Biography

11-09-2013 call changed from KD8LCD to N8SDR

Prior call KD8LCD from 5/09 to 11/13

One day while I surfing around the internet I came across some pages by Amateurs and remembered all the fun I had years before, and thought I can take that test and get back on the air. In May of 2009 I did just that I took my Technician element and passed that with a perfect score, my first radio was an older Yaesu FT 690R II all mode QRP 6 meter rig, although it was QRP I had a blast with it. I used an Diamond 2 element 6 meter antenna (A-502HB) and worked some good contacts with that setup. That got me hooked back into amateur radio and I soon wanted more.

During my technician test I met Don, N8KYX who soon became my elmer. He helped me with my antenna for 6 meters and soon helped me in studying for my General Class License. In August of 2009 I took and passed my General exam and now had more band privileges but still only had the QRP 6 meter radio and on a tight budget, looking around I found that the Yaesu FT-450 was going to fill the need for more bands and more output. It was an HF/6 meter all mode100 watt transceiver. In 02/2011 I Upgraded to a Yaesu FT-2000 transceiver, then in October 2011 replaced it with a FLEX 3000 which I am very happy with. Now I needed an HF antenna to work my new privileges, having a small yard was not helping that out. I choose to use a Fan Dipole by Alpha-Delta model DX-EE at first , it is a shortened 40-10 meter wire dipole that has an overall length of about 40 feet, its narrow banded on 40 meters In 2010 it was replaced by an S9 SV43 vertical. After working more DX and getting started with some of the digital modes I soon found that the bands were becoming less and less active mainly due to conditions. But it seemed I always heard a couple stations in the DX portions of the bands mainly in the extra class segments, looks like I was going to have to upgrade again and in december 2009 I upgraded to extra class.

Amateur radio is a great way to meet and make new friends. It's also a way to find old ones as well.

Worked DXCCs:

Equipment

Transciever: 160-6M Flex-3000 Software Defined Radio (SDR)
for WSPR and WSTJ-X using a SoftRock ensemble RXTX for 40/30/20 meters 2 800mW
Amplifier: GI7BT Homebrew HF Amp approx 600-700 watts
Microphone: Sterling Audio ST51 Condenser or ATR 30 using a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

HF Antennas: S9 43 Foot Vertical, 80M-Inverted L, 40M OCFD, Diamond AH502B 6 M,
VHF: 2M,220, and 440 vertical

HT: Kenwood TH-F6a
Mobile: Old 2M HTX-242

Flex Computer System: Self build, AMD FX8150 Processor
Win8.1 professional, PSDR 2.3.5 Samsung display:
Setup for most Digital Modes as well