Tom Swisher WA8PYR
A radio hobbyist since the mid-1970s and a licensed ham radio operator since 1980, Tom-WA8PYR is the President of the Capital City Repeater Association, an avid railfan, fire buff and photographer. Tom is also a Firefighter/EMT.
Tom got his monitoring start with a small, tunable Radio Shack VHF receiver (which he still has), but moved up quickly to a Heathkit Mohican shortwave receiver (also still in the collection) and a small crystal scanner. Since then he's moved onward and upward, and now has a useful collection of the latest monitoring gadgets, as well as a station full of Drake ham radio gear. He's an Amateur Extra class ham radio operator and Life Member of the American Radio Relay League.
Tom is a staff columnist with National Communications Magazine as well as The All Ohio Scanner Club's American Scannergram, and has recently become the new Military Communications columnist for Popular Communications Magazine. He has published several books on the monitoring hobby, including "Fire Call!", The Trunked Radio Systems Guide, The Railfan's Guide to Ohio, and co-edited the Scanner Master Ohio Pocket Guide with Dave-N8OAY.
Tom enjoys spending his free time time out in the wilds chasing after elusive ferroequines (iron horses).
Tom's Articles On The Go? You Need A "Go Bag".... , The Uniden Bearcat BC246T Scanner.
Tom's Radio Shack.