More about me

About Me

VE9KK
I was first licensed in 1989 and upgraded to advance in 2000. I primarily operate contests both CW and RTTY. I have been operating RTTY contests since 2005 and started CW contesting late 2006. I became more interested in CW and CW contesting but I had to get my code up to contest speed. I was able to get from 10 wpm to 34 in about a year with LOTS of practice. During 2007 I also was bitten with the QRP bug and operate my Elecraft KX1. (The KX1 also has been sold) Another part of the hobby I enjoy is kit building it helps with the long winter nights.
My former K2 (sold)

My K3 (sold)
My home station consisted of an Elecraft k2 (K2 was sold for funds for a new KX3) and K3 with a Begali contour paddle. My antenna was the MFJ 1788 loop antenna. Which was on the balcony here in my condo. Not a mega contesting antenna by any stretch of the imagination. But I do live in an antenna restrictive area and that is the best I can do. It's not all about winning but enjoying the game....Well, it would be cool to be a big gun one day…I did have the Elecraft KX3 and took it with me when I ventured outdoors for some "free-range" operating. 
The KX1 the first kit from Elecraft 
(sold)
The new KX3 added to the family
(sold)
So fast forward to where I am in life travels now....I have retired (2019) and we picked up and move to New Brunswick n the Maritimes in Canada. I am able to have an outdoor antenna which is an Endfed multiband antenna. I am not the proud owner of an Icom 7610 radio and it's fantastic and I am now officially away from Elecraft. Nother at all wrong with the Elecraft product but I felt it was time for a change. To fund the change I had to sell the K3 and my 1788 mag loop which really I had no use for now. I also sold the Begali key as for some reason I just could not get used to it. I purchased the 9A5A solid-state CW paddle and it has been working great. My PC was starting to show it's age and it was with regret that I sold my Elecraft KX3 to fund the new PC upgrade. 
The Icom 7610