During the month of February, 2012, I was QRV from Wimberley, Texas (in Hays County (Grid: EM-00xa) about 30 miles SW of Austin). During the month, I made nearly 400 contacts with other hams in some 92 "entities" using SSB/CW (mostly CW) on all HF bands and modes (plus a couple on 6m) with an FT-857D (100 watts) to a G5RV or a 30m dipole. If we made contact during this time, it was my pleasure to work you from our vacation home deep in the heart of the Hill Country of the Lone Star State! (Click HERE for photos of our Texas QTH).

I'm a Past President of AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (www.amsat.org). I also served as Executive Vice President of the organization from 1994 to 1998 and was a member of the Board of Directors of AMSAT from 1994 to 2003. Currently, I'm once again serving AMSAT as its Corporate Treasurer. I'm also a Past President and the current Webmaster for the Lambton County (Ontario, Canada) Radio Club (www.ve3sar.org).

The magazine cover shown at the upper right includes a photo of yours truly using my hand-held Arrow Antenna to work through one of our AMSAT satellites. The photo appeared on the cover of the January, 2010 issue of Monitoring Times magazine.

Licensing

Besides operating with my US callsign (KB1SF) during frequent cross-border trips to Port Huron, Michigan in the United States, I'm most often heard operating from my Canadian home QTH near Sarnia, Ontario (Canada) using my Canadian callsign, VA3KSF

I am a US Citizen by birth and was first licensed as an Amateur Radio Operator in Ohio in 1976 with the Novice callsign WD8CMU. Since then, I've operated with a variety of subsequent callsigns including KA5CCO (Texas), KC0YU (Nebraska), and IV3KBU (Italy).

I was issued my present US callsign (KB1SF) in 1985 when I "parked" my US license at my (then) permanent home address in New Hampshire while I was serving with the US Air Force in Italy. Upon my return back to the United States (Ohio) in 1988, I simply kept that call and have hung onto it ever since.

I currently hold US Extra Class privileges as well as the Basic, Morse Code and Advanced Amateur Radio qualifications authorized by Industry Canada. I was issued my present Canadian callsign (VA3KSF) in 2004.

On The Air

My on-air activities are a blend of old and new. I enjoy chasing DX, but currently live on a small city lot which makes it difficult to put up large antennas. As a consequence, on HF, I operate using CW (and, more recently with RTTY and PSK31) almost exclusively. I also enjoy operating SSTV as well as via the AMSAT satellites. Durring the summer months, I can can often be heard on many of the LEO "birds". More detailed info about me and my station (as well as station photos) can be found at www.kb1sf.com.

QSLs

I routinely upload my current logs for KB1SF and VA3KSF to both Logbook of the World (LOTW) and E-QSL. I have also recently computerized and uploaded all of my older paper logs (dating from 1976) to LOTW. This includes over 11,000 HF, VHF, UHF and Satellite QSOs that were made using my previous call signs WD8CMU, KA5CCO, KC0YU, IV3KSF as well as KB1SF.

About Me

Professionally, I'm a reitred United States Air Force Officer. Soon after my retirement from the Air Force in 1993, I founded KCB Associates, a management consulting firm that assisted corporate clients throughout North America with complex human management challenges. I've since fully retired from that activity, but I still occasionally edit and write articles for various Ham Radio-related publications. Currently, I'm writing the Amateur Radio Satellite "Sky Surfing" column for Monitoring Times magazine. Lately, I've also been writing an ongoing series of "how to" articles for the AMSAT-NA Journal and The Canadian Amateur magazine aimed at people who are just beginning to explore amateur radio satellite operation.

My other hobby is photography. A brief sampling of my work can be found in my online portfolio.

I'm married to Kathryn (Kate) Baker (nee Galbraith), of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Kate currently holds the US General Class callsign KB1OGF and the Canadian Basic (with Honours) callsign VA3OGF.

I have one daughter, Emily Rose.