Biography

With thanks to my school friend David Parry and his father for introducing me to amateur radio from Christchurch New Zealand. An avid HF radio listener for many years finally making the jump to operator. It was the purchase of an inexpensive SDR interface for my computer which transformed me into a licensed ham operator as I leaned about the various digital modes now available... I say the most expense $25 I have ever spent! I have always been a fan of HF so that is my focus.

Data network engineering is a hobby and a profession building global IP networks. Data Center overlay networking (SDN) and overlay wide area networking (SDWAN) are my current focus so I have all three covered... SDR, SDN, AND SDWAN.. An electronics hobbyist working on small projects over the years makes me dangerous with a soldering iron.

A love of programming currently specializing on MacOS and IOS platforms.

With the move from Technical to General/Extra, KN6AFP was updated to NA6US then to AB6A.

ab6a@arrl.net

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

NA6US -

HF Base station -
- Flex Radio 6600
- Genesys HF-1K Amp.
- HF Antenna is a 31' EFV with 4:1 UnUn mounted at roof height.
- Q5 Transverters for 2M/70CM 50W Each
- VHF/UHF Comet GP-98

Our city neighborhood is very tight on space so I am VERY limited on the size of antenna. My shack is a small workspace not too far from the family.

NA6US/P -

HF Portable
- Icom IC-7300
- DX Commander or Wire in Tree and 4:1 UnUn

VHF/UHF Portable
- Icom IC-9700
- Phased Alaskan Arrows with Telescope Tracking Mount
- Some nice HT's... TH-D72, TH-D74, FT3A and others.

Satellites:

Icom IC-9700
- iOptron AZ Mount Pro telescope mount.
- Two phased 2m/70cm Alaska Arrows
- Linear Phasing Cables.
- MacDoppler
Kenwood TH-D72
- Single 2m/70cm Arrow.
- ISS Detector

The telescope mount automatically tracks satellites as they pass over... I use MacDoppler for satellite tracking and VFO control of my IC-9700. Rotor control is udp output into a small program I wrote and coversion to telescope mount "slew" commands every second...

https://www.beyondcli.com/ham/satellite-tracking-using-astronomy-goto-mount/