k9chphamradiopage

K9CHP ham radio page

Ham radio vs. Amateur radio, well to me amateur is in opposition to professional and ham radio operators should be nothing but professional in their hobby, so my preference is for the piggish term. It isn't kosher either, but less treif than the other term, IMO.

I got my Technician license in 2003. Communications is something I had been dabbling with for a long time an I took advantage of a long cold Syracuse winter to prepare and pass the test. Repeaters and nets just did not get me fired up. Maybe it was because I was so familiar with radios, using then in SAR etc. so it was not a novelty? Then late in 2005, I discovered LEO satellites and curiosity got the best out of me. I found myself battling the Syracuse NY winter weather to make contacts as far as California. I was in knee-deep snow for that one, believing the spot I was in was a good one. I found better ones later. Over time, my equipment improved, but to this day, all my satellite work is done with 5 watts portable.

Go to: LEO satellite operations

I upgraded my license to General in March 2007. I must say that my success in LEO satellite work prepared me well for DXing. I did upgrade my equipment a bit, adding an LDG AT-200pro autotuner, a Cobra Ultra-lite antenna to the Icom 706MKIIG I already had on which I did some SWL. Working barefoot at 100 watts, I got some very nice DX contacts, from the Spitzbergen Islands to the north, all the way to Japan, Hawaii, Cook Islands and Western Australia among others.

QSL CARDS

I love them, the old fashioned paper kind. A QSO lasts a few seconds, the card is there for much longer.

"The times, they are a changing" said the bard, so I'm also on LOTW, ARRL's Log of the World, as this saves time, energy and expenses. I will also try to keep these logs as up to date as possible as uploading seems quite easy with HRD Utilities by WD5EAE.

Check out my QSL card K9 Stryder's page

Amir Findling K9CHP
4335 Kencrest Drive
Syracuse NY 13215
USA

AWARDS

WAC:

I was lucky enough to be able to work all continents on the very low side of the solar cycle, using first my Icom 706MKIIG and a G5RV antenna then a Cobra Ultra lite antenna and later on my Icom 756ProIII. Got my certificate in December5 of 2007.

WAS:

I just got my certificate at the end of December 2008. I completed it with 17 cards and the rest through LoTW, which saved me time and money, although I like paper cards best. I must commend the ARRL's Awards Desk for their being ever so prompt in their dealing with the paperwork.

Awards in progress

DXCC

LoTW has helped me bump up my confirmed DX QSLs to 72 (52 LoTW) and now one of my on-going projects is to find the entities I have in my log from whom I need to request confirmation.

License upgrades

Upgraded to Amateur Extra in December of 2007. That was my goal since I got the general earlier that year. I did get the books and tried to learn on my own. I was doing ok till I hit a plateau at a level that would not be enough to make the grade. I finally decided to give it an extra push and used HamTestsOnline for that purpose. Now this is not just a testing program, as there are many free ones available. This one has its own intelligence and remembers your weak areas and brings them back every so often till you master them. It also allows you to remain in control if you feel you need to speed things up. HamTestsOnline did a wonderful job for me as not only they brought my scores way up, they gave me a short explanation on the principles involved, short enough to keep me going and not bog me down in a dissertation. I highly recommend this program. Check it out on QRZ.com and you'll find a way to get a nice rebate.

I also am now a VEC for both the ARRL and W5YI. That seems to me to be a worthy way to invest some of my time in the hobby, for the benefit of others.

My Station:

My station was also upgraded in that period of time. I now operate an Icom 756ProIII. I now am mainly using a Cushcraft MA5B beam for 10-20meters. While the antenna is larger than I had figured it would be, it is now up on my mast and working quite well. I'm hearing more stations, much louder and clearer than with the Cobra. My XYL said "this is as big as it gets" so no SteppIR for me. Oh well, with the sunspot cycle getting better, I ought to do OK. I'll post a picture of the MA5B as soon as I get a good one. I will continue using the Cobra Ultra Lite for 40, 80 and 160 meters though.

More details on the Cushcraft MA5B can be found here: Cushcraft MA5B antenna

I am also using a Heil Pro+ headset with a foot switch, so logging is now much easier as I don't have to drop the mike all the time. The sound is also great, making weak stations very intelligible.

I'm also active in digital modes using the SignaLink USB interface. While I had to look up information not only in the SignaLink USB manual but also on the Tigertronics webpage, the installation of the SignaLink USB was uneventful and after a little familiarization with my software, DM-780 which works in conjunction with Ham Radio Deluxe, I've made a few contacts I must say I'm happy with SignaLink and the wait was very much worthwhile. Highly recommended!

My Icom 706MKIIG is now my portable station and I operate it when camping, using a Buddipole Deluxe antenna (and an MFJ-259B analyzer to tune my antenna). I was able to operate with this station while maritime mobile in the Caribbean on Holland America's MS. Noordam, under the call sign PA/K9CHP/mm in February of 2008. See that page below.

On the left, the Icom 706MKIIG inside the Winnebago Sightseer 30B. It is now computer controlled, using Ham Radio Deluxe. I also export the latest additions to my log to a USB thmb drive and import them to my base station and computer. Makes life real eaasy. No more paper logs in chicken scratch and hand writing. Also, with my SignaLink USB interface, I can also access digital modes and that is nice as this is a very quiet mode! I work the station outdoors when it is pleasant to do so. This way I can also answer questions that other campers might have about ham radio. On the right, my Buddipole antenna, set as a horizontal dipole on its 16' mast.

Projects:

Eventually, I hope to get an amplifier, no decisions yet, I'm having fun with the station as it is now.

Remote Operation:

Using Logmein (www.logmein.com) I am able to access my desktop computer and control my Icom IC-756ProIII via HamRadio Deluxe. The free version of Logmein does not allow for transfer of sound, so no phone QSO are possible (unless I upgrade or learn to use HRD's inherent control program and use Skype, something that seems a little dauting for now). But I've had two nice DX QSOs while I was at my laptop in our kitchen. Some hardware has to be connected manually. The radio has to be turned on, the antenna connected, the SignaLink box on and connected. But the rest of the settings are controlled remotely. I also cannot switch antennas. But knowing I can use my home station from wherever I have a wireless connection (assuming what needs to be on is in fact turned on) is kind of nice.

Mobile operation.My truck is equipped with a Kenwood TM-D700A dual band radio that is mostly used for APRS. Check out K9CHP-9 for my truck's location on Where am I? APRS Location Page or me if pedestrian, as I may use the Kenwood TH-D7AG for APRS and then the call sign would be K9CHP-7.