This site is my workspace, notebook, and testing ground for amateur radio. If you enjoy building, experimenting, and learning by doing, you are in the right place.

What you will see here.

• Web-based tools for ham radio.
  You will find calculators, reference tools, and interactive widgets built for real use. Some are custom components I built to solve problems in my own shack. Others will grow from questions operators ask every day.
• Project write-ups.
  I will document antenna builds, Raspberry Pi projects, APRS experiments, and station upgrades. Expect real photos, wiring details, software settings, and lessons learned. If something fails, I will say so and explain why.
• Shack computing and integration.
  This site will cover how I use Macs, Raspberry Pi systems, and radios together. Topics include logging, packet, APRS, tracking satellites, and tying hardware to software in practical ways.
• Portable and mobile radio work.
  You will see posts on go-bags, mobile installs, power planning, and testing gear in the field. Everything is based on equipment I actually use.
• A little about me.

I have served with the Stamford, Connecticut Fire Department since 1987. I am currently a Deputy Fire Chief assigned to the North District. I oversee technology, radios, and the Marine Division, and I have completed two tours as a supervisor in the city’s 911 and dispatch center.

My QTH is in Monroe, Connecticut. My wife and two sons live here, and both of my sons hold Technician licenses.

I earned my Technician and General licenses on January 21, 2016. Both on the same night.

My main ham interests include APRS, antenna building, and computer integration in the shack. I built my own APRS digipeater and iGate using a Raspberry Pi, a Signalink, and a Yaesu FT-2980, running Direwolf, Xastir, and Yaak. I have built J-Poles, dipoles, and a Yagi for space station work.

My shack is Mac-based and runs tools like MacLoggerDX and MacDoppler. My current radios include a Yaesu FT-991, FT-857, FTM-400XD, FT-3D, and an Anytone D878UVII, along with many other portables collected over the years.

On the fire service side, I also manage the portable radios used by Stamford firefighters. We operate Motorola APX 8000 portables, so radio reliability and configuration matter to me both on duty and off.

This site will continue to grow. Tools will improve. Projects will evolve. If you find something useful here, that is the goal.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you check back often.