Where I'm Going

Where I'm Going

I've really had a growing interest in electronics. You have to realize that I've been a computer guy all of my career not an electrical engineer. My electronics training has all been through ham radio. I read books, I subscribe to QEX and I read both QEX and QST from cover to cover every issue. About half of the stuff in QEX goes sailing over my head but it sure is interesting.

The articles that really tweak my interest are the guys who build complete HF radios of their own design, from scratch. Wow. Maybe someday I can do that. I'm slowly making my way through Experimental Methods in RF Design

Over the last few years I've learned a lot and I have a long way to go. I'm intrigued by software defined radio. I have a little bit of interest in digital modes, but I really like the simplicity of good old analog CW rigs. I've done a little bit with PIC microcontrollers and DDS stuff.

Despite my less-than-contest antenna setups I always love doing the ARRL CW sweepstakes. Maybe someday I'll get a clean sweep!

About two years ago I inherited a large homebrew AM transmitter basket case. I spent a long time figuring out how it all fit together, cataloging the circuits and the interconnections. I eventually got the thing on the air. For the old timers: It is a pair of 250TH tubes modulated by 2 pair of 813s (I did say large!). That has been the focal point for my "hollow state" education. I have not yet built my own HF amplifier, but someday I'm gonna.