Stephen Kinford - N8WB

Anchor Desk, Reporter

Stephen Kinford's Personal Biography

I find that verse to be a great example of whatever knowledge you
learn whether good or bad, in times of peace or in disasters
proclaim it on the rooftops or mountaintops, and what better way,
than with a radio and an antenna and proclaim it around the world.
I have been blessed with many family members and friends and with
a very nice job at Cuyahoga Community College doing Apple
support.
I have been active singing at churches on a regular basis for many
years and also on my churches video team.
I am an accomplished actor, director, singer, and magician amongst
other things and I love to have fun doing all of them and more.
My amateur radio history started as a kid going to the local Heathkit
or Radio Shack store and dreaming about the radios that I saw and
how I would ever get to use one. I didn’t have an Elmer back then
and my age precluded me from serious attention but I never gave up
the dream.
I had always wanted to get my Amateur License but for whatever
reason I didn't find time or some other excuse to do it when I was
younger.
Then it happened. At Christmas many years ago a friend of mine
Bob Janicek’s brother Louis Janicek, N2CYY, gave him the Gordon
West Technician book that was part of a five book purchase from
RACES in Ramsey, NJ to see if they could get more people
interested in HAM Radio by giving the books away.
Well when I saw that book the dream caught on fire again and I
borrowed it right away, I started studying day and night and bought
a testing app for my phone and computer and announced to my
friend Bob that I had scheduled to take the amateur radio test in a
month which spurred him on to study and we tested for the
Technician license together and we both took the test at the Rittman
Public Library in Ohio for the Silvercreek Amateur Radio
Association. We both passed, and I received KD8LIT as my call and
my friend Bob Janicek received KD8LIV. We then studied and
tested for the General license which we both took on the next Field
day and we both passed. We then studied and passed the Extra test
independently of each other. I changed my callsign to N8WB after
passing, Bob has kept his KD8LIV callsign
A friend of mine Mark Baker from Cuyahoga Community College
where he and I work at in Cleveland, OH, was interested in Amateur
radio when he saw my Yaseu HT. He had held a license years before
that and wanted to get back in so I loaned the same Technician
book from Ramsey, NJ that was given to us and also my copy of the
General book to him and he passed both on Father's Day of that
year, he was assigned KD8OLI as his callsign. He passed his Extra
in September of that year, he is now NB8I. That book made its
rounds.
Several other people at Cuyahoga Community College have received
their license after I kept telling them how great it was, Michael
Peters, KD8ZMN and Joseph Koskovics, N8JKO.
I got my start with Amateur Radio Newsline by emailing Bill
Pasternak and asking him if I could volunteer. He suggested to me
to send in a small audio clip for him to hear my voice and I did it
and I was way over the top and he told DJ’s aren't what they needed.
But he pointed out ways to sound better and I sent in several more
clips until he told me that was what he was looking for. And then I
didn’t hear from him for awhile until he finally asked me to record a
news story for him. I was very nervous that first time but thankfully
I had gone through the Recording Arts Program at Tri-C where I
work and that gave me all the confidence in the world to be able to
do that. Including Bills guiding hand on all of us at Amateur Radio
Newsline. I’m still saddened by Bills passing.
When Don Wilbanks, AE5DW and Caryn Eve Murray, KD2GUT,
took over the helm they had some things to get together very
quickly and they did, and did it without any missteps and making it
seem like there was never a problem. Thanks to both of them for
the awesome job that they are doing and the whole ARNL team. I
am in awe of all of my fellow teammates and their many talents. I
am extremely blessed to be here on this team. I would go anywhere
for these people if they needed me.
I am a member of two clubs. The West Park Radiops, of which I
am the current president and have been once before. We currently
have our meetings at the Cuyahoga Community Colleges Western
Campus, in The KeyBank Public Safety Training Center. I am also a
member of the Silvercreek Amateur Radio Association in
Wadsworth, OH. This is the club that provided me the opportunity
to get my first Technician license with. I am also a net control
operator for both of the clubs nets once a month. WPRO net is the
first Monday of the month at 9PM on 147.360 PL107.2 and SARA
net is on the fourth Tuesday of the month on 147.390, PL114.8.
join us if you are ever in the area.
Thank you, to all of my HAM friends who helped me get to this
point. I still seek to get more involved in the emergency services
provided by Amateur Radio operators. This has always been my
main goal and I am working towards it.
I have been granted VEC license from the ARRL to give back to the
Amateur Radio community by assisting with testing for licensing. I
love the look on peoples faces who take the test when you tell them
you passed and they get their first license or upgrade. Even those
that don't pass we give the extra push to keep on going, keep
studying, you’ll get it if you keep trying. Truth be told I took the
Extra test three times and you should have seen the smile on my
face the third time when I passed it.
It has been a wonderful ride and I have met some wonderful, very
helpful people. and I can't wait to meet even more and assist
wherever I can. Thank you so much everyone, may you all be very
blessed!
73's N8WB Stephen!!

Callsign: N8WB