WB8NUT - Operator/Station
Background
I was first licensed in late
1972 as WN8NUT (Novice Class). At that time, the Novice Class license
expired after two years. Not wanting to lose my ham radio license, but
also not
very proficient in CW, I decided to upgrade to Technician. I upgraded
to
Technician in 1974, and my call was changed to WB8NUT.
At that time Technicians did not have any HF privileges, so all my time
was spent on 6 and 2 meters. I really fell in love with 6 meters,
operating principally on 50.4 using AM.
The family moved to St. Louis in 1986 after McDonnell Douglas (now
known as Boeing) transferred me there. Around that same time
Technicians were given
access to the 10
meter voice band. Sun spots were hopping at that time and I was getting
my first taste of real DX. I had to increase my CW speed so I could
pass
the 13 wpm test and upgrade to General. On a business trip to Houston,
I
picked up some CW tapes at a downtown ham store, studied very hard and
passed
the 13 wpm CW test in June of 1987 at the Egyptian Hamfest in Illinois.
While in St. Louis, I almost Worked All States. Actually got up to 46
states. But we moved back to Cincinnati in 1990 and that pretty much
started the process all over again. In February 2002, I finally
achieved WAS. I was able to get my WAC certificate while I lived in St.
Louis. I recently reached 103 confrmed countries and submitted
the QSL
cards to the ARRL for DXCC. On September 26, 2003, I was awarded
DXCC certificate #39,162. I am currently working on WAS RTTY
endorsement and WAS Digital endorsement and only a few states yet to
achieve those endorsements. Also working on a second all-mode WAS award
just using the ARRL LOTW system.
I am active on HF on all bands expect 160. Rigs are a Ten-Tec Jupiter,
Yaesu FT-897, Yaesu FT-817 (QRP), Ten-Tec Argonaut V (QRP), MFJ 9420
(QRP), several kit QRP radios, various FM VHF and UHF
transceivers and handhelds for 2 meters, 220 and
440, an Icom IC-80AD handheld for D-Star and an ID-880H for D-Star from
the shack. I also use an Alinco DR-235 for FM on 220Mhz. HF
antenna is a Butternut vertical (ground mounted).
Many years ago I jumped aboard the digital bandwagon and operate on
the more popular digital modes like PSK31, MFSK, and
Hellschreiber. FeldHell (a Hellschreiber mode) is my favorite
mode on HF with most of my activity on 80 and 20 meters. I use the MixW and MultiPSK software for all the new soundcard
digital modes including SSTV. You can find me on
14.070
(PSK31), 14.079.5 (Hellschreiber), 14.080 (MFSK) and 14.230
(SSTV).
All of my software for digital modes runs on a home-built computer
system with a dual-core Intel 6420 processor and 4GBs of memory and
Windows 7. I needed a beefy computer since I run so many amateur
related software applications at the same time. For example, on most
days I have the AGWPE Pro application for connecting to several TNCs at
the same time, AGWUIDigi for my APRS fill-in digipeater, AGWTracker or
Xastir for APRS tracking, DVAR Hotspot for the D-Star hotspot, D-RATS
or D-Chat for D-Star texting, and using the digital programs of
MultiPSK and MixW with the possibility of Ham Radio Deluxe. Even with
all of this, I still have processing power to spare.
Below are
some sample SSTV pictures that I received using the JVCOMM32 program.
(these
samples are 25% of the actual size)
As
previously noted I am active on APRS (Automatic Position
Reporting System). My home APRS packet station is on continuously on
144.39 Mhz and serves as a fill-in digipeater for the Eastern
Cincinnati
and an IGate (Internet Gateway) for the entire Greater Cincinnati
area. My APRS digi station
consist of a Kantronics KPC3+ connected to a Yaesu 2500M running
50 watts.
Software controlling the APRS station is either AGWTracker or Xastir.
An APRS mobile station is now installed in my Saturn Aura using
a TinyTrak3 or TinyTrak4 with a GPS also from Byonics connected to a
Radio Shack 5 watt handheld transceiver.
Anytime you
want to see where I am (well at least where my Saturn Aura is located)
just go to http://map.findu.com/wb8nut-15.
(mobile APRS station may be off the air at times).
When the weather is
nice, I love operating outside on the back patio. In 1998 I
participated in Field Day using QRP and battery power on the patio. If
you are interested in
seeing pictures of my Field Day '98 (QRP of course!) operation (I can't
believe it was that long ago since the last time I operated Field Day),
the following pictures are available:
Memberships:
GQRP Club - 8452
American Radio Relay League (of course)
Fists - 9920
Flying Pigs QRP - 464
OMISS - 4383
SMIRK - 5279
TAPR - 8639
Ten-Ten - 45041
PODXS 070 Club - 172
Please feel free to email me at: duffy (at) wb8nut (dot) com -
remove the (at) and replace with @ also remove the (dot) and replace with a .
I QSL 100% using standard postcard QSLs or via LOTW.
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