I don’t want to inflate my own importance in the world, I just want to share information and I needed an excuse to learn WP, AWS, etc. I originally setup this website on a Raspberry Pi 4 however this (WordPress on AWS) is better, faster, and cheaper!
I’m looking forward the 2024’s VHF trips however in January I was involved an a collision. 5 PM traffic on the way home from work the highway traffic came to a full stop as normal but the driver behind me was taken by surprise and collided into the Kia and I. The car is in the repair shop for a few months. I’m doing well, just banged up some. No radios were injured, except maybe a coax that was pinched in the trunk door.
My Sept ’23 Rover trip will be here soon! 2023 Sept ARRL VHF Contest as a Rover
For this occasion, I worked with ChatGPT to make a VHF Rover prayer..
My July Amateur Radio activity: 2023 July CQ WW VHF Contest as a Rover
My June Amateur Radio activity: 2023 June ARRL VHF Contest as a Rover
What I do for work
I specialize on the ‘back end’ of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (MECM) aka Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) (Microsoft reorganization renamed of the product in 2020.) I began actually managing systems with this in 2001 when it was called Microsoft SMS. If you also use MECM, send me a message via LinkedIn or QRZ.
What I do for fun
I have always been interested in technology, machinery, rocketry, and speed. Today’s hobby is Arduino and Raspberry Pi and how they can be used with my main hobby Amateur Radio. I’m not a chin wagger – I prefer to make contacts with people outside the continental US, from Canada and Mexico to New Zealand and the Antarctica! It’s fun to say hello to another Amateur Radio operator like myself in another country using only a radio, an antenna, the Earth’s Ionosphere, and skills. It’s even more fun when it’s only 100 watts on voice mode (PHONE) or 30 watts in data mode. I think the ultimate in fun would be doing this with 100% solar power (off the grid).
If your wondering how many people are licensed in the US, you can see the numbers correlated by our association: http://www.arrl.org/fcc-license-counts If you interested in what it takes to become licensed, you can ask me (a former licensing instructor and examiner).
You can also start here: http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training
You can also take free practice exams here: https://hamstudy.org/
In 2019 at our “Edmond Amateur Radio Field Day” we were on the afternoon and evening TV news broadcast! https://www.news9.com/clip/14848759/oklahoma-hams-participate-in-national-field-day Field day is the last full weekend of June each year. During my term as President we held the largest Field Day sites in the state for a few years (COVID broke our run).
Current Space Weather from NOAA: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/radio-communications
Public pledges of support
If you use LoTW, please donate directly to LoTW support it here: https://home.arrl.org/action/Donate
Think of the postage expenses this program has saved you, and donate a portion of that savings to LoTW development, maintenance and utility costs. Keep LoTW online and free to the world by donating.
If you have several thousands QSL’s, consider a minimum of 1 cent per QSL initially and then maybe 50 cents per new QSL per year (just an example). LoTW is a huge expense to ARRL and those of us that use it should donate to keep it maintained.