Colombia

Neat people

Adam Farson, VA7OJ/AB4OJ

Adam’s interest in electricity and "wireless" developed as a child in WW2 England. At age 6 he emigrated to South Africa where that interest grew. By age 9 he had built several crystal sets, a rudimentary tube tester and an audio amplifier using 1.4V filament tubes fed from his Lionel train-set’s power supply (his parents strictly forbade direct connection of anything he built to the 230V mains). By then - it seemed preordained - Adam would attend university and get an EE degree.

At the time, the minimum age to qualify for a ZS amateur radio licence was 18; he could only dream of the time he would reach that milestone and be eligible for the exam. High school years passed quickly and by his third year of Electrical Engineering at the University of Cape Town he became licensed as ZS1ZG. Little did he suspect his interest in amateur radio would have a profound influence on his later career. After completing his BSEE in 1963, Adam received several job offers, but it was his involvement with amateur radio and an ad in the local newspaper that led him to Racal.

There he worked as an RF design engineer from 1964 to 1967, involved with VHF tactical radios, an HF receiver and solid-state HF LMR mobiles and man-packs (Racal launched some of the world's first fully-solid-state HF-SSB systems).

In 1967 Adam relocated to Europe to join CERN in Geneva as an RF engineer working on RF modulator and power-amplifier subsystems (5 kW at 9.5 MHz) for the Proton Intersecting Storage Rings until 1970. A thesis on this subsystem earned him a Masters of Science degree in EE from the University of Cape Town, during which time he was on sabbatical from amateur radio (1967-76).

Adam then switched career disciplines - first to Satcom (Intelsat) with GTE International Systems which provided fascinating field assignments in Israel, Venezuela, the Ivory Coast and at the company's headquarters in Waltham, Mass. Then in 1973, another change of direction - this time to wire line Telecom leading to a 5-year sojourn in Toronto with Nortel. It was here, with the encouragement of colleagues at Bell-Northern Research, that Adam resumed his ham radio career as VE3DGY (1976). He was involved with the Telephone Pioneers ARC and helped re-engineer their UHF repeater, served as club chairman for two years, and developed several important club projects, including the conversion of retired Telecom VHF mobile phones for 2 meter amateur use.

In 1980, Adam joined Siemens in Boca Raton, Florida, as a systems engineer in the Private Networks Division. In his spare time he built a VHF/UHF repeater in West Palm Beach and served on the Florida Repeater Council (1984-86); he also converted retired VHF and UHF LMR radios - mainly handhelds - for amateur use which led to many enjoyable hours at Hamfests raking over tables packed with parts!

After returning from an assignment in Germany in 1989, Adam obtained a US licence (AB4OJ), set up an HF station, and has been on the air ever since. He served as vice-chairman of the Boca Raton ARC for two years and importantly, became involved with the 20 meter Icom Users Group. In 1996 he started his now world famous website - www.ab4oj.com.

At the end of 1999, Adam retired from Siemens and relocated to the Vancouver area where he now resides. He still uses Icom HF equipment and his association with Icom continues; he beta-tests new Icom HF transceivers, and helps out with equipment demo's at the Icom booth in Dayton, accompanied by his good friend Matt, KK5DR. Adam also participates in the Sunday HF Icom Group and finds time to generate many interesting Icom related articles which can be found on his website.

Adam is webmaster for his local club, the North Shore ARC - www.nsarc.ca - where he is the morse code instructor and an examiner; Adam routinely gives technical presentations at club meetings.

Adam enjoys giving back to amateur radio what it has given him over most of his lifetime - a wonderful hobby, lifelong friendships, and a professional career which has spanned some 35 years, enabling him to retire well.

Adam, VA7OJ/AB4OJ - one really neat guy!