I am a licensed amateur radio operator with the callsign W1SAV. I started my ham radio journey in July of 2019 and by the start of January I became an Amateur Extra, My initial callsign was KN6DDU.

You probably heard me saying my name is Savi. I do go by that name; however, it is a nickname. I got it when I first started serving in the Air Force where all my friends called me son-of-a-bitch. You can see the connection to my last name. They did tire of calling me that so they suggested Savi as a nickname. That was in August of 1974. Some of my family and friends even shorten that and call me Sav.

You can see that my first initial and my nickname make up the vanity call. To me, it is much better than my initial call sign of KN6DDU, which just did not roll off my tongue. One month after becoming a technician I applied for and later received my vanity callsign. I would have used W6SAV, showing I was from California, but it was in use. The only call area that had it available was call area 1, New England, so I became W1SAV.

And then, there is my QSL card. Aside from the normal information you find on a QSL card, there are two items not normally found and they are:

SAC Shield – In the upper right-hand corner, is the command patch I proudly wore while in the Air Force. I worked targeting and maintaining the Minuteman II missile system in Missouri and the Minuteman III in Wyoming.

Crossed Cannons – In the bottom center, I wore the symbol for the Army’s Field Artillery branch in the early 90s. I eventually retired as a Captain of Field Artillery.

Finally, yes I know the third, in the lower center is a picture of my trusted mechanical steed, Betelgeuse the Red. My jeep is a 2006 Wrangler TJ, of which I am the original owner. The shot was taken on a summer night in 2018 on an 860-foot hill. Betelgeuse was surrounded by the night lights of Pasadena, East Los Angeles, South Pasadena, Alhambra, San Gabriel, El Sereno, and Dodger Stadium.