Greetings and welcome to the TLARC web site! I’ve pretty much had a life-long interest in radio communications, owning numerous walkie-talkies and CB radios over the years, but finally bit down and bought my first HAM radio in the spring of 2019. Living in Tellico Village at the time, I found the club and inquired about membership since I figured that being around other Hams would incentivize me to study and take the Technician test, which I did at Field Day 2019.
My wife (Trisha) and I currently live in Foothills Pointe in Greenback with 7 of our 9 children … known collectively as the “Poff Clan”. Other hobbies and interests include fishing (especially catfishing and fly fishing), hiking, backpacking, shooting, and emergency preparedness. Spent 9 ½ years in Uncle Sam’s Canoe Club as a “navy nuke” with sea duty on “Ike” (CVN-69) and shore duty at SUBASE Pearl. I retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2015, and currently work as a DOE support contractor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I also have my own business (side hustle) as an Environmental Consultant and certified Lead Auditor for ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems.
Shack equipped with a Yaesu FT-991A, Diamond GZV4000 power supply, LDG Z-100A tuner, with Heil ProSet 7 headset, and running through a Chameleon 6-band LEFS (Lightweight End Fed Sloper). I have a Yaesu FT-70D HT with an Abbree 18″ antenna for UHF/VHF and mobile operations. Current DIY projects include building a 2m/70cm Vertical Dipole for installation in the attic, and building a LiFePO4 battery system for my QRP rig (Yaesu FT-817) that will include solar power input for off-grid/power down operations.
Although I find all aspects of the ham radio world fascinating, my focus is really on off-grid/power down operations, QRP, POTA, and EmComm. I also believe that community outreach, especially to the younger generation, is important as we consider the future of our club and its mission.
Currently studying for the General license exam.
I’m looking forward to serving the club as Vice President in 2022 and continuing to absorb and learn from the wealth of knowledge and experience from this incredible group of people.
73
Ben-KN4VIF