N2XL Todd R. Ellis St Charles, MO QCWA # 34116 Chapter 2

I was first licensed in 1978 as 13-year old KA2HAB in Rochester, NY. My father, KA2Y (ex-K2OES) was patiently waiting for me to catch the radio bug, and I did. I earned my Extra (KS2Z) a little more than two years later at the ripe old age of 16.

I've done a lot of stuff, from being past president of a repeater club to past president of the Rochester VHF Group. I hold VUCC #12 for 10 GHz and also have earned my DXCC for HF work. I used to chase DX on 80/75 with nothing more than a self-designed enhanced dipole antenna and 500 watts, and proved to myself I could talk with VKs and ZLs every single day for a year on grayline propagation. I've enjoyed CW at ~40 WPM. I've done stuff like meteor burst, APRS, OSCAR, packet, AMTOR, SSTV, etc.

Professionally, I have been working with RF communications for the majority of my career. I am currently a product manager for a company that designs, manufactures and sells advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) products to electric, water, and gas utilities. Prior to that I was working with a 220 MHz-based positive train control system for two of the largest passenger railroad systems in the world. I was also a product manager for another AMI company, successfully releasing new RF-based infrastructure products that have been installed in wide area networks both in the US and the UK. I've also worked with 600 of the 900 electric cooperatives across the US for AMI and SCADA systems on a variety of spectrum channels.

I've had very interesting experiences in the industry, including positions as Director of International Sales and Marketing for three manufacturers, and selling primarily to foreign governmental customers. At one point I had a field office in Amman, Jordan and was commuting between Amman and Raleigh (and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Pakistan...) every two weeks. It gets old quickly. I've done business with entities in 55 countries and traveled extensively in 25.

I have authored over a dozen articles for wireless trade publications including Mobile Radio Technology and MissionCritical Communications.

I'm a fairly busy guy, but like to keep abreast of new things in ham radio. You probably won't hear me on the air, but I may be listening!

73 - Todd, N2XL

July 25, 2015