About

Bio for Brian Quick

To understand how I got into HAM Radio you first need to know when and why. I’d been a fire fighter and an ambulance EMT for about 20 years. The Radios in the fire trucks were in fact HF (33MHz). We had a lot of interference from other statewide Fire Services. We did not have cell phones, or least they were not popular, yet. So, I wanted a back up communications method. I was first licensed in 2003, technician (no code) as N1PHO. I thought this would be an excellent way to communicate, or at least be a good backup. I’d hope that my wife would get her license, but that didn’t happen. Then, cell phones became a BIG thing and the HAM radio gathered dust. I attended 2 Nashua Area Field Days 2014/2015 mostly to help set up. During the 2015 field day a member told me that the radio does not make the station, the antenna does. You should spend 3 times on the antenna than the radio. He told me to save up and buy a SteppIR when I could afford it. I became more interested and wanted to play in the big times, “HF”. So, I studied hard and at the 2003 North East Boxborough EXPO, I went down to take my test and Passed. I attended Field Day 2016, but was too uncomfortable to man a station. But at my shack I found some nerve and got on the radio. My first antenna was a 4 band vertical, first radio was the same radio I have today, a Elecraft K3S. Yep, I’d spent 3 times more on the radio than the antenna, but I was saving up for that SteppIR. After a couple of OOPS, of transmitting on the extra band segments, I decided to go get my Extra license. So, 8 months after getting my General License I passed my extra license with a little help from the club and their classes. I did get a SteppIR Vertical and what a difference. Next was a used Mosely 3 band beam. That was awesome. And then finally a SteppIR DB18 Beam. What a HUGE difference! So much for the HAM in me.

Now the BIO, I’m a Systems Engineer. 39 years with what is now BAE SYSTEMS. Prior to that I was an Army ASA, Intercept Radio Repairman (33C20). So, in a nutshell I’ve a career in a field that listened to HF/VHF/UHF radio waves, did the direction finding of that signal and then JAM’ed (prosecute) that radio communications. Also known as Electronic Warfare. Now, I “worked” on the hardware, and doing software integration and testing, but not as the operator. Of course, in order to do software integration, you need to know how to operate the system. There is a big difference between operating and knowing how to push buttons and test that the system did what it was spec’ed to do. This is what really helped me make my superb station (yea maybe a little bias and/or pride). Understanding VSWR, signal loss due to cables and a properly tuned antenna. I learned to use test equipment to test signal loss, VSWR, power meters. It is so easy to over drive and amplifier and not know it. Which causes your signal to be distorted and/or creates clipping, and you, the operator, don’t know it, because you don’t hear the transmitted signal.

What got me out of my stage fright was joining a NET. I found OMISS by accident and learned the communication skills needed to then work DX and finally contesting. I’m still not keen on the contesting, because there are just too many rude people on HAM radio (maybe everwhere). OMISS Nets are structured and you can receive a call at any time and then make a call to anyone on the NET, when it is your turn. They use a free program (Netlogger) to see others on the NET, and to see when it is your turn. It also has a feature to allow you to talk with the NET via text messages. They call it “Almost Instant Message” (AIM) takes like 20 seconds to get broadcasted to the whole NET. If you don’t understand something, ask via a text message. I now have Worked All States (WAS) on 5 different bands because of OMISS. They have NET’s on 8 different bands. 3 NET’s everyday 20M, 40M, and 80M. Then on the weekends that’s when they have 10 NET’s on those 8 bands. 10M, 12M, 15M, 17M, 20M, 40M, 80M and 160M then a late 40M and late 80M. Many times there are multiple DX stations and they have regulars from both Hawaii and Alaska that join the NET’s. OMISS is definitely a family of HAM’s. Best of all it’s only $10 for a lifetime membership. Yes, that was a sales pitch, cause I’m a NET Control Station.

I’m now retired and have that Elecraft K3S with a 500W amplifier connected up to a vertical SteppIR for when I work WSJT-X and the SteppIR DB-18 horizontal on a 40’ aluminum tower to work voice. I’ve moved to Antrim on top of a hill where I can see mountains in Massachusetts. What a view. Being away from the city and all of it’s electrical interference has made a huge difference. I picked a location where there was no power lines nearby, and away from any automobile mechanics (their arc welding is a prime source of electrical noise) and on a hill.

Why a SteppIR antenna. The primary reason is that it is always resonate at the frequency you are working. You see, there is a metal tape that runs up and down the vertical hollow tube. The controller tells the stepping motor to reel out to 0.1 Inch accuracy the right amount of metal tape for the frequency you are working. You’ll never need a tuner with this setup. Is there a downside, yes. You can only work that frequency, unlike a tri-band antenna where with some filters you can work all three bands at the same time (like at our Field Day events). For the horizontal SteppIR that I have, that has 3 Stepping Motors that adjust 2 metal tapes at the same time, but in opposite directions. Why 3, one for the director, one for the driven element and one for the reflector. Now if you think about it, you can just as easily change the direction of the antenna by changing the director and the reflector antenna length. In fact, that is as easy as pushing a button on the controller “180˚ “. Now you’re talking to someone in Maine instead of the whole of the US. No waiting on a rotor to turn the beam around. In fact, they have a mode that makes your antenna bi-directional (no reflector).

I’m now trying very hard to learn CW. Our club has a sever lack of CW operators. It’s now February 2024 and I want to know the basics of CW by Field Day in June. It will be a huge commitment on my part to achieve this. In the Army they give you 8 weeks to learn it. I’ll be 70 this year and I’ll need the extra time. I started by using flash cards to learn the dit’s and dah’s, DON’T DO THIS. CW NEEDs to be learned by sound. I’ve joined another club “Long Island CW Clue” to help me learn CW. They have carousels classes (like steps) but you can join the class at any time and then move on to the next carousel. The start you at 15WPM. It allows you to learn the sound at the high speed and will make it easier to move up in speed later. By learning the code via flash cards my brain must translate the sound of dit’s and dah’s in order to recognize the letter rather than recognizing the sound as a letter.

Nashua Area Radio Society activities.

In 2026 reelected as Vice President

In 2025 Still Vice President

In 2024 I hold position of Vice President. It’s a 2 year position.

In 2023 I was the Field Day Leader.

In 2022 I was the Field Day Tower Lead guru.

In 2016 help setup the towers