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WA3BM, Bernie Meyers, Candidate for Director in Dec 2018 Election 

Name:  Bernard "Bernie" Meyers
QTH:  Valencia, PA
ECARS History: 
-  Member Since:   2011, Lifetime Member #30307
-  Previous Offices / Duties:  None
-  Current Net Control Operator:   Yes, for past 10 years

Other Amateur Radio History:
Ham since 1991.  Extra Class.  Long time member of ARRL. 

My interest in amateur radio preceded my becoming licensed by many years.  I first became interested in Amateur radio in the 60’s, which caused me to build a Heathkit general coverage receiver after which I spent a lot of evenings listening to the shortwave broadcasts and the Ham Bands.  I tried to learn the code for the novice test (I still have the Ameco code album in my record collection)  but I never had the time to successfully learn the code, so I gave up on the idea as life got into the way. 

I got interested again in amateur radio in the mid 80’s and was in the first group of No-Code Technicians.  I stayed in that classification for a couple years and then decided it was time to move up.  I got serious about CW and got to 13 wpm in one month.  I then got my General ticket and a week later the Advanced.  I stayed there until they removed the CW requirement and decided to do the Extra.  I got the manual at a VE session and the guy who sold me the book said they were testing for Extras in 20 minutes.  I signed up, crammed for 20 Minutes and then passed the Extra Class test.

I enjoy being an ECARS Net Control Operator and have been doing it for about 10 years.  Outside of ECARS, I enjoy digital modes, QRP, Rag chewing and DXing.  I don’t do contests very often but I did come in 3^rd in the RTTY Roundup once.  There were 4 logs submitted. 

ECARS has beem good to me and a lot of fun, so when I was asked if I would be interested in running for Director, I decided that it was time to give back and to help out the organization.

Community Activities:
    None

Personal Comments:
    Right after High School I enrolled in a two year technical school and went year round, getting an Associate Degree in Electronic Technology.  I was immediately hired by Westinghouse Space and Defense Center in Baltimore, where I worked on the radar and weapons control system for the F4 Phantom Jet.  After that, I worked at the Westinghouse Astro Nuclear Laboratory in Pittsburgh where I worked on a development project designing thermo-nuclear power supplies for the NASA. 

In 1968 I joined the United States Air Force for 4 years working on Air Traffic Control Radar Systems. After the Air Force, I returned to Westinghouse, working on computer process control systems that control power plants, water treatment plants, and waste water treatment plants.  During this time, I attended night school, ultimately receiving a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering.  Degree in hand, I worked at Westinghouse and then Emerson for 40 years, where I held a number of engineering and management positions.

My non-Ham hobbies and activities include general aviation, target shooting, motorcycle touring and bicycling.