UDXA President’s Message
December 2023

I am humbled to be asked to fill the office of President of this impressive organization. Our membership
includes some who have phenomenal talent and experience. I look forward to working with the officers,
directors, and members this coming year. I have only been chasing DX for a few years and I use the term
“chasing” very loosely compared to most of the membership. I thoroughly enjoy hearing from the
experts who present to the membership of this organization. The value of this group is validated by the
quality of speakers who will take time from their busy schedules to be with us.

I have been married to my wife Lynn (N7URF) since 1974. We will celebrate our 50 th Anniversary in
February. We have two adult children, our daughter Jennifer (KE7GIV) and our son, Patrick.
I have been interested in electronics and radio since childhood. I am a comparative late comer to
Amateur Radio and was first licensed in 1987. I also have Commercial Radiotelephone and Telegraph
licenses with Ship’s RADAR endorsements which I got just for fun and have been an ARRL member since
1975.

I am one of those fellows who, if you added up all the jobs I’ve had, would be 200 years old. While in
college in Reno, NV, I worked for an ambulance company and fixed slot machines and dealt blackjack in
several casinos. I am a retired mining engineer holding Professional Engineering licenses in several
western states. I have worked at open pit and underground hard rock mines around the western US
since 1975 mining iron and copper initially but for the past 35 years I mined gold. I’ve done everything
from operating equipment and blasting to designing, permitting, reclaiming and closing mines and
facilities. Following retirement I consulted for several years, primarily for mining and environmental law
firms around the US and Canada.

My interest in Amateur Radio is now primarily HF operation and administering licensing exams. I have
operated many digital modes over the years. I was a member of Army MARS for 20 years, starting
during Desert Shield / Storm through 9-11. I am currently focusing again on CW, attempting to increase
my sending and receiving skills and adding to my DXCC and WAS on CW.

If there are any subjects you would like to have presented or activities you would like the Association to
take on, please send suggestions to me or any of the officers. These are exciting times! We are
experiencing wonderful propagation as well as so many Dxpeditions! I hope all of you make hay while
the sun shines, I know I will give it my best!

Joe Giraudo – N7JEH
Incoming President