I snatched the following page from Google cache before it was lost forever. This is the QRZ.com profile Dean created. It was last updated 10 months before he passed away. I first met Dean in September 1970. He was the best Elmer a guy could ask for. Dean passed away July 26, 2007. Rest in Peace OM.

K4EQQ Lookups: 2845

DEAN B MAPLES

My previous callsigns are K9FTB, my original novice call from Chicago, IL on April 28th, 1961, then KD2WF, KF6ZE, and N2AHP.

I’d like to mention my “elmer,” Len Kazmer, K9VUL. Lenny spent many Friday nights teaching us local kids theory, and listening to music (my only humanities training), and eating pizza. Len helped many of the local kids in Chicago Lawn (67th Street and Pulaski Road) stay off the streets and upgrade our licenses – and set a positive role model example for the group. Lenny still teaches kids, etc. in his community – he’s a very good teacher and loves to teach / help others. Thanks Len!!

I originally held the K9FTB callsign until I was discharged from the Air Force in 1970. I then applied for and received my K4EQQ callsign after moving to Atlanta, GA. I held the K4EQQ callsign from 1970 through 1978 when I moved to “2″ land and received N2AHP. After a few years in Rochester, NY., I moved to Los Angeles and held KF6ZE until 1986. Our family returned to Rochester, NY and I received the KD2WF callsign. Once the vanity program was announced in the ’90′s I jumped at the chance to have my original novice callsign reassigned to me as K9FTB.

I retired from Eastman Kodak in Rochester, NY during November of 2003. Since I had held K4EQQ back in the ’70′s, I was glad to learn that the callsign was never reissued. So I applied via the vanity program and received K4EQQ in June of 2004. Since I met my wife in Augusta, GA and we were married here in 1975, we decided that the Augusta area would make a great retirement location. Our family moved here(Evans, GA)in August, 2004 from Fairport, NY (Rochester, NY area).

I recently finished building the table in the photo. The table shown is on heavy casters mounted on 2″ angle iron (from www.mcmaster.com) and the entire rig is on a plywood floor. That gives me the ability to roll the table away from the wall, work behind the equipment, experiement, etc. Before I added the casters, this table in the photo collapsed from the weight. Thankfully none of my equipment was damaged, but the wall behind the table had a large hole in it!!

The table top is an old 9′ x 3 1/2′ solid core fire door from the Coca Cola company in Atlanta, GA. It’s heavy, very heavy. So after the “collapse” I decided to build a table that would hold the load, be mobile, could be disassembled and moved, and was easy to use / move. The photo is the result.

This was the most difficult woodworking project I’ve ever attempted, and I’m generally pleased with the result. I’ve got the ability to add shelves, remove shelves, and change the height and width of the shelves as well. I wanted the equipment at eye level so I could view it straight ahead instead of looking down. My eyesight has changed for the worse, so the eye level equipment placement should give me an advantage.

I’m on the air 80m to 15m with a W7FG ladder line dipole up in the trees. I’m also APRS plus 2m and 440 Mhz using a dual band J pole in the attic. My subdivision doesn’t permit antennas, so the dipole in the tree is stealth – I hope.

Updated November 21st, 2006

Bio last modified: 2006-11-22