KN4MDI
Picture of me!
Picture of Icom ID-51A Plus 2 handheld radio.

Hello, and welcome to my amateur radio page!. My name is Tiffany, and I received my Technician Class License on May 9, 2018. I had taken the exam the previous week at the Beardall Senior Center, which was hosted by the wonderful people of the Orlando Amateur Radio Club. I was quite excited that afternoon when I came home from work and checked the FCC database, and saw my callsign for the very first time! Along with the excitement, I also felt nervous as I prepared to key up my radio. My first transmission was something along the lines of "This is KN4MDI in Orlando, Florida. CQCQCQ. I'm a brand new HAM!". From there it got easier to talk to people and I had previously been listening on the WA2UPK 444.800mhz repeater which is connected via IRLP to the East Coast Reflector.

I purchased my first VHF/UHF handheld radio, an Icom ID-51A Plus 2 and spent some time reading the manual and learning the menu and features. I also purchased a telescoping dual-band antenna to replace the rubber duck that came with the radio, and also aquired a dual-band magmount whip antenna which I placed in the window. Both antennas have given me better TX clarity and the magmount in the window seems to pick up VHF frequencies quite well. I'm still new, and I don't know what my SWR is since I have no meter to measure it, but so far my coommunications have been well received. I am looking forward in learning more about D-Star and have already connected my radio to a RaspberryPi and configured it for rig control via flrig and I'm just beginning to learn more about fldigi, a software package used for digital modes.

I am currently studying for my General Class License and hoping to take the exam in early June, in which case I will update this page. I've watched several videos on YouTube for learning more about the hobby. Although online videos have been helpful in studying for the exams, I feel that www.hamstudy.org has led to my success in preparing for the exam. Previous to my interest in amateur radio, I have been interested in computer technology, and have done everything from programming to network administration and computer repair. I am amazed to find the technical aspects that overlap between computers and radio. I will update this page sometime in June 2018, after the general exam, and until then you can visit my general purpose website at www.tiffanyhagerman.com.


Screenshot of FCC License Lookup for KN4MDI






Last Updated: May 14, 2018