Greg Ross, N0GR, was presented with an award of appreciation for over 20 years as a local Volunteer Exam Coordinator (VEC) at the January 23rd SWIARC meeting. Greg is not sure when he first started as a VEC. He thinks it was “maybe 1988?”

According to the ARRL website, as of February 2020, Greg has participated in 147 VE sessions. A quick review of other VE’s in Iowa reveals that this number is the 5th highest number of VE sessions in Iowa, and Greg is quick to point out that this is not a contest.

But this is still a lot of VE sessions to schedule, find the sites to hold the testing sessions, line up at least three Volunteer Examiners (VE’s) to hold the exam session, and advertise the testing session to both the Amateur Radio community and the general public. And after each session, all of the paperwork has to be correlated and mailed to the ARRL for processing.

Greg was first licensed in 1964 after taking a Novice license class at World Radio Labs in Council Bluffs. Back then a Novice license was only valid for two years and was not renewable. His shack at that time consisted of a WRL Globe Scout 65 CW transmitter and a Hallicrafters SX99 receiver. These were supported by a 40-meter dipole antenna.

Life events prevented Greg from upgrading at that time and the Novice license expired, but he was able to get re-licensed in 1981.

Greg likes to work FT8 on 160 meters in the winter on his Flex 5000, but 40-meters is still his all-around favorite. He uses a Hy-Gain Hy-Tower for his antenna for his HF endeavors.

SWIARC thanks Greg for all of his hard work and perseverance over all these years in organizing and running these monthly VE test sessions in the Council Bluffs – Omaha metro area for all of these years