Jeff Brubaker N7JFF
The Brubakers: Shanna KI7YLI and Jeff N7JFF
Q: How did you get started in radio?
A: I became interested in radio at a very young age. I had an older cousin who was handicapped, who would build Heath Kit projects, and always would include me. At age 10, I worked mowing lawns and delivering newspapers to purchase my first Midland CB radio. I never knew any actual amateur radio operators, but later in life, being an active scanner and shortwave listener, I found out about testing for a “Ham Ticket.” I was first licensed while stationed at Ellsworth AFB as a No Code Technician in 1991, and issued the call of N0QWV, which I held for many years. Life and moves happen, and eventually I upgraded to General Class shortly after moving to Helena. A couple of years after Shanna and I were married, she decided that she might not regularly talk on the radio but could see the value in having a license in the event of an emergency. She began studying and was issued the Technician Class license as KI7YLI. Shanna is very supportive of the hobby and does enjoy supporting club events. Q: Tell us about your shack - your base station, mobiles, etc. A: The shack has always been pretty simple. I have never run any amplifiers. I really like the challenge of making a contact without the extra power. I have owned several different radios, and currently have Icom 7300, and Xiegu G90 for HF operations. I have several different handheld radios for analog and DMR operations. My HF antenna was replaced last July with a magnetic loop antenna. The “Baby Loop” operates on 10 through 40 meters and is like Voodoo Magic. I have had more DX contacts than with any other antenna I have ever had up. My farthest contact was with a station in Beirut, Lebanon, literally only one week before large explosion that devastated the city of Beirut. As soon as I found out, I emailed the contact to see if he and his family were okay. Isn’t it fun making friends around the globe!? Q: What are your favorite radio activities? A: I do operate some SSB phone on HF, but really love the Digital modes, and FT8 being my favorite. I am currently beginning to dabble in HF Digital Voice operations with FreeDV software. So far, I have just been listening and ensuring I understand everything needed to decode signals. I have been successful in decoding some signals. I have now received the headset with microphone that I will need to connect to the computer to start seeing if I can make a contact. Microphone audio levels are critical when sending Digital Voice on HF, as the AGC needs to barely peak. I have only been playing with this for a few days,\ but will get there. I do enjoy a chat on our local repeaters, and listening to the Worldwide talk group on DMR, but 95% of my action is on HF. Bottom line, I enjoy connecting with contacts that I have made, later by email, and some even over the phone. I had posted a review of the Baby Loop antenna, and that has brought many additional emails, and phone calls asking details about the antenna. At least three operators have made the plunge. There are so many nice folks in this hobby! Lastly, I do enjoy helping others enter the hobby and get setup with new equipment. March 2021 |
Jeff in his four-wheeler
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Jeff's shack
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The baby loop antenna
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