About me

Greetings from Montreal, Canada. I've been a radio amateur for 30 years, and to be honest, I still can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. Since getting my first license, I’ve lived in five different countries, dealing with—or enjoying—all sorts of things life has thrown at me. Yet ham radio has always remained a part of me, even though there were long periods of inactivity.

My first callsign was TA2MCE. Later, after upgrading to extra class, I received TA2UH (TA1UH since 2020). I didn’t bother taking the exams in France or Cyprus, where I lived for a couple of years. After moving to the United States, however, I decided to take the exams again—partly because I was curious to see how my knowledge compared to my early years. There I was assigned KD2RCP, which I soon changed to NM2Y after obtaining the US extra class license. Finally, after moving to Canada, I took the exam—hopefully for the last time—and obtained the Canadian extra class license, choosing the callsign VA2AKG.

I'm not a DX chaser, nor a rag chewer. I enjoy contests, but I have no ambition to collect points or diplomas. A physical QSL card that arrives once in a while is more than enough for me. The same goes for what I call "EmCom exhibitionism." I am one of the founding members of an INSARAG-certified SAR team (www.akut.org.tr) and have considerable experience in disaster response—apart from being a disaster resilience and business continuity expert with a Ph.D. I’ve never quite understood, nor approved of, the kind of people who walk around in self-styled “uniforms” with antennas and cables coming out of twenty different pockets :)

I am not a toy collector either. For me, the excitement of purchasing and owning the latest cutting-edge equipment fades rather quickly. What truly interests me is building my own gear or restoring a classic. Yes, I am definitely a maker/builder—that’s my thing. When I first started, I knew absolutely nothing about electronics. Even today, I wouldn’t claim to be knowledgeable enough to design circuits from scratch, but at least I can now build my own transceivers and some fairly sophisticated instruments. For me, nothing compares to the joy of completing a QSO with a radio that took a year to build.

It’s true that ham radio is largely a solitary hobby. Yes, there are thousands of people on the frequencies, but you probably know what I mean. Still, like any activity, the satisfaction grows when you share it with others and enjoy the camaraderie of people who share the same passion. That's why I've supported amateur radio clubs wherever I've lived: YM2KK (Istanbul), F5KJJ (Grenoble), HOSARC (New York City), and MARC (Montreal). One of the things I appreciate most about this hobby is that it has allowed me to meet interesting people from all walks of life. I value friendship and courtesy, and I always stay away from those who reduce amateur radio to a cold exchange on the air—or worse, those who use it mainly as a way to brag about themselves.