Welcome to the N1MD Web Site! I am Dr. Mike Therrien and recently
completed an obligation as an active duty US Air Force medical officer
practicing cardiology and critical care medicine. I entered the
military WAY late in life (age 53). From 2008 until 2012 I was
stationed at Joint Base Andrews, outside Washington DC. I also spent
nearly 7 months in Iraq in 2010 practicing trauma critical care in the
Air Force Theater Hospital ICU in Balad.
I left my home and contest station in Connecticut in 2008 but we have now returned there and I have re-built the radio station!
Read further for a description of the new station in the woods of Northeastern Connecticut!
I became enamored with software defined radio after attending an
ARRL Digital Conference in the mid 2000s. While outside of Washington,
I bought a Flex-3000 and dabbled with digital modes, especially RTTY,
at the temporary station on the Chesapeake Bay. I saw the future! It is
unlikely I will return to knobs and button big box radios again. It is
software and mathematics for me.
The new Connecticut station is based on a Flex-6700. I have had
the radio with SmartSDR for about a week now and it is phenomenal! I
had Matt, KC1XX, refurbish my 72 foot tower and we put an M2 log
periodic 10-40 beam on the top with a new M2 rotor. I am very happy
thus far with the antenna choice. Nice to have great SWR no matter what
band I choose.
I have an Elecraft KPA-500 amplifier with the KAT-500 tuner. This
combination has been very nice and quite useful on my 80 meter sloper.
I am looking forward to regular participation in contests on CW
and RTTY, especially. Will also dabble on the phone contests but this
is not my favorite mode. I also am eager to resume chasing DX. My
immediate goals are to make digital DXCC and complete the Challenge.
At some point, I am going to consider getting back on APRS and Winlink.
It is SO GOOD to be home! If you hear me on the air, give me a shout or diddle or dit/dah.
73
Mike, N1MD
Last revised: May 30, 2011
