Also VK2IMM

KJ6MBW is my new callsign from January 2011 to operate from USA, got the Extra in May 2011.

Member of WIA and ARRL.

Grid Loc CM97 in 2011. CM87 from 2012.

Year 2012 update - Roof antenna on the picture is a 10/15/20 12AVQ trap GP from Hy-Gain with a modified base (bolted 1/4" aluminum bar and 3/8 size thread sockets for the whips) to accept resonant mobile whip antennas as radials (Hustler tri-band whips as shown). It works with a single whip per band also but it is better with two. This may work well for any other 1/4 Wave length elevated vertical if you do not want to have wire radials.

Hustler 5BTV vertical used on 40/80m is on back yard behind the house. 5BTV is mounted on a 2" steel pipe using DX Engineering tilt base at 8ft up. One or two elevated radials used for these two bands. Configuration may very, at times I use a modified top loading with less inductance and more capacitance and a shunt coil at the base for matching.

Equipment

Downsized from some old radios to a FT-857D with a 300Hz Collins filter. This setup covers all bands I need and has a rather quiet receiver. A bit small for desktop but works well for DXing and contesting.

Recent addition - AL811 (3 x 811's) to help with some DXpedition pile-ups and for low band DXing.

K1EL USB keyer for CW.

Interests

DXing and low power contesting on HF and operating via SAT's on VHF/UHF.

Still working to get 100 countries on 80m but it is moving slow from W6. 40/20/15/10m are fine, got past that point on these bands mostly with 100w.

Also need to get some more Grids to complete VUCC via Satellites.

Callsign history:

Apart from this call I had been using W6/VK2IMM in 2005- Jan 2011 while visiting W6 and after my work relocation from Sydney, Australia to California

KL7/VK2IMM during NA-041 IOTA contest DXpedition to Sitka, Alaska in 2008

VK2IMM in Sydney Australia.

VP8CWI in 1996 to 1998 while working in Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

UW0LBW since 1987 to the early 90th from zone 19 where I obtained my first call.

I use traditional paper QSL's

VK2IMM on the Web http://home.comcast.net/~sergeysh/site/