About

Thanks for visiting my page.

I first got my start with radio when I was a kid. I first started playing around with those cheap 49MHz walkie-talkies (you know the ones that worked about 100 ft before you lost contact) and was amazed with radio. I then started playing with CB radios, talking to my friends and motorists.

In 1993 I took and passed my Technicians Class Amateur Radio Exam. VHF/UHF were fun, but I always wanted to get on the HF bands. Then in 2008 I took and passed my General exam. In 2012 I took and passed my Amateur Extra exam.

I love digital modes and also collect receivers and other associated radio goodies and gadgets. I mainly hang out on 20m and 40m HF, but I also always have the 146.760 W9YB repeater tuned in when I’m in the shack.

In 2016 I got into collecting R.L. Drake gear from the past. I really love refurbishing and putting old gear like this back on the air!

After 25 years of having the same callsign I have changed callsigns to K9XN. I was first licensed in 1993 and given the sequential call N9SJA. In November of 2018 I decided to go for a 1×2 vanity call and got K9XN.

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The Shack:

Radios

Flex Radio Systems Flex 6500 Signature Series
Flex Radio Systems Flex 5000A
Icom IC-7600
Icom IC-910H (I use this radio for VHF/UHF)
Icom IC-7000 (I have this rig setup in a portable box for Field Day or portable ops)
Kenwood TS-830S (full station with AT-230 tuner, SM-220 scope, SP-230 speaker, Ext VFO)
Yaesu FTDx 570 (oldie but a goodie!)

Drake TX-4C, R-4C (Twins)
Drake TR4-Cw Rit
Drake TR7 transceiver

Amplifier

SPE Expert 1K-FA 1000 watt Solid State Linear Amplifier (160m – 6m)

Recievers

National HRO Sixty
Collins R-390A
ITT CR302A
Icom IC-71A
Icom IC-R7000
Icom R-75
Icom R-1500
RF Space SDR-IQ (Software Defined Reciever)

Antennas

Homebrew 80m monoband dipole at 50 ft.
Comet GP-15 6m/2m/70cm vertical
85 foot random wire for receiving
DX Engineering/Hustler 6BTV vertical. (covers 80m-10m)

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I tend to buy things or trade for things then try them out for awhile. I like to discover new things and it’s always fun to get a new gadget.
The equipment in the shack changes frequently, with the exception of some key pieces that I just will never part with.

73! de Nick K9XN

14 thoughts on “About”

Norm on December 16, 2013 at 9:15 pm said:

Great website! I got interested in radio in the 1960s from all that old WWII and 1950s Heathkit junk out there.

Listen, OM…I took my Extra, First Phone and Second Radiotelegraph before the steely eyed FCC engineer in Seattle, Washington. I am here to tell you…I looked at the current Extra Class question set and all I could say was “Oh, man! I’d have to put in some SERIOUS study time to get through that test!”

The current ham radio written exams are NOT dumbed down whatever other old geezers want you to believe. They are different in the sense of being slightly updated but if anything, the current General, Elements 2 & 3, is harder than the old test I took because it covers FM and repeaters extensively, something that barely existed in the Good Olde Days, not to mention satellites and PSK.

Hope to CU on 20 CW!

Reply ↓
- Nick on December 18, 2013 at 10:37 pm said:
  
  Thanks for the complements Norm. I’m glad you like the site. Come back often and say hello again. I do spend a lot of time on 20m but in the phone portion of the band. I’m trying to lean CW also, I absolutely love it even though I’m just beginning.
  
  73! de Nick N9SJA
  
  Reply ↓
  - michael gilles on May 30, 2023 at 9:41 am said:
    
    Omg thank you!!!!! Can you post them all? Please send me a link . You rock!!! I heard 2.2.32 is buggy? Mike g n9ngr
  - Nick - K9XN on May 30, 2023 at 9:57 am said:
    
    Yes. I will post all 4 of the versions. I am not sure about how buggy a particular version is. I don’t necessarily remember specific bugs in the code. I have been on the 3.x fork for quite awhile now.
    
    I have the following versions between ver 2.0 – 2.1.33:
    
    2.0.19
    2.1.30
    2.1.32
    2.1.33
    
    I need to tell you that I have no official link to Flex Radio systems. I’m just a guy that has a Flex Radio. So these older versions that I am posting will be for you to use at your own risk. I am not responsible for anything that happens using these older versions of software and cannot supply you with any technical support. So please take care.
    
    I know that Flex recently made some changes where you cannot downgrade to certain versions of firmware and have it still work with devices such as the Maestro. So you may want to search for the release notes and read through them before you start experimenting with older versions than you are running. I do not have release notes only the older versions of the SmartSDR software.
    
    I will post these in my downloads section soon and you can download what you want from there.
    
    73 de Nick K9XN
  - michael gilles on May 30, 2023 at 10:18 am said:
    
    Nick . I never blame others for my stupidity. Lol. I am reliving my flex journey. I do not use remote software. I am trying out all versions until I find the best that works for me. My favorite so far is 2.3.9. I’m trying to stay away from the 3 series of software. Thanks in advance. I’m also looking into the apple version. I hear it’s great.
  - Nick - K9XN on May 30, 2023 at 7:09 pm said:
    
    Michael – I have put the 4 versions of SmartSDR on Box for downloading. They will be available there for the next 72 hrs. Here is the link to the SmartSDR folder I put on Box: https://app.box.com/s/fcdaph453htw0eyhgj1gqlo1y63prnnv
    
    I hope that helps. 73 de Nick K9XN
lantz stephenson on October 3, 2015 at 10:57 pm said:

Love your website – thanks for the great info on the ten tec patriot

Reply ↓
Thomas Hubacher on March 21, 2018 at 9:05 am said:

Dear Nick,
have you got that Drake R8A folder entitled “Out of thin air into the thick of things” ? I’m looking for a scan of this nice advertisement. Thank you for your kind attention.
73s! Thomas (HE9FXV)

Reply ↓
- Nick - N9SJA on March 21, 2018 at 9:33 am said:
  
  Thomas,
  
  I know that I currently do not have any adverts for a R8 or R8A, but if I happen accross one I would be happy to let you know.
  One thing I could recommend here is that I do recall that reciever being advertised a time ago in “Popular Communications” magazine here in the US. Popular Communications magazine went out of print recently and was owned by CQ Communications the same publisher of CQ magazine. You might check their site for back issues of Popular Communications magazine.
  
  Hope that helps!
  
  73! de Nick N9SJA
  
  Reply ↓
  - Thomas Hubacher on March 21, 2018 at 2:30 pm said:
    
    Thanks a lot, Nick! I’ll try my luck.
    73!
Mike on May 28, 2023 at 3:52 pm said:

How do I find old versions of smartsdr? I’m looking for versions of 2.0.

Reply ↓
- Nick - K9XN on May 30, 2023 at 7:22 am said:
  
  Mike you can go to the Flex Radio download website to download other versions. This link: https://www.flexradio.com/software/smartsdr-v2-9-1/ is for the latest version of the 2.9.1 software. If you are looking for an earlier revision than 2.9.1 you can go here and get some other earlier 2.x versions: https://www.flexradio.com/category/software/installers/?_categories_dropdown=smartsdr
  
  If there is a particular version number that you are looking for, then reply back and I may have a copy of it. I have downloaded and kept several old versions of SmartSDR.
  
  –73 de Nick K9XN
  
  Reply ↓
  - michael gilles on May 30, 2023 at 7:49 am said:
    
    I’m looking for smartsdr 2.0 to 2.1.33
    
    Mike g thanks in advance.
  - Nick - K9XN on May 30, 2023 at 9:13 am said:
    
    Michael I have these versions: 2.0.19, 2.1.30, 2.1.32, and 2.1.33. Let me know what you want and I can post it on my download sections when I get some spare time this evening. –73 de Nick K9XN