Important QSL Information

If you want a paper QSL for an awards program, prepare one for my signature and send it to me with a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope and I will be happy to sign and return it. The only other form of QSL I will acknowledge is e-QSL or LOTW.

I got my first license in January 1959. Over the years, this hobby has provided untold hours of pleasure. It also influenced my career, leading ultimately to being an owner/operator of a pair of small market radio stations in Randolph, Vermont.

(operating position -- VL1000, FT2000, Arduino, Webcams)

At present my amateur radio station is built around the Yaesu FT-2000 transceiver and its companion VL-1000 Quadra linear amplifier. W1KOK can transmit with 1250 watts of power in the 160, 80, 40, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10 and 6 meter bands using SSB and CW, as well as 200 watts on 30 CW. Each of these bands is connected to a simple vertical antenna except 160, which uses an inverted L and 20 which has a 2 element vertical array. (Please visit www.w1kok.com for detailed information on the design and construction of our antenna systems.)

The station is located in Randolph Center, Vermont. It can be operated via the internet from any location using client/server software of my own design.

(Close-up of Arduino and Webcam #1)

The server runs on a Macintosh computer in the shack which has an RS-232 serial connection to the FT-2000 and another to an old KAM. The server is a fairly simple piece of software written in RealBasic. Whatever it hears on one of the serial ports (FT-2000 or KAM) it passes on to the client. Whatever it hears from the client, it passes on to the FT-2000 or the KAM. Virtually no processing is done by the server. An Arduinocontrols the antenna selection and the webcams.

The client, a RealBasic application running on my Macintosh, reflects the current state of the radio on the user's screen and, in response to user input sends commands to the radio (or the KAM) via the server.

The audio circuit is provided by a Skype connection. When I connect to the server it calls me via Skype. All audio from the FT-2000 is channeled via the Mac Mini audio input to Skype. All audio from the Mac Mini audio output goes thru an optoisolator into the FT-2000.

Failsafe power control is achieved by means of a Web Power Switch 6. This inexpensive device features 8 independently switched power outlets which can be controlled remotely, allowing me to reboot each device in the shack, whether it be the server, the transceiver, the KAM or anything else.

Using the client/server since winter 2008 has been very satisfying. I have had quite a few excellent QSOs. Using a Macintosh computer and my homebrew client software from Montana and from California operating the station has all been pretty much the same as if I were at home in the shack. I even bagged quite a few nice DX contacts.

99% of my operating time is spent on CW. The winter of 2012-2013 finds me on 80 and 40 meters most of the time.

Previous call signs: WN6JBZ, WA6JBZ, WN6KOK, WB6KOK, W6KOK