Tom Dennis
Naperville, IL
My dad was a radio operator in a PBY Catalina reconnaissance and rescue aircraft in the Navy during WW2. He taught me Morse code when I was a cub scout and as much about radio as he knew. I was an avid shortwave listener and continued collecting any radio or electronic thing I could find. My 9th grade science teacher, who was a ham (now W5TWQ), sold me an ARC-5 transmitter to convert to crystal control for my Novice License in 1966. My high school in Kansas City, Kansas had 3 years of electronics class available which I took advantage of. This convinced me to pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering in college at the University of Kansas.

I repaired TV's, worked as a repairman in a 2-way radio shop, designed digital circuits and microprocessor controllers for aircraft radio equipment at King Radio in Olathe, Kansas before I moved to Huntsville, Alabama to do software for telephone equipment at GTE. I moved from there and got BSCS and MSCS degrees in Illinois. I then did software for the first digital cellular base stations at Motorola and finally retired from doing software for a company that provides interactive voice response services for fortune 500 companies.

I decided to get back into the hobby so got my General Class License in December, 2022 and my Amateur Extra Class in January, 2023. I'm looking forward to increasing my CW skills. I operate on HF with an ICOM IC-7300 using an ALINCO DM-330MV switching power supply, Heathkit SB-200 amplifier and an MFJ-880 wattmeter connected to a PEZ-EF-8010-JRKW end fed half wave that's good for 80-10 meters. I use a vintage J-38 key for CW. For VHF/UHF I use an Explorer QRZ-1 handheld dual band transceiver.

I aquired an old Kenwood TS-520 hybrid HF transceiver, which I repaired, along with an MFJ-949E manual antenna tuner to use with it. I also have a second vintage J-38 key connected to it. I put up a homemade end fed half wave entenna with Balun for it and it's transmitting and receiving well in my basement shack. I also found 2 more TS-520's which I repaired for my 2 grandsons for short wave listening.

I put together some VHF/UHF equipment for the basement shack including a Kenwood TM-731A Dual Bander transceiver, Astron RS-12A power supply, Swan WM-6200 VHF wattmeter, and a copper J-pole dual-band antenna.

I also added the following to my basement shack:

I am a member of ARRL, QRZ, Bolingbrook Amateur Radio Society, O.M. International Sideband Society (OMISS #14791), and one of the net control operators for the Hams For Christ Fellowship Net which meets at 3 PM CT daily, except Sundays, on or about 7263 kHz or via the K9DBV Remote in WI. I am also an ARRL accredited Volunteer Examiner (VE). I enjoy hunting POTA and hope to activate soon as well.


Resonant Frequency Calculator
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One layer inductance coil calculator

(and others)
Tom's personal page