Welcome to K4IMW.com!

By now, you probably know that I’m Ian, and that I work during the day as a technology consultant: what you probably don’t know (unless you googled my License Plate) is that I’m heavily involved with amateur radio.

I’ve been a radio junkie for most of my life – in fact, the first real job I ever had was at a cluster of radio stations in the middle of Ohio as a board operator. One of the two strongest male figures in my life was the station engineer – a former navy engineer who built the guidance systems for nuclear weapons – and my broadcast arts teacher (ironically enough, a former phone guy who freelanced as a voice over artist: settled down, got married, and ended up in Eastern Ohio – poor guy). I received my Restricted RadioTelephone Operator’s License back in 1994, and have been adding certifications to my FCC roster as my life has progressed. (I currently hold a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit for my aviation hobby, but, I also hold a GMRS License, a Radiotelegraph Operator’s License, and a First Class Radiotelegraph Operator’s Certificate in addition to my Amateur Extra license). My undergrad was Electronics and RF Focused – I picked up computer science during my career – and working with radios is just a way for me to relieve stress and is a fun, somewhat expensive, hobby.

I am a huge fan of the pi-star as an inexpensive MMDVM hotspot. I run a TYT and a Kenwood commercial radio for DMR, a Kenwood Amateur Radio for APRS and D-Star, and have a lot of random Motorola and iCOM gear just laying around for me to experiment with. Sadly, I live in a condo building that doesn’t allow me to have external antennas, but, I make do with what I can get into with my car and my handhelds.

I plan on adding more content here in the weeks and months ahead, but, if you have any questions, or want to reach out to me, feel free to email me at me AT ianwilson.org!