About

Thanks for visiting KM6USO.net the amateur radio blog and learning journal for Brian McBreen, callsign KM6USO. I have always had an interest in radio and finally became licensed in July 2018.

I usually work 2m/1.25m/70cm/23cm bands and am active on the local repeaters and nets in Southern California, as well as AllStar (Hub 52038), DMR (Brandmeister TG31077) and D-STAR (REF012A). I have been a member and occasional net controller on the mighty PAPA System.

My base station in Thousand Oaks consists of a ICOM IC-9700 with a Comet GP-95 vertical, an Anytone AT-D578UV III Pro with a Comet SBB-224 antenna, as well as an SDRplay RSPdx with Comet DS-150S discone and MFJ-1886TR loop antennas both in portable configurations. Those antennas are shared with a Uniden SDS200 for dedicated scanning.

I operate a homemade AllStar node (“Club 38” Hub 52038), as well as a ClearNode for UHF and digital bridging alongside an Alinco DR-135 homebuilt node for VHF. Primary software tools include SDRuno, BlueDV, EchoLink, Winlink and Transceive.

My primary handheld radios are a Kenwood TH-D74, Kenwood TH-F6A, AnyTone AT-D878UV Plus and a Hytera PD362i. There may be a Baofeng or two lying around. For vehicles and camping, I use a portable Kenwood TM-V71A with assorted external antennas and Bioenno batteries.

For broadcast AM/FM/SW reception, I enjoy a Sangean WR-16SE with a Pixel Technologies AFHD-4 antenna and an Eton Elite 750 with a MLA-30 directional loop antenna, along with a CC Skywave SSB and Eton Elite Traveler for portability. I also have a CC Wifi 3 for when I feel lazy.

My other hobbies include fly fishing, kayaking, history, strategy games, and collecting classic Macintosh computers. We also have an Airstream trailer and love to explore the Eastern Sierras.

Updated 20-Feb-2025