W2RE Bio:

Personal:

Ray began his ham radio journey in 1988 as a novice operator with the call sign KB2FHL, and soon after, his girlfriend and now wife, Lori (KB2HZI), joined him in the hobby. With 35 years of experience in ham radio, Ray is currently 57 years old and retired with a union pension, but still runs his own communication businesses.

Ray and Lori have been happily married since 1991 and have three children, all of whom attended or completed college: Ray Jr. (31), Bobby (KC2UPN) (29), and Kelly (2). Ray describes their home as a busy one, with Lori working as a nurse in Westchester Co, NY and also assisting in tower climbing and antenna building.

After working for Pepsi for over 28 years, Ray retired/resigned in 2013. During his time at the company, he served as the Chief Shop Steward (teamsters local 445, 812) for a 100+ man shop for over 20 years, where he acted as a steward (lawyer) for the workers. Though it was a thankless job, in Ray’s own words, it taught him invaluable values and skills that he uses today in dealing with people and businesses.

Additionally, Lori and Ray have the perfect workout routine – chasing around our three energetic grandkids! These little ones are always on the move, whether they’re crawling, running, or playing games with us. It’s a fun and exciting way to stay active, and we love every moment of it. Plus, it’s a great way to spend quality time with the family and create memories that will last a lifetime. Who needs a gym membership when you have these adorable little fitness trainers keeping you on your toes?

W2RE:

In 1996, Ray was granted the call sign W2RE as a vanity call sign. He built a successful station in Blueberry, NY which he still resides in today. From this location, he won many DX SSB contests in the USA by entering SOA, while the station was active between 1996-2008. Today, the station is dedicated primarily to remoting. This location features two towers on a 1300′ ridge in the Hudson Valley.

In 2010, he built his dream vacation/contest home in the Northern Catskill Mountains, about 2 hours north (100 miles) from his primary residence. It is situated on a hilltop at 2100ft ASL with 20+ acres, and a 360-degree drop-off in all directions. This station offers total privacy and a very low noise floor, making it a pleasure to operate DX and participate in contesting. Despite his busy schedule, Ray is still in awe every time he visits the location, although he doesn’t get to visit very often these days. After investing his life savings and winning a few radio contests between 2010-2014, this station is now on a remote service called RemoteHamRadio.com.

Business:

Currently, Ray is the CEO of Hudson Valley Towers Inc and the COO of http://RemoteHamRadio.com. He is co-partners with Lee Imber WW2DX in both these ventures. Ray considers Lee and Rock to be very talented individuals, and he feels truly blessed to be in business with them.

Contrary to popular belief, RHR does not have investors. All the infrastructure of RHR was funded by hard work, dedication, and reinvestment from HVT business between 2008-2013 and RHR between 2012 to the present. The RHR team is committed to reinvesting in the business by securing the best possible land to build and maintain sites throughout the USA. As of today, they have 60+ radio towers and over 300 antennas, and they plan to continue expanding and innovating in the future. Stay tuned for more updates!

In 2022, Ray started a short term rental business that has taken off like a rocket! Not content with just running three successful communication companies, Ray has taken on the challenge of the real estate market and is killing it. From managing the properties to ensuring that guests have an unforgettable experience, Ray is making waves in the hospitality industry. Who says you can’t have it all? Ray is living proof that with hard work and dedication, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Stay tuned for more exciting developments from the multi-talented Ray W2RE!

Update:

In 2015, Ray and the RHR team purchased a 60+ acre farm house on the Atlantic Ocean in Eastport, Maine (USA). The team is confident that after the completion of the station build, this will be the contest station that all others measure station performance in the USA. For more details, please visit the Eastport page: http://www.w2re.com/eastport-2/

In the summer of 2017, Ray and his son Bobby KC2UPN started Radio Echo Communications: https://www.radioechocomm.com/. They are now open for business!

In 2019, Ray purchased 22.5 acres in Jonesport, ME and built a world-class station at this location. For more information, please visit the Jonesport page: http://w2re.com/jonesport

In 2023, Ray and Lee purchased an additional 40 acres in Maine, which is the high point on the hill at 600′ asl.

Thank you for reading Ray’s bio!

Family Picture December 2017

 

Lori KB2HZI and Ray W2RE, Its ham thing!

 

The three grandkids. Ella, Cole and Melissa