If you are reading my amateur radio biography for the very first time, thanks for taking the time to read it. I live in northern Maine’s Aroostook County and here are some facts about this area of my home state:

*  Aroostook County is the largest county east of the Mississippi River, spanning an area that is larger than the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
*  Aroostook County is known for its agriculture industry.
*  Aroostook County is known for its various timber industries.
*  Aroostook County is a very popular destination for snowmobile enthusiasts in the winter.  We have several thousand miles of trails all over the County.
*  Aroostook County is a popular destination for fishing, hunting and trapping.
*  Aroostook County is known for its pleasant summers and bitter cold winters.  Some winters have brought intense snowfall totals and ambient temperatures colder than -30°F.

One might ask why I picked northern Maine as a place to live. Great question. After spending most of my adult life in Alaska, I wanted to be in a place that had some similarities to the 49th state, plus better access to medical care, lower cost of living, and more travel options. I also wanted four distinct seasons. I get that here in northern Maine. From the abundant cold and snow of winter, to the renewal of life in the spring, skeeter infestation and warm days of summer, to the spectacular colors of autumn, I am very happy here. Northern Maine shares so many similarities with Alaska. Northern Maine has rolling hills, mountains (not as high as Alaska, but we still have them), rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and thick forest as far as the eye can see. I deeply love the outdoors and the low population density here. Northern Maine is very rural, and I like it that way. I was born in the coastal town of Ellsworth, Maine, and deciding to finally return home again is a huge blessing.

One of the other reasons I decided to come home was to take advantage of the good care I receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs. I am a 100% permanently and totally disabled United States Army veteran with an honorable discharge for my military service to our great country. I was an Air Traffic Control Equipment Repairer (MOS: 94D) and Radio Operator / Maintainer (MOS: 25C). I was medically separated on August 11th, 2006, and deeply miss it every day. I suffer from chronic lung disease as a result of my military service and frequently struggle to breathe. Fortunately, the availability and quality of medical care I have received since coming back home to Maine have been far greater than I ever had in Alaska.

One very nice perk I love taking advantage of happens to be my military base privileges by utilizing the Commissary and Exchange at the Air National Guard base in Bangor, Maine. Gotta love tax-free shopping (grin). No matter where I go, the camaraderie that is enjoyed by visiting with fellow service members and veterans alike is something you can’t put a price tag on. We all share a very special bond, and I’m grateful to be immersed in it every day. For those of my brothers and sisters who are still serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, you will always have my support. I would go back and do it all over again if I were ever called.

A lot of people are curious as to how I ended up in amateur radio. It honestly came by accident. Many years ago, I was living in remote Alaska and began doing some research on various means to stay connected with friends and family over the radio. At the time I started doing research in all of this, satellite internet was not optimal and unreliable for many of the things most people take for granted today with modern broadband. One of the critical things I sought to do was send and receive email over the radio. This would have been my supplement for staying in touch with friends and family alongside a rather depressing satellite internet service at the time.

My research placed me in a program that I needed to install locally on a Windows PC, and the task was completed with excitement. That program was called RMS Express, which has been rebranded as Winlink Express now. Not having any clue what I was getting into, the program opened, and a standard configuration screen popped up. The first thing I was immediately asked to provide was an amateur radio callsign. Of course, my first reaction prompted additional research to figure out how to get one of these things so I could simply stay in touch with people. Well, all of that happened during the summer of 2013. I quickly found that an exam was required to get your feet wet and earn the prestige of having a callsign.

Life and physical health ended up slowing things down, and I didn’t get to take my Technician class license examination until April 4th, 2015, in Fairbanks, Alaska. I earned my Technician license and immediately realized that an upgrade was required to use this radio email system that was patiently awaiting me. Thankfully, I was able to invest the time to study for my General and Amateur Extra license upgrade over 120 days. My efforts finally paid off in August 2015 when I completed my journey and tested for the General and Amateur Extra class licenses with a passing score on both. Interestingly enough, I had to wait until the autumn of 2019 before using Winlink for the very first time over HF and in northern Maine of all places.

Since earning my Amateur Extra class license in August 2015, I became a Volunteer Examiner. I served as Chairman for the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club VEC (Volunteer Examiner Coordinator) based in Anchorage, Alaska, from June 2019 until December 2020. During that time, I had the honor of making their VEC the first to go paperless. You have no idea how much of a blessing that was. I also got their VEC setup to become America’s newest club station callsign administrator, meaning they can now submit electronic filings on behalf of amateur radio clubs.

All of that didn’t even carry any substantial weight when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. One month prior, I received board approval to open up our remote testing service to anyone in the Lower 48 States. I had no idea what was about to happen. As soon as things started shutting down, I became highly sought after to give remote exams all over the place. It was a chaotic time, but I enjoyed every minute. In December 2020, I stepped down from being a VEC Chairman and decided it was time to go a different direction. I had teamed up with the ARRL VEC and started offering remote testing under the auspices of a club I started in September 2016 called the Aurora Amateur Radio Group.

They are still in existence today under new leadership, and if anyone in their club is going to read my bio, I hope for two things. One, they remember who brought them into remote testing and poured an incredible foundation that has led to their success. Two, they never forget how the organization started. I know they have removed me from their club website as the Founder of the organization. I have all the founding documents, and anyone with an interest in seeing them is more than welcome to reach out and contact me directly. Regardless of the direction their club goes, I do prayerfully wish them well and that my legacy indeed lives on through their unwavering commitment to serving amateur radio for many years to come. Since stepping down as their President in May 2023, several other endeavors relating to other clubs have come and gone. All of them offered license testing.

Unfortunately, declining health had finally caught up to me. After a four hour consultation with my primary care medical team in January 2025, I was forced to decide to fully step down in my service as a Volunteer Examiner effective March 1st, 2025. After 9 1/2 years of service as a Volunteer Examiner, I have made a profound impact on thousands of lives around the world. My work in building a well-oiled machine with maximum efficiency in a remote testing service has made an impact within the amateur radio community in our great country. I do believe it will continue for many decades to come. At this time, I am not planning to get back into license testing.

Amateur radio activities today are solely on HF. I do have several radios that will get me into local repeaters; however, I find myself chasing distant stations more than doing anything locally. I do a lot of CW. Surprisingly enough, I find more joy in being able to slow down and have a good conversation at a speed that’s comfortable for me. So, if you hear me calling CQ at a slower speed, I’d greatly appreciate your patience.

My personal hobbies today include working with computers, installing satellite internet for HughesNet, a little woodworking when I’m able to handle it, and being outdoors. I also enjoy working in a garden and spending copious amounts of time in the woods. It’s a great place for my mind to wander and disconnect from the world around me. It seems as if I don’t do it enough. I do love playing on the radio and checking into various nets. I hope to have a page dedicated to my personal station setup by this summer. For now, I hope you have enjoyed reading this long-winded amateur radio bio and look forward to hearing from you on the air.

73,
Brandin S. Hess – WB1BR
Amateur Radio Operator
Disabled U.S. Army Veteran