Tom grew up in The Bronx, New York, which explains his non-confrontational nature and the 2 in his call sign. As a boy he spent what pocket money he had at the surplus shops on Radio Row, and was allowed by tolerant elders to hang out in the basement station of the Bronx Radio Club (originally 2SZ). He was licensed at age 11 as WV2ASJ, and remembers working his first DX, the exotic SP1IB, from home as a rock-bound novice with a 40m dipole at 60 feet.
As time passed, Tom upgraded to WA2ASJ, became trustee of W2AJJ, his high school club station, operated from MIT as K1EQT, but eventually let all amateur radio licenses lapse as he pursued education and careers first in physics (BS, State University of NY), then in computer science (PhD, University of London), and finally in information security.
After a forty-year hiatus from amateur radio, during which time he was never without an HF receiver close to hand, Tom jumped back into the hobby as ND2T in 2001. He loves the challenges of tight integration among antenna systems, radios, computers, and networked information. He is a keen contester, capable of accurately working high-rate runs in CW, SSB or RTTY. He considers Rusty, W6OAT, along with other members of NCCC, to be his contesting Elmer. Tom is a member of competitive multi-op teams at W6YX, and K6IDX. He has contested from W7RN and KH6LC. Tom is a member and Past-President of the Northern California Contest Club, a member of the Stanford Amateur Radio Club, the Chiltern DX Club, and the CW Operators’ Club. Tom is Treasurer of the International DX Convention (“Visalia”) for 2011 and 2013.
Tom is making up for lost solar cycles by working all the DX he can (312 so far), and he prays daily for more sunspots. Tom was a DXpedition virgin when he went to Scarborough Reef BS7H in 2007. He thanks Martti, OH2BH, James, 9V1YC, and Mike N6MZ for teaching him there about DXpeditioning. He has since been a member of the K4M (KH4) and VP8ORK DXpeditions. NH8S is in the offing for 2012-09. Tom’s DXpedition motto is “Any mode, any band, any shift.”
Tom lived and worked abroad for 7-1/2 years. He admired antennas during business travels to 9M2, 9M8, 9V, BV, BY, C3, CN, CT, DL, DU, E5, EA, EA6, EI, ES, F, FO, G, GD, GI, GJ, GM, GU, GW, HA, HB, HB0, HL, HS, HV, I, JA, KH4, KH6, KL, LA, LU, LX, OE, OH, OK, ON, OZ, PA, SM, SP, SV, TA, TF, VE, VK, VR, VU, XE, and YO. That said, he has been QRV (as of 2012) only from BS7, K, KH4, KH6, UA1, UA9, and VP8/O.
Tom has 30 years of experience with management issues facing non-profits like NCDXF. He gained this as an officer and elected director of a scientific society called the International Association for Cryptologic Research, Inc. (IACR). IACR, like NCDXF, is a 501(c)3 corporation and run entirely by volunteer labor. IACR makes grants, publishes a journal, a newsletter, a web site, and sponsors seven meetings every year. IACR has ~1400 members from ~70 nations, and a million dollar annual budget.
Professionally, Tom is an expert in cryptography, computer security, information conflict, and high-tech business – with over 40 years experience in these matters. He is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, manager, and researcher. He works as an independent consultant to industry and government. He maintains international contacts and is a talented communicator across language and culture. Tom has founded four successful Silicon Valley companies, one of which he is still actively working. He is the author of numerous papers and holds about twenty US Patents. For more on Tom’s professional activities, see www.anagram.com.
Tom has lived in Palo Alto, CA, since 1977.
