Michael Lake - KD8CIK

My personal Amateur Radio (Ham) webpage

1. Introduction - Focusing on Ham radio as a way to survive health problems.
2. My Ham Radio Efforts - Clubs, putting up antennas, experiments, and overcoming being handicapped.
3. Stupid lawyers, trademarks, and the government assigned callsigns
4. Links and e-mail

Also see my new High Q Telescopic Coil, Parabolic Discone antenna with omni-directional gain, and Liquid Metal Antenna.

* Autistic Savant *


1. Introduction
 
Ham radio is a way to escape frustrations with medical problems that I have from being paralyzed.  However, it seems that my medical problems slowly take more and more of my time, leaving less for what I desire.  An odd fact is that by writing, or playing with antennas, helps me not focus on muscle spasms, other pains, fatigue, and feeling that I can't get anything done.

If not for finding shortcuts I could not survive today.  This is a different way to live than when I was a soldier, electronics technician, or maintenance mechanic.  Today I push things off until I have to do them instead of having time to keep ahead.

In public people see me overcome being handicapped.  They can't see the strain it is taking on my life trying to overcome these issues.  (My grass needs cut, my house and van kept up, bills paid, etc., while trying to deal with medical issues.  It is crazy at times.)

I had been "too busy" for amateur radio until a few years ago when I became paralyzed.  At that time a 4 inch tumor was found in my spinal cord (which explained why I was limping).  After the tumor was removed I was paraplegic, paralyzed from the waist down.  Depression and hopelessness set in.

Now I am trying to do what I can with my life.  Side effects of being paralyzed and medications to treat the side effects make life difficult.  I am tired most of the time and spend much of it taking care of myself.  The time I have left I try to use as best possible.

My mind still works, as demonstrated by my "discovery" of the Liquid Metal Antenna.
 


2. My Ham Radio Efforts
 
 

"Handicap" Stairs
(large view)













Roof Vent
 
 


Diversity Reception

 Handicap Access to Attic (Stairs)
I am able to use my legs well enough to climb stairs, so I built the stairs on the left so that I could get into my attic.  Getting into the attic was harder than I thought it would be.  I put "ladder" rungs about every 6 inches at the top of the stairs because I could lift my better leg that high when going up stairs.  However, I could barely lift it an inch going straight up!

Luckily I am standing high enough on the platform that I can pull myself into the attic.  I can craw, so it only took adding a floor in the attic to get around.
 

Handicap Access to Roof (w/ Vent)
To get on the roof I modified a 2 foot diameter powered roof fan vent.  The hole was only 14.5 inches so I turned it into an oval with flashing and backed it up with wood.  I first considered adding a roof window, but they cost over $300 and I am on fixed disability income.
 

Putting up Antennas
So far I have put up a tripod.  I still need to make a good antenna.  To start with I am planning on a discone.  In the future I want to make a LM-Antenna with a corner reflector.  It would allow me to use the multiple bands of my HT with gain.
 

Experiments
I started out experimenting with Diversity Reception and other ideas while in the army, around 1990.  The diversity reception earphones pictured on the left are one of my efforts.  Each side is a separate AM/FM radio.  The AM antennas were at separate angles so you could actual "hear" the best angle for reception!  The effect was similar for FM because of your head's influence on the FM antennas.  (Of course both sides had to be tuned to the same frequency.)

My experimenting picked up again in 2005 due to my becoming paralyzed in 2003.  My current efforts are documented on HamDomain.com.  Examples are using Liquid Metal for Antennas (like stretchable elastic wire) and the Parabolic Discone Antenna.
 

My Radio Gear
Currently I just have a Yaesu VX-7R HT and a 30 watt 2 meter amplifier.  The HT can transmit with 5 watts FM on 6 meter, 2 meter, and 440 (and about 1/4 watt on 222).  Wide or multiple band antenna(s) seem like a good idea.

I would like sideband someday, and may try to pass the code test if I find the energy.
 

Clubs and Organizations
I am  a member of the Toledo Amateur Radio Club, Toledo Mobile Radio Association, and the ARRL

 


3. Stupid lawyers, trademarks, and the government assigned callsigns.

QVC can threaten to sue me if they want, I believe that they must have had some very stupid lawyers!  I am referring to comments on wb4aej.com about N7QVC being threatened by QVC lawyers because -N7QVC-'s FCC assigned callsign included the letters QVC.

If I write QVC - QVC - QVC have I violated their trademark 3 times?  Some lawyers make a living convincing people that foolish and stupid ideas are true!  The mark of a worthwhile lawyer is being analytical.  Ethical use of the law is best for everyone.  Stupid lawyers can dilute the power and purpose of law.

Having experienced both good and stupid lawyers for myself, it is a subject that gets me worked up.  I am not interested in wasting my life with such foolishness.

Here is a good example of how lawyers make money by being absurd and foolish, the Unisys GIF and LZW patent craziness:
http://www.serverobjects.com/lzw.html
 


4. Links and E-mail:

See how to make Your Own Ham Domain by WB4AEJ

I am  a member of the Toledo Amateur Radio Club, Toledo Mobile Radio Association, and the ARRL
 

My e-mail- mike@KD8-CIK.com - Get rid of the dash, it is there it fool automatic spam.