I’m a former Army 67N (Utility Helicopter Mechanic / Crewchief). I currently work as a Network Manager for a small, rural/regional telecommunications provider servicing Northern California and Southern Oregon.
I’m fairly new to the amateur radio scene. I currently hold an Amateur Extra license.
I am also a licensed GMRS user. My call is WRMK420.
My current radios are a BTECH/Baofeng UV-5X3, two Icom ID-5100A, Yaesu FTDX10, Radioddity DB20-G and a Kenwood TK-790 that I’m repurposing into a dedicated APRS radio.
One ID-5100A and the Radioddity DB20-G are in my 2008 2-Door Jeep Wrangler. The another ID-5100A is in the home shack. I’m using an Ed Fong dual band J-pole antenna and also have a Raspberry Pi MMDVM hotspot.
My FTDX10 is coupled with an MFJ-993B tuner and a self-made dipole in an inverted V configuration. My farthest contact is to South Africa (10k+ miles) using FT-8 on 20m.
I have an interest in public safety and community service. I’m hoping to join the Klamath Falls, OR ARES and CERT teams in the near future.
I’m also an archery and rifle hunter as well as stream, river and lake fisherman. My hope is to integrate amateur radio into these hobbies as a safety net as I often find myself out of the way with no cellular service.