Janet K0JE and Janice K0JA - Ham Radio Twins
/The 86-year-old identical twins studied electrical engineering and worked for pioneering computer companies at a time when few women had careers in STEM fields.
They've traveled the world via the airwaves as avid ham radio operators, a hobby they took up in their teens. They've also traveled the world in real life, driving a series of RVs to every state (except Hawaii) and taking volunteer trips to places like Tonga and Indonesia.
The sisters don't just have a wide variety of interests, whether it's photography, ham radio or bowling. They like to compete.
"We're goal-oriented," said Janet.
They win prizes for wildlife photography and they like collecting rankings and certificates from amateur radio competitions. They exchange Morse code transmissions at 20 words a minute to other amateur radio operators in all 50 states and contact ham radio operators located in as many national parks as possible.
They've contacted people over the airwaves in about 200 countries, but "we always want to get more countries," Janet said.
"Morse code is almost a lost art, but the twins are expert Morse operators," said Lyle Koehler K0LR, a ham radio operator friend from Shoreview.
