Biography

Thank you for visiting the K2AK Amateur Radio Webpage. This page contains information pertaining to the operation of Amateur Extra Class operator Jeffrey Thomas and radio station K2AK. My name is Jeffrey Thomas (Jeff) and I have been an Amateur Radio Operator since June of 1976. I was first licensed as a Novice class operator in the state of New Jersey with call sign WA2QZA.

I was very involved in CW and voice on 10 meters; however, I wanted more so I went to the FCC in Philadelphia and I upgraded my license to Advanced Class in August of 1976. I was issued the call sign N2AEW which I held until February 1999 when I requested the vanity call of W2JRT. In March of 2007, I changed vanity call signs to K7WIN. After upgrading to Amateur Extra Class, I was granted the 1X2 call sign of K2AK which is from the 2nd district where I grew up.
From November 1983 to January 1985, I operated as HL9JT from a mountaintop (see Stars and Stripes story about Madison Site) near Suwon, South Korea. During my time on the mountain I completed over 15000 QSOs with stations from all over the world.

I am the president and trustee of the Southern Arizona Amateur Radio Club (SAZARC - https://www.sazarc.com ). SAZARC is a group of Amateurs that enjoy experimentation and activities without the requirements of a normal club. Everyone is welcome to become a member and there are no dues or donations required. We welcome individuals that have the desire to learn and research new technologies.

SAZARC currently has a System Fusion repeater online. The repeater is operational on the coordinated frequency of 441.200MHz (+5MHz) and a PL tone of 100Hz (when using AMS in Analog mode). When accessing the repeater using C4FM there is no squelch code requirement. This is in an early stage of Yaesu’ development of this project and things are changing rapidly. We have WIRES-X available. Please contact Jeff (K2AK) for more information regarding WIRES-We also have interfaced an RC-210 repeater controller that allows IRLP, and D-Star (GMSK).
In my Outlander, I have an ICOM IC-5100A (VHF/UHF D-Star, FM), and a Yaesu FTM-400DR (VHF/UHF C4FM System Fusion) which both have touch screens for ease of mobile use.

I enjoy SIX Meter openings. My 5 element Cushcraft Yagi works well, and an IC-PW1 to help when conditions are not so good. I am active on the HF bands. I can be found on the rapidly growing modes of JT65 and JT9 weak signal HF. Thanks to K1JT (Joe) and VK3AMA (Laurie) for WSJT-X, JT-Alert, and JT-Macros software for making weak signal modes so much fun and easy to work and track. I use HRD version 6 for Rig control and its awesome logbook. I have tried many rig interfaces and settled on a Navigator which occupies an isolated sound card and single USB hook up to the PC. I also have a RIGblaster DUO and provides dual rig interface of HEIL PR-781, HEIL ICM microphones and a PTT footswitch.

Over the years, I have received many awards and certificates for Amateur Radio operating achievements. Achievements included are DXCC, WAS (over 30 different variants of WAS), WAS-Triple Play, WAS-OSCAR, WAC, VUCC, and many others. I have completed over 4000 satellite contacts in my logbook.
I QSL 100%. Please let me know if you would like to exchange cards and I return cards within a couple days of them being received. Please send your QSL cards to my QRZ address.

If you are looking for Arizona or DM41 on JT-65, JT9 or any other mode please let me know and we can make a schedule. I am active on 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10, 6, 2, 70(cm), meter bands.

I support QRZCQ.COM. https://ssl.qrzcq.com/call/K2AK , please visit and view my information.

If you are unable to find the information you are looking for, please send me an email with a description of your request. Comments and suggestions are also welcome. Please visit my website at https://www.k2ak.net

Thanks for stopping by and hope to meet you on the air,
Jeff - K2AK
DM41un

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

Antennas I use are:

• Cushcraft A3S, 3 element triband Yagi (10/15/20 meters)
• Cushcraft A50-5S, 5 element monoband Yagi (6 meters)
• Comet CA-52HB4, 4 element monoband Yagi (6 meters)
• SteppIR BigIR, Vertical (auto tunes from 3.5MHz to 54MHz )
• Alpha Delta, DX-CC (10, 15, 20, 40, 80 - 1/2 wave dipole)
• Diamond F718A, Vertical (UHF repeater)
• Diamond X200A, Vertical (VHF/UHF)
• Diamond X300A, Vertical (VHF/UHF)
• 15DB Omni vertical antenna for the HSMM-Mesh network
• M2 2MCP14, 14 element Circular Polarized for Satellite (VHF)
• M2 436MCP30, 30 element Circular Polarized for Satellite (UHF)

Radios and equipment currently in use:
• Icom IC-7600 (HF, +50MHz)
• Icom IC-7300 (HF, +50MHz)
• Icom ID-5100A (VHF/UHF)
• ICOM ID-51A Red 50th Anniversary edition (VHF/UHF D-Star)
• Ubiquiti Bullet Mesh Radio (poe)
• Vertex VXD-720 (UHF DMR)
• Yaesu FTM-400DR, (VHF/UHF, System Fusion)
• Yaesu FTM-100DR, (VHF/UHF, System Fusion)
• Yaesu FT2D, (VHF/UHF, System Fusion)
• Yaesu DR-1, (VHF/UHF System Fusion Digital Repeater)
• Yaesu DR-1X, (VHF/UHF System Fusion Digital Repeater)
• Arcom RC-210, 3 port repeater controller (interfaced to DR-1X)
• S-COM 7330, 3 port repeater controller
• Yaesu HRI-200, WIRES-X (Wide-coverage Internet Repeater Enhancement System)
• DV-Mega, UHF Hotspot, D-Star, DExtra, DPlus, CCS, DCS, Call sign Routing
• IRLP Pi, Node 3952
• Yaesu G-800DXA Rotor
• Idiom Press Rotor Card DXA (computer rotor control)
• RIGblaster DUO
• Navigator Interface

Amplifier:
• Icom IC-PW1 (1000W, HF +50MHz)

Test Equipment
• LP-100A, Digital Vector Wattmeter, http://www.telepostinc.com
• LP-500A, Digital Station Monitor, http://www.telepostinc.com
• Rigol DSA-815TG, Spectrum Analyzer with Tracking Generator
• Rigol DS-1054Z, Digital Oscilloscope
• Rigol DM-3058E, 5 1/2 Digit Digital Multimeter
• Siglent SDG1025 25MHz Function Arbitrary Waveform Generator
• HP/Agilent 8657A 0.1-1040 MHz Signal Generator
• Bird 43 Watt/SWR Meter
• RigExpert, AA-600, Antenna Analyzer - 0.1 to 600 MHz