secretary of QCWA chapter 151.

Upon retiring from the telecom industry in 2005 I moved to the wonderful Okanagan Valley and Penticton British Columiba, a city surrounded by lakes and known for its world class wine and fruit orchards. Here I have had the time to work all bands but mostly CW on the HF bands. I have been the president of the North Okanagan Amateur Radio club in Vernon BC and presently the president of the Penticton Amateur Radio club. Both clubs operate many mountain top repeater sites in the area. I am also presently the secretary of chapter 151 QCWA.

Barry VA7FEZ, Al VA7QQ, Robin VA7KV, & Bill VA7WHH

November 9, 2015