Willamette Valley DX Club > Home ( DNN 4.3.5 )

This month we profile James M. (Jim) Headrick W3CP, a resident of Stanfield, Oregon now retired. He spent 65 wonderful years with his wife, Dolly, before she passed away.

In keeping with his love of electronics and ham radio, Jim was employed as a Radar Research Engineer and of course holds an Amateur Extra Class ticket. Ham Radio has been Jim’s only hobby.

“I was 15 when I got my first license in 1932”, Jim says. “ A school friend of mine and I studied together. I received the call sign W5CPB as issued by the Federal Radio Commission.” Other calls were W5CPT, N5CPB, portable station, W5DNT. And even more, W3CPB and W3NFK, Navy call signs used were, NAFL,NAFC, NKF and NAG. He became W3CP in 1996.

As you might expect, Jim has his DXCC, WAC, WAS , but also a QCW 75th Anniversary Award.

Just some of the organizations who have recognized his achievements: Society of Wireless Pioneers, ARRL A1 Operator – PVRC 5 Million Point Award, CQWW 1st Place 1955, CQWW 1st Place 1994 and Russian DX Contest and many more.

A CW guy, Jim has confirmed more than 200 countries, says he still needs North Korea. A Ham family, Jim’s brother (now SK) W3WSF was also an active amateur.

He makes all those contacts using an Elecraft K3 (“terrific receiver,” he says)or his FT1000 Mark V, both barefoot.

And antennas! 160 meter Inverted L at 50 feet Vertical, 80m Inverted L 45 ft Vertical, A 3 element SteppIR with a 40m Dipole at 65 ft and a ground plane. On 10, 15, and 20m it’s 3 element SteppIR all at 65 ft.

Way back then, (he was 17) living in the Texas Panhandle, Jim was and continues to be engaged in all sorts of ham projects and activities, transmitter, receiver and antenna design and construction and there was ORS, AARS, contests and chasing DX.

“I remember my very first 80 meter crystal turned out to be on a Navy Comm., drill frequency so I enlisted in the US Naval Reserve, trained aboard an old four pipe destroyer before getting the call to go active. It was in 1946 I went back to inactive status working for the Naval Research Lab in the area of HF over-the- horizon radar research, (high power and high gain antennas).”

In 1993 Jim retired as Head of the NRI Radar Techniques Branch after he had written a full chapter for the well known publication, Skonik’s Radar Handbook and continues today to be a part time annuitant. Not so much DXing these days but still contesting; most recently a part of the 7QP team. Jim tells us, “I still love running them on CW.”

So if your traveling East past Hermiston/Stanfield on I-84 you might like to email Jim (W3CP@CHARTER.NET) to arrange for a visit. His place is close to the I-84/HWY 395 junction.