Content on this page requires a newer version of Adobe Flash Player.

Get Adobe Flash player


NCDXF Biography

Glenn Rattmann, K6NA

At the age of 14, in June 1960, Glenn became licensed as Novice KN9ZMS in southern Wisconsin.  With poor equipment, CW contacts were difficult on the 80-meter band.  Eventually, contacts were made with Brazil and Greenland on 15-meters, and a new DXer was born.  Glenn upgraded to General Class in 1961, which involved travelling 100 miles to the Federal Building in Chicago by train.

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, in 1968 Glenn relocated to California where he pursued successful careers in oceanographic surveying, electronic sales and manufacturing, and aerospace.  He retired from Northrop Grumman in 2007.

Glenn has remained continuously licensed and active in amateur radio for over fifty years.  After moving west, Glenn joined the Southern California DX Club and San Diego DX Club.  He was very active as W6MAR beginning in 1970, receiving the K6NA callsign in 1976.  In addition to traffic handling and ARRL Official Observer duties, DXing and contesting remained his passion.

 Glenn has enjoyed DXing and contesting from both sides of the pileup, having operated under many calls:  VP5GR, KH6RS, KH7X, KP6BD, KP6AL, XE2EIF, FO0RS, XE2SI, CN8CX, EA9AM, EA9LS, HC5M, HC8N, K6NA/KL7, SU2MT, TI1C, 9Y4H, ZD8A, V7/K6NA.  Glenn’s favorite “classic DXpedition” was the 1977 Kingman Reef/Palmyra trip, KP6BD/KP6AL, where all four operators travelled from Honolulu to the islands and back, entirely by 14-meter sailboat.

Chasing the DX from his San Diego QTH has brought Glenn a few operating awards such as DXCC, 5BDXCC, and WAZ.  He has worked all DXCC entities (7O6T, the last one) and 5BWAZ.  Glenn is known as a low-band specialist on the west coast, having worked 310 countries on 80 meters and about 200 on 160 meters, using only wire antennas on those bands.  Glenn authored “The K6NA 80-Meter Wire Beam” in ARRL Antenna Compendium, Volume 5, and has given presentations at local clubs and Division Conventions promoting DXing and DXpeditioning.

In addition to being a Life Member of ARRL, Glenn was appointed Southwestern Division Representative to the ARRL Contest Advisory Committee in 2011.  He also was named an Assistant Director, specializing in tower and antenna issues for the San Diego Section.  A member of SDDXC since 1969, Glenn has served variously as its President, Vice President, and Director.  He was named its DXer of the Year twice, the second of which followed two years of leading the SDDXC fight against new, abusive tower regulations in San Diego.

Glenn volunteers as a CQ Awards Checkpoint for WAZ and CQ DX.  He was a member of the CQ WW Contest Committee for 35 years, promoting improved methods of log-checking and ethical operations by competitors.  K6NA was named to the Judging Committee for the first WRTC at Seattle in 1990.  He served subsequently as a Judge or Referee at San Francisco, Slovenia, and Finland events.  Glenn was inducted into the CQ Contest Hall of Fame in 1998.  


Copyright © 2013 Northern California DX Foundation.  All Rights Rreserved.  Webmaster: John, K6MM