One of Darryl's favorite hobbies is Amateur (Ham) Radio. Licensed since 1959, he holds an Amateur Extra Class license with the callsign K7UT. Former call signs held are K7KPQ, DJ0KO, WA7S, VK9WX and AF7O. He is active on both the low frequency (160-10 meters) and vhf (144-148 Mhz) bands. His station (the shack) is located in the basement of his home. The tower and antennas are here.
Darryl is a member of the ARRL, the Utah Amateur Radio Club and the Central Arizona DX Association. He is President of the Utah DX Association and trustee of the club callsign K7UM.
His favorite operating mode is cw or continuous wave communications utilizing the Morse code. Always working to improve his capabilities, his code speed is about 40 wpm at present.
His other interests are DXing (talking with stations in foreign countries) and contesting. He achieved the DXCC award in 1968 for working over 100 foreign countries. Today his total worked count is 315 countries with 311 confirmed. He has recently been awarded the ARRL Challenge Award with over 1300 band/modes confirmed and holds the 5 Band DXCC with 17 meter endorsement.
He has recently become interested in QRP or low power operation and has just received the QRP DXCC award.
Contesting is a very competitive radio sport. To be successful requires expertise in a number of areas including station and antenna design, propagation of radio signals, operating skill and stamina--some contests last 48 hours and participation the entire time is almost mandatory to achieve success. Darryl competes in the contests that are world-wide and involve DXing as their main element. A good site to learn about contesting is www.contesting.com.
One of the fun activities each year is ARRL Field Day when HAMs nationwide take to the field to operate in less-than-ideal conditions to practice their emergency communications skills.
Whenever the opportunity presents itself to operate from his car Darryl takes advantage of it. Click here to see his mobile radio installation.
Darryl loves to travel to unusual places in connection with that hobby. Some of his recent travels include:
 Pulau Layang-Layang in the South China Sea. (9M0M) |
 Thahtay Kyun, a Burmese island in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand. (XZ0A) |
 Yangon (Rangoon) in The Union of Myanmar (Burma) (XZ1N) |
 The Maldive Republic in the Indian Ocean (8Q7AA) |
 Willis Island in the Coral Sea (VK9WM) |
9M0M Slides |