W4ZYT Donald F. Lynch Virginia Beach, VA QCWA # 25492 Chapter 119

I was first licensed as KR6ZK on Okinawa in 1959 while my father was stationed there with the Air Force. Subsequently we were transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where the FCC . apparently going back through their roster of old expired callsigns . assigned me W4ZYT. After being minimally active in high school and college, I became active again while in medical school in Charlottesville, VA, and got interested in DX and CW traffic. Had some great mentors . W4YE, W4NO (sk), W3WKP, and K4BKG (now AJ2S). After medical school, I spent 13 years on active duty with the Navy and was active from Florida, Guam (KG6JCT), and San Diego. After a period of low activity while helping raise our three children, completing my surgical training, and serving as a Navy urologist, I left the Navy for private practice, but remained in the reserves. In 1991, I was called up for Operation Desert Storm. I served in several places, but ended up back on Guam for 4 weeks and operated there as W4ZYT/KH2. My interest in radio and DX was rekindled, and I have been quite active since. I.ve also operated from Canada, Bermuda, Ireland (EI2IM), Guantanamo Bay (KG4ZK), England (EI2IM/M), Northern Ireland (EI2IM/MI), Japan (KA3/W4ZYT), and Kenya (5Z4ZK).

In 2011, I retired as chairman of the Department of Urology at Eastern Virginia School of Medicine in Norfolk, although I still do some teaching and clinical work (locum tenens), most recently in Vermont. My wife and I make our home in Virginia Beach. We have two sons and a daughter and five grandchildren . no hams, but I have some hopes for the grandson. The home station is an FT-1000D and Alpha 89 amp. I have a Sommer XP807 at about 60 feet and a Carolina Windom full sized 160-meter wire for the low bands. After trying to ignore 160 meters for most of my ham career I am now interested, and have just installed a magnetic loop and hope to finish up 160-meter DXCC and WAS in the near future. [160m WAS # 1442 issued Jan 2016, 160m DXCC # 2818 issued March 2016 - thanks to the many folks who helped me with these]. I work almost exclusively CW and need only North Korea (mixed) and North Korea and Bouvet (CW) to make the Top of the Honor Roll. I have an FT-100D that I carry when I travel . a great little portable station. Recently active as W4ZYT/1 from Berlin, Vermont.

For the past twenty years, a group of us have fielded a station under the W4ZYT callsign for CW Sweepstakes from Corolla in the North Carolina Outer Banks. It.s a rolling group, but over the years some twenty-five hams have participated and several have caught the contest bug down there.

Am moderately active in the Potomac Valley Radio Club and serve as the Tidewater area board member. Am also an active member of the Virginia DX Century Club, the Virginia Beach ARC, and the local chapter of QCWA, as well as The Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS) and the Amateur Radio Society of Kenya (ARSK). I.m pleased and grateful to be a member of FOC (1700) and a charter member of CWOPS (55). I.m a longtime Life Member of ARRL and serve as a QSL Checker and as an Assistant Director for the Roanoke Division. I.m also designated to check cards for the CQ Magazine awards.

Ham radio is . in my estimation . the best hobby in the world. It has shaped my life, career, and friendships in more positive ways than I can name, and continues to be a major energizing focus in my activities. I look forward to seeing many more folks on the air, in contests, and . hopefully . from more overseas DX locales in the future.

Vy 73!

October 16, 2016