AB1XW

Previous callsign: N3IMU.

I've been licensed since 1990, and for my first 15 years in ham radio I operated almost exclusively on VHF/UHF repeaters for public service and emergency events. I went QRT for a few years while moving around and becoming a father, then got back into the hobby in 2012. Since then, my focus has been on HF, DXing, and occasional contesting.

My setup is very basic. I use an Icom IC-7200 and two antennas: a wire dipole in inverted vee configuration up about 60 feet (18 meters) in a tree, and a Hustler 6-BTV ground mounted vertical with 16 radials. Both antennas are multi-band, but I favor the wire for the higher bands and the vertical for 40 and 80. I usually adjust my power based on the mode I'm using at the time, running 100 watts on SSB, around 25 watts on PSK-31, and often 5 watts on CW.

I make a living as a science journalist, and also maintain a blog about science, technology, and related topics here. If you like podcasts, please check out This Week in Virology, a weekly show that I co-host about the amazing world of viruses (the kind that make you sick).

Memberships:

SKCC #9495

Feld-Hell Club #4143

NAQCC #7841

The header image shows the Connecticut River flowing through the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, as viewed from a mountain near where I live.