About Me

When I was in grade school, I would tinker with old TV and radio sets that I pulled out of the garbage and brought home. By time I was a teenager, I was completely absorbed into amateur radio and knew electronics would be my career path. I have been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1982.

After starting my career with a short run in commercial broadcast FM radio,  I am now an electronics technician for a world wide communications provider. I specialize in transmission equipment, optical & digital circuits (DSx, OCxxx, Ethernet, etc.) and backup power systems.

I am a proud graduate of Northern Illinois University and College of DuPage and hold separate degrees in English and digital electronics.

My entire amateur radio station and a significant portion of my house is powered by a 100% off grid solar energy system I designed and built myself.

I started Off Grid Ham as a spinoff of my commentary blog Twenty First Summer specifically to address amateur radio technical topics on a separate platform. All articles that appear on Off Grid Ham are my original compositions unless otherwise cited. Readers can be assured that all opinions expressed here are a result of my own independent experiences and observations.

I hope my experience as both a professional and a hobbyist is useful to others.

I grew up in Naperville, Illinois with a wonderful family and reside in the upper Midwest, USA. A strict vegetarian for my entire adult life, I’m also into motorcycles, shooting/firearms, pets, and cooking.

Statement on integrity & respect.

With all the misinformation, fake news, and outright lies floating around the internet, it’s important to me personally that Off Grid Ham be a place where you can believe what you read.

  • Every word, photo, and graphic that appears  Off Grid Ham is subject to a very high level of critical thought, fact checking, and editorial discretion.
  • I will work hard to earn and keep my readers’ respect.
  • If I make a factual error, I will admit it clearly and correct it quickly