I hold an advanced + 5 wpm amateur radio certificate issued by Industry Canada, getting my basic certificate at the start of 1994. My interests are packet radio, pactor, morse code, soundcard digital modes, and building my own antenna systems. I also write software for amateur radio.

The picture to the left is just one configuration of my modest (and ever changing) 42 foot tower, the dish is for internet (motorola canopy). In this particular photo the jpole is for VHF packet, top wire antenna is HF multiband, bottom wire antenna is a dipole for 30 meters. I use ugly baluns (coaxial chokes) on my wire antennas to keep the RF where it belongs, at the antenna, not inside the radio shack - where it can get into modems and computer ports, locking them up.

I am involved with Manitoba ARES, was involved with Winnipeg ARES years ago, and am the AmprNet coordinator for Manitoba. I participate in field days, the odd marathon, and other events as time permits. Click here to contact me - my amateur radio callsign is VE4KLM.

Station configuration 2009/2010 - click here for pictures

 • 1/2 wave dipole (inverted vee) cut for 80 meters, apex 40 feet, orientation east/west
 • coaxial choke integrated into the feed point keeps RF out of the shack
 • homebrew antenna tuner (T Network) to combat severe Broadcast Band (bcb) interference
 • transceiver is an ICOM 706 MKIIG with modifications for better clover and pactor performance
 • modem is a SCS PTC-IIusb (pactor III capable) interfaced with Airmail software running on Windows XP
 • The USB cable between modem and computer uses ferrite cylinders for RF suppression.
 • The Audio and PTT cables between modem and radio use ferrite cylinders for RF suppression.

 • vertical 2 x 1/2 wave dipole (collinear) for 2 meters, mounted at 30 feet
 • coaxial balun (4:1) at the feed point to match to coax and keep RF out of the shack
 • transceiver is a *repaired* ICOM IC-28H with wires dangling everywhere :)
 • modem is a Baycom board interfaced with JNOS 2.0h software running on Slackware 9.1 linux

Software and other information

 •  JNOS 2.0 amateur radio software

 •  Packet Radio in the Winnipeg area

 •  Pactor and other digital modes on 80 meters

 •  AMPRnet coordination for Manitoba