I am based in Uppsala, Sweden, and hold the callsign SA5IKN. When abroad, you might hear me signing as M0SKN, US6IKN, EI6KC, or occasionally under something more exotic.

My interest in amateur radio spans a broad mix of technical, operational, and competitive areas. While my early focus was on DXing (which also inspired the name of this site, DXer.site) I now particularly enjoy intellectually demanding aspects of the hobby. One such passion is Earth–Moon–Earth (EME), where I work with compact, often portable, setups to put theory into real-world practice.

I have also been very active on Amateur Satellites. Although I have now achieved all of my original goals, my interest remains strong. In the past, I have operated from several countries, taking part in contesting, HF DXing, and some terrestrial VHF/UHF activity.

Bands and Modes of Operation

I am active across all bands from 160m through 3cm. This includes HF (all modes), EME on 2m, 70cm, and 3cm, meteor scatter on VHF, tropo on VHF/UHF, rain scatter on SHF, LEO and MEO satellites (IO-117 is now QRT), and the GEO satellite QO-100.

My favorite mode is CW, though I also enjoy Digital Modes and SSB. I prefer concise, purposeful QSOs over casual ragchewing.

My recent focus on portable operations aligns closely with my dynamic lifestyle. I am continually amazed by how much can be achieved beyond HF using compact setups - often outperforming similarly sized fixed stations, thanks to access to noise-free locations and clear horizons. This is especially true for satellite work, and even more so for MoonBounce (EME), where radio communication theory can be tested directly in the field. That said, portable operation takes time and effort both in planning and execution. This is why I aim to deploy the smallest, most efficient stations possible, always with clear goals and measurable results in mind.

My Amateur Radio Journey

My passion for radio began early. At the age of 8, I built my first receiver, guided solely by books. By 15, I had constructed a single-band transceiver, mastered Morse code, earned my first license, and built a Yagi antenna. A year later, I assembled my first 9-band transceiver and a 2m transverter (though the transverter design was not my own). These days, now a few decades older (hi-hi), I mostly rely on commercial equipment, but I still turn to homebrewing when off the shelf solutions do not meet my needs. This is especially true in technically demanding areas like microwave EME. I also enjoy creating custom software that helps me QRV in more efficent ways. In short, if something does not exist or does not work the way I want, whether it is hardware or software, I will usually build it myself, provided it is feasible. I occasionally share web applications that I originally developed for personal use. For example, see EME Observer.

Off Air

In the life outside Amateur Radio I am an interdisciplinary scientist and hold a PhD in Theoretical Physics. My other two long-standing interests are aviation and photography.

Contact

You can find my contact information here.