HI! I'm Tom, Welcome to my little QRZ Page!
So you are here looking for information, right? Well let me tell you some things that you might like to know.

Equipment HF/6M
Rigs: Kenwood TS-480SAT (Primary), Kenwood TS-520S (Secondary), Some SDR-Stuff.
Ant: Cushcraft R-7000, G5RV, 80M Helical Dipole @ 35ft (soon to be decomissioned), Inverted L 160/80M
Accessories: Signalink USB (All Rigs), MFJ-949EY (All HF), SP-520 (2, one on each rig), VFO-520, TV-506, Shure 555 (520S), 4Port RJ-45 Switch

Equipment VHF
Rigs: Yaesu FT-7900R, 2 Yaesu FT-7800R (2m/440), Motorla MaxTrac (2m/Public Service), Bendix-King Handheld (2m/Public Service), Baofeng UV-5R (Droppable)
Ant: Cushcraft ARX2B Ringo Ranger II @35ft, J-Pole (2) stuck in a crawlspace.
Accessories: Signalink USB, 4Port RJ-45 Switch

Powering the World!
Not really. So around Field Day 2011, I began a "Solar Power Project" The intent of this project was simple, "Provide secondary power for Amateur Radio Stuff"; It's grown. It really started off as "Get the bonus points for solar powered QSOs". Everyone wants to promise the world, I'm a practical guy. Here's what I shot for: Use a 100w panel and a charge controller to charge a deep-cycle marine battery, run a few Q's at 100w, till it drops, and then switch back to the AC Power Supply. Here's what I got: Running all of Field Day off the mentioned setup, and in the wee hours of the morning scaling back to 50w till the sun came up. My "Shack" has never gone back to commercial mains since.

So what I have now is (4) 2 100w Polycrystalline panels running to a 30a PWM Charge Controller to handle battery charging and load managment. It's a pretty simple setup really, and off this I'm supplying 13.9vdc via up-conversion to power the Kenwood, as well as 12vdc and 5vdc to power accessories (bye-bye wall-warts!). Right now the only thing not running off this system is my "Main PC" and Networking equipment (I run a large home network). My logging/Radio laptop, RP3b, and eveything Amateur Radio all run off the "Solar Power". With this system I have yet to have a "power" issue, and some upgrades are planed for Late 2017, which will see this expand to 400w Solar, a MPPT controller, AGM Batteries for the bank, and tie in a 120w AC Inverter for "Other" use.

The 80m Helical was basically 4 slinky toys welded together 2 on each end (trimmed for center) There are a few things I learned from this "experiment". First, Slinky's don't like weather- a good two coats of Enamel paint will make it last for years. Second, if you don't support the ends from stretching, it won't make it though a year, use some good support rope and tie it off at your set spacing every 3 loops on both the top and the bottom, this will help it from stretching out, deforming, twisting, etc. - The best part about building them is how inexpensive and easy they are, I've found the discount stores carry the full sized slinky toys for about $2USD/ea and the Enamel spray paint cost a whole $1. "Version 3" got caught up in the tree that supports the center, and it promply was magled by weather. It still preforms well in this state, but it's just encouraged me to move on to try something new. The two versions of this antenna lasted for about 2yrs then 12, and the second would have kept on going, but I decided to replace it with a G5RV after my "support structure" changes.

Generally, you'll find me working JT-65, JT-9, PSK31, RTTY, SSB. I work CW now and then, but due to Tinnitus this is a rare occurance. I will usually save my CW work for the brief run in a CW Contest, because I can only stand it in short-bursts (I was lucky to get though my 20wpm Code Test (Never did upgrade to Adv/Extra. Maybe someday). However, I've found thanks to the "digital age" I can manage to combine the computer with my ear and rack up a good 100 or so before I can't stand it.

Finally. I've now gotten WAS-LOTW-Basic Thanks to Les KL7J who pushed me over the top with a JT-65 QSO on 17m on July/3/2012 @ 1941. Thanks Bucnhes Les!!

I'm currently working on a few more, have nailed down about 12 different WAS awards; Currently working on the WARC bands and picking off the few last ones for a couple more. I mostly hang out and try to help people with that "rare DX of NY" over on the N8FQ K3UK LOTW Sked page which you can find at http://n8fq.org/sked/index.php?board=lotw it's a great little place with a bunch of great folks who are egar and more than willing to set up a sked or work on the fly. I also now work from home; so if you need NY or Erie County, NY for an award or something, hit me up- I'll be glad to try and help.

I'm also involved with the USislands group, having been part of the crew to Activate and Qualify NY-45R Beaver Island with the W2SEX Call. We're looking at doing a few more of these in the near future so keep an ear out for us.

I am also a past President, Newsletter editor, and 15-year Board of Director of the Amateur Radio Assoc. of the Tonawands (W2SEX). I finally "Retired" as of July 2015. I needed a well-deserved break :). I am also an ARRL Accredited Volunteer Examiner and an ARRL Life Member.

About QSLing: I'm good via LoTW, as well as the 3905CCN Buro's. Please note as of July 1 2014 I've run out of paper cards, and haven't botherd to redeisgn and reorder more. In the interim, if you need one for an award, or something special, please let me know and I'll make one up. That being said, I doubt I'll get around to a new design/print soon- I want to make something "hometown specific" but can't get the right photo/artwork. My last ones didn't come out like I wanted and it took years to run through them, this time I want a card you'll be as proud as I am to hang on your wall. In the meantime LoTW will be the primary way, and I usually update once a week if not sooner.

There are two gaps in my log in which one set were lost due to a fire while "portable 8" (1999) and a computer snag (2004). I am no longer using eQSL I have no interest at all in using other methods, so please keep that in mind. I QSL for myself and for others whom chase paper, I'm just happy to have worked you.

Outside of Amateur Radio, I enjoy Music, Fishing, Bicycling, Geocaching and Reading; but like Amateur Radio it seems I never have much time for that as well.