In 1967, when I was 14 years old, I built my first radio – a Heathkit four band short wave radio with 4 tubes (yes, it was that long ago!). Â I learned to solder components on a printed circuit board and tune the radio so it really worked! Â What a thrill it was to finally turn it on and experience something I had made come to life!
On a clear Idaho night, with a long wire antenna, I could sometimes pick up an English language broadcast from Johannesburg, South Africa! That budding youthful passion for electronics provided a strong foundation for my technology career. This old radio now occupies a prominent spot in the world’s smallest museum in the corner of my office.
Now later in life, a new passion is growing.  I find great satisfaction in creating things out of wood and experiencing the thrill of  completing a difficult project that really “works.”