KE2BUD Extra Class Amateur Radio Operator
My name is Thomas, I am currently an Extra class licensee as of 10/17/2024, General class licensee as of 02/15/2024, and originally licensed as a Technician class licensee since 08/22/2023 and took my exam with the 721st MCB Exam Team. I enjoy particapating in nets. My interest in HAM Radio started from the Radio merit badge in BSA & JOTA. It was quite cool because I got to see the radio rooms in the New Jersey Battleship! I actually now teach the radio merit badge at Forestburg Scout Reservation over the summer during summer camp. Forestburg’s radio callsign is W2FSR, and they also have a pretty neat shack.
My current rig setup is an Icom IC-7300. This radio is powered with a 40 Amp Switching Power Supply Unit. The radio is also connected to my Heathkit HM-102 power and SWR meter. I have a Buckmaster 7-Band 300 Watt OCF Dipole Antenna. This antenna is strung up in my trees from the front yard to the backyard. One of my Homebrew antennas is the 2 Element Mini Yagi for 20m. This antenna is mounted to my chimney. The element supports are actually made out of bamboo that I grow in my backyard. My other homebrew antenna is an EFHW Inverted-V 20m & 10m. I call it the PFHW (Pamper Fed Half Wave), because I made the 49:1 Unun in the old school plastic pamper containers. I also have an Icom ID-880H. This radio is powered with an Astron 12 Amp Linear Power Supply Unit. This radio’s antenna is a Diamond VHF/UHF 2m/70cm verticle. It is mounted on the same mast above my yagi, connected to the chimney. Eventually, I intend on stringing up a VHF UHF 2m/70cm Ground Plane Antenna, VERY HIGH up in the trees. And of course one of the most important components of my station is a Personal Computer.
My mobile setup is mainly comprised of Yaesu FT-891 for HF. Paired with this great mobile HF radio I have a LDG Electronics Z-100Plus Autotuner, to help protect my radio from my not so great Homebrew antenna. This antenna is a center-fed inverted-v for the 20 meter band. I have been using a piece of bamboo with and umbrella holder, but recently got telescoping poles I need to test out. For VHF/UHF I use a Yaesu FT5D, HT. For QRP, I use the two radios I built as a kit: The QRP Labs QDX Digital Transceiver, and the TruSDX QRP radio. Both of these radios are five watts. The QDX can only do Digital Mode. The TruSDX can actually operate on Phone, Digital, and CW. I was lucky enough to have my friend custom 3D print the case with my callsign on it. Finally, I have my laptop for logging, FT8, etc. This is my main POTA setup as well.
Thanks for checking out my page, and I’ll catch ya’ down the log. Until next time, 73!
A picture of my bamboo 2 element 20m yagi & VHF UHF vertical diamond.
A picture of my base station.
Check out the video below! I make a contact on HF while riding down a zipline while using the zipline as the antenna.