About Eric J. Hébert, WB2EHG

My Journey Back to Amateur Radio

I’m WB2EHG, Eric J. Hébert (pronounced “A-BEAR,” as in “a bear sleeps in the woods”), a Technician-class amateur radio operator based in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. WB2EHG.radio is where I document my experiences with DMR, APRS, emergency communications, local repeaters, handheld radios, and making contacts from Brooklyn to the world.

Amateur radio first became part of my life as a teenager in the 1970s. I later allowed my license to lapse after joining the U.S. Coast Guard. Decades later, I returned to amateur radio in November 2024 and was initially assigned the callsign KE2EMK. I subsequently reclaimed my original callsign: WB2EHG.

Service, Readiness, and Emergency Communications

I served 13 years on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard and attained the rank of Quartermaster Second Class. I went on to serve another 17 years in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, including service as a National Division Chief. After 30 years in uniform, I finally hung it up—but the Coast Guard’s commitment to readiness, public service, and helping others remains a large part of who I am.

My primary passion in amateur radio is emergency communications. I continue developing my operating skills so I can become a knowledgeable, dependable operator who is prepared to serve when called upon.

How I Operate Today

My operating interests include DMR, APRS, repeaters, satellite communications, and practical handheld radio operation. From my Brooklyn apartment, I use digital voice, hotspots, local repeaters, and internet-linked systems to communicate with operators nearby and around the world—because apparently talking to the entire planet from an apartment in Brooklyn is a perfectly reasonable hobby.

You can find the radios, hotspots, antennas, and other equipment I currently use on my My Station page. I log my contacts with QRZ.com, and World Radio League, try to keep Logbook of The World updated, and use DigiQSLfor exchanging QSL cards.

Beyond the Radio

When I’m not playing radio, I’m a husband, the father of a grown daughter, a devout cat person, and a tree-hugging Pagan. I’m also a storyteller shaped by the Coast Guard, Brooklyn, public service, and a lifetime of experiences that occasionally become entries in my Radio Journal.

I try to be funny, but often just end up smelling that way.

Memberships and Affiliations

The organizations shown below represent the amateur-radio communities, public-service programs, and local connections that support my continuing journey. They include the ARRL, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, the Kings County Radio Club, and EventHams.

Whether we meet across a Brooklyn repeater or halfway around the world, I hope to hear you on the air.

73 de WB2EHG
Eric J. Hébert
Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, USA