About KI4PZS - Maurice Wright

A Little Background

Hello, my name is Mo Wright and I am enjoying life! I am an Extra Class amateur radio operator and my call sign is KI4PZS. A SAIL High School Alumnus, I am working part-time at Publix Supermarkets in the Bakery Department, and am a full-time online student at Full Sail University (Web Design & Development). Born in Jupiter, Florida, I have now lived in Tallahassee, Florida for over twenty years.

I come from a rich background in the electronics and engineering culture. My Grandfather worked for Pratt and Whitney and brought his engineering home with him when he retired. He always had the latest in electronics, and would explain how things worked. Naturally, I started to take things apart, and put them together again; though I could never explain where the ten screws afterwards came from, they just pop from thin air! Thanks to the introduction of the Internet in our home in the late 1990's, I soon was able to expand vastly my knowledge of the inner workings in many electronics.

My Life in Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio did not come to me until Hurricane Season 2004. I was busy volunteering at my local American Red Cross chapter and we had our first hurricane heading straight for us for the year. A volunteer of many years, I wanted to expand my list of functions I had served. After talking to a fellow volunteer/radio operator, I was hooked. After that, I was a constant for Communications, being there as often as possible. Then it happened, he suggested to me to get my amateur radio license. He proceeded to explain how to sign up for the local class, and how to go about studying. I went to the classes and did my studying whenever I could.

I would like to take this time to quickly explain that it may seem hard and lots of studying to do, but it was easy once I got into a routine. It took only two hours a day to study for it! One and a half hours were dedicated to Morse code, and the other half hour to the Technician study.

I officially joined the amateur radio community during Field Day in 2006. However, I managed to get my CW endorsement back in Spring 2006; I just did not get the Technician. Once liberated with my Technician w/HF Endorsement, I preceded to go after my General. I studied hard and after three fails, I finally got the General in late Spring 2007, just in time for Field Day! General in hand, I continued my journey by applying to become a Volunteer Examiner with the ARRL in Early 2008. Finally, after much friendly competition, and support from my fellow hams, not to mention many failed tests, I received my Amateur Extra in Spring 2008 along with my Volunteer Examiner with W5YI. Am I happy for where I am today? Absolutely, and I enjoyed all the fun I had to go through to make it here today!

Where "Ham" Came From

Many experts believe in many theories on how amateur radio operators became known as hams. As stated there are many theories out there, yet there is one theory that has started to gain momentum recently in the amateur radio community. This theory states that the term "ham" was given when many started to notice the physical evolution involving many who become amateur radio operators (author included). As a result, many have started to move their field day locations further away from civilization and vehicle access. I finish off by reminding you the reader that this is only one of many theories floating around in the amateur radio community as to the beginnings of the word "ham".

Volunteering with the American Red Cross

I started volunteering with the American Red Cross local chapter way back. Due to my workload in both work and school, I have dialed back my activities at this time so I can focus on my studies. While I am not very active at the local level, I am busy at the national level. From time to time I assist with projects and provide guidance to others in the Communications field in the American Red Cross.

My Future Plans

As I finish up with school, my current plans are to obtain a job overseas in Japan. I know you may be asking, "Why would you want to go to Japan?" and the answer is quite simple. Because it is a country that I have long respected for its historically attached cultural ties that its citizens keep and practice. This country allows the past, present, and future coexists on four small islands. America may be an all right country, but has lost its image and has never kept true to the past or the future. Not to mention, I am in web design & development, and the Internet is just starting to bloom over there. As the Internet presence increases, so will the demand for developers and designers alike.

I currently am looking at going over at first to teach English; hopefully, after a few years, I will be able to move up into the technology division of one of the major companies that provide education in English. Doing so will allow me to get a good hold of the Japanese language so that I can have an edge in being bilingual.

I know this may sound like the dream of a 16 year old, but I have been planning this for a few years now and do have other plans in case this does not come to be. I can never be sure unless I give it a try, as two dear ones close to me would put it. So here's to the future!