Welcome to the web site for
John Visser, VA3MSV / VA3HD
L.A.R.C. Contest and Special Event Stats

Pictured above is my wonderful partner in life, Ruth Dahl, VE3RBO and myself on a beach on the island of Ameland in April 2019.

I am a amateur radio operator residing in London, Ontario, Canada

Licensed as VA3MSV in May 2003 with Basic Qualification which was later bumped up to Basic with Honours as I met the requirements.  January 2014, I finally upgraded my license to Advanced Qualification.  The beginning of October 2024 the callsign of VA3HD became available which I jumped at not thinking I would actually get it.  My research found that the previous holder of VA3HD was a Sean Dickinson from Erinsville, Ontario who was only about a year and half older than myself.  Sean and I look like we could have been relatives.

Also in 2003, I became a member of the London Amateur Radio Club which in 2020 celebrated it's 100 anniversary.  However, due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time, the planned festivities had to be cancelled.


Above picture is Ruth, myself, my mother, Sharon Visser, VE3SVX, and my father John Visser, VE3FDV
Yes my parents are amateur radio operators as well.

Currently my main interest in amateur radio is VHF/UHF operations with an interest in APRS and DMR.
According to Ruth, I have too many radios.

At home I have the following.
    Yeasu FT-8900R for voice communications
    Icom IC-2400A as a back up voice radio.
    Kenwood TM-241A with a Kantronics KPC-3 for the APRS home station
    Kenwood TS-440SAT (for whenever I get the HF antenna up)
    Kenwood TM-V71A - Last used as a temporary APRS Digipeater during the 2024 MS Bike Tour at the VA3LON repeater site
    Kenwood TM-V7A
    Kenwood TM-742A

In the car, I have a Kenwood TM-D710A beaconing as VA3HD-9 and a Anytone AT-D578UV III Pro

I also own the following radios which have been made available for community service events. All these radios are APRS capable
    3x Icom IC-2820H with a UT-123 DV board and GPS module installed with a Byonics TinyTrak 4
    Yeasu FTM-350AR
    Kenwood TM-D710A

Handhelds
Yeasu VX-7R (my first HT purchased)
Radio Shack HTX-202 (Still works and still is great hand held)
Yeasu FT-470
Kenwood TH-D7A
2x Kenwood TH-D72A
Kenwood TH-D74A
2x Baofeng UV-5R - Yes I know, not the greatest radio but good for times when I don't care if anything happens to a radio.
2x Raddiodity GD-77 (one with the OpenGD77 firmware acting as a hot spot)
2x Anytone AT-D878UV Plus
Wouxun KG-UVD1P
TIDRadio TH-H8 - Yes again not the best radio but at least I can use my phone to easily program it.

This site is a work in progress.