The VA3KSF and KB1SF Page

VA3KSF and KB1SF

Greetings!

Major Keith Baker
USAF (Retired)

A US Citizen by birth, I was first licensed as an Amateur Radio Operator in Ohio in 1976 and was issued the call sign WD8CMU. Since then, I have operated my station with a variety of subsequent call signs including KA5CCO (Texas), KC0YU (Nebraska), and IV3KBU (Italy).

I was issued my present US call sign (KB1SF) in 1985 and currently hold an Extra Class license authorized by the US Federal Communications Commission.

I also hold the Basic, Morse Code and Advanced Amateur Radio qualifications authorized by Industry Canada. I was issued my present Canadian call sign (VA3KSF) in 2004.

Currently, I'm serving as Treasurer for the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) as well as Webmaster for the Lambton County (Ontario, Canada) Radio Club.

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My Amateur Radio Stations
(Click on the photos for a larger view)

My "indoor shack" at my home near Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

Operating from my Corunna, Ontario, Canada QTH as VA3KSF, I use a modest station that consists of a Yaesu Model FT-847 HF/VHF/UHF transceiver and an MFJ Model 949E antenna tuner. I prefer operating mostly CW (Morse Code) along with the various digital modes (such as PSK31 and RTTY) usually with less than 100 Watts of transmit power. However, I sometimes also use a Heathkit SB-200 linear amplifier in this "shack" if I'm chasing rare DX.

Occasionally, I like to power my station down to less than 5 Watts of transmit power for some real "QRP" fun. My operating awards include WAC (on both CW and SSB Phone), WAS, and a mixed DXCC with over 260 countries confirmed.

On cool days in the spring, summer and fall, I also operate from a small storage shed in the back yard of my Canadian home using either a Kenwood TS-2000, Kenwood TS-570D, Kenwood TS-690S, or an older Kenwood TS-440S or TS-120S transceiver. Again, I sometimes (although not very often!) use an Amp Supply LK-550 linear amplifier along with a Drake MN-2000 antenna tuner in this "shack" as well.

My Canadian "shed shack" used during the summer months

My current "antenna farm" consists of a G5RV 80-10 Metre dipole in an "inverted V" configuration as well as a ground-mounted Hy-Gain Model 18-AVT vertical (with 24 buried radials) for the 80-10 Metre HF bands. Both antennas can be manually switched between the home and shed stations.

In addition to my fixed-station operations, I also like to operate on both sides of the US/Canadian border from our family's mini-van using a Yaesu Model FT-857D and Yaesu ATAS-120 antenna. I also have the capability to operate my FT-857D portably using the Hustler series of mobile HF antennas configured for portable use.

On the VHF and UHF bands, I keep in touch with local Amateur Radio friends in the USA and Canada on 2m and 70 Cm FM via the local repeaters. I also operate occasionally on 6 Metre sideband using an AEA Halo 6 antenna at 20 feet and about 50 watts.

Working through an AMSAT satellite with my "hand shack"

I'm also active on the amateur radio satellites. I particularly enjoy using a hand-held antenna and a low power hand-held radio to make contacts through these ham radio "repeaters in the sky".

When I'm not on the air, I donate my time as an Amateur Radio instructor. I'm accredited as a Volunteer Examiner for the Amateur Radio Service in both the USA and Canada. Over the years, I've helped scores of newcomers (in both countries) obtain their very first Amateur Radio licenses.

I also write extensively about the amateur radio satellites. My columns (aimed primarily at beginners on the "birds") have appeared in Monitoring Times Magazine, The Canadian Amateur Magazine as well as the AMSAT Journal. I also served as an editor for the most recent edition of the ARRL Satellite Handbook.

My Work With AMSAT®

Throughout most of the 1990s, I served as a member of the Board of Directors for AMSAT, The Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation. AMSAT is a non-profit, 501(C)(3) educational and scientific corporation of over 3000 members based in Washington, DC. I also served the corporation as its Executive Vice President for several years before then taking a turn as AMSAT's President. In January, 2010, I was once again asked to assist the organization as its Treasurer, an office I still hold.

Currently, AMSAT's ground and space-based corporate assets are worth well in excess of $2 Million. The organization and its predecessors has used predominantly donated resources and volunteer labor to build and launch over 60 Amateur Radio satellites into Earth orbit since 1961. During my previous work as a senior elected official of the Corporation, I helped an international team from over 14 nations assure the funding, construction and successful launch of the largest and most expensive Amateur Radio satellite ever built...AMSAT's Phase 3-D. The satellite was later re-named AMSAT-OSCAR 40 once it was successfully launched in November, 2000.

Right now, AMSAT is building another satellite (called Fox-1) that, if all goes as planned, is now slated to be launched sometime in the 2012-2013 time frame. Fox-1 will consist of a 1U "Cubesat" that is planned as a direct replacement for AMSAT'S most popular satellite (AO-51) that has now ceased operation. Fox-1 is being built in partnership with a number of University engineering students, again with the goal of increasing their learning with a "hands on" project. A follow-on project (dubbed "Fox-2") is also being planned to offer higher power, so-called Software Defined Radio (SDX) transponders.

But, as you might guess, all of this orbital capability and mentoring doesn't come cheap. Even though AMSAT is now seeking a low-cost launch from NASA and AMSAT's experimenters are donating their time and talents to the project, Fox-1 will still cost AMSAT about $100,000 just to build and test it. Unfortunately, most of these funds will have to come directly from AMSAT's dwindling financial reserves. So, anything that you can donate to the cause to keep Amateur Radio in space would be greatly appreciated.

You can send your donations directly to AMSAT via their Online Store, or by calling the AMSAT-NA office. Or, you can use the very convenient PayPal donation box shown here to do so. AMSAT is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, so your donation should be tax deductible in the USA. Many thanks for your support!

My Biography

I was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA, and I spent my early childhood years in Rochester, New Hampshire, USA.

After graduating from Spaulding High School, in Rochester, New Hampshire, I attended the University of New Hampshire (UNH) at Durham, New Hampshire. Upon graduation from UNH, I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force via the Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC).

I then spent the next 20 years of my professional life as a US Air Force officer, primarily in the Comptroller field. During my career, I served in a number of financial management and leadership assignments at a number of USAF bases including Wright-Patterson, AFB Ohio; Sheppard AFB, Texas; Offutt AFB, Nebraska and Aviano, AB, Italy.

In the early 1980s, I supervised a staff of seven instructors who designed, developed and taught all basic and advanced officer and enlisted Cost and Management Analysis training for the Air Force. During this assignment, I had overall responsibility for new course development and maintenance, as well as personally teaching complex financial and business concepts to literally thousands of both US and allied military officers. I also served on the Comptroller Staff at Strategic Air Command Headquarters at Offutt AFB, Nebraska, and later performed a tour of duty as the Base Comptroller for Aviano Air Base in northern Italy.

However, over half of my Air Force career was spent at the Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, where I served in several key Comptroller positions. In these assignments, I successfully implemented emerging automated program network and project management concepts into a wide variety of ongoing aircraft development and modification efforts worth several billion dollars. This included a number of modification projects on the B-1 bomber and F-117 Stealth Fighter as well as KC-10 and KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft.

Soon after my retirement from the Air Force (after a full career) I founded KCB Associates, a highly diversified personal counseling, business consulting and corporate training company. For over 13 years, I and my staff of professionally trained consultants provided "helpful help" in the form of targeted training courses as well as "hands-on" consulting to numerous small to medium-sized companies throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. However, except for my ongoing (volunteer) work as the Treasurer of AMSAT, I'm now "fully retired" and am very much enjoying retired life.

I graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Earth Sciences (Geology) from the University of New Hampshire and I hold both a Master of Human Relations (Psychology) degree from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master of Science Degree in Administration from Central Michigan University.

I'm also a graduate of the Air Force's Cost and Management Analysis School, Comptroller Staff Officer School, Technical Instructor School, Professional Military Comptroller School, Squadron Officer School, and Air Command and Staff College. I'm the recipient of the Air Force Commendation Medal and was decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal three times for outstanding achievement.

I'm married to the former Kathryn (Kate) Galbraith of Sarnia, Ontario, Canada. Kate shares my interest in Amateur Radio and holds both the Canadian Basic (with Honours) call sign VA3OGF and the US General Class call sign KB1OGF. I have one daughter, Emily. While retaining our US citizenship, Emily and I became permanent residents of Canada in July, 2005 and we now share a home with Kate in the small town of Corunna, Ontario, Canada.

Current as of March, 2012