HAM Shack
Your Host
This section of the website has been devoted to Ham radio matters. I have always enjoyed operating HF and VHF, local or DX stations. My favorite HF bands are 40-m, 15-m, 160-m and 20-m, all SSB. On VHF my favorite band and mode is 2-m SSB. The equipment is currently made up of a FT-990 and SB-1000 for HF and a FT-736, TS-2000 and a Commander II for VHF. I also have just started to play with 70 cm ATV. Off to the side is an old FT-101E which I plan to fix up some year and operate on 160-m.The antennas for VHF/UHF are currently a single 17B2 at 90' for 2-m and a 25 element K1FO yagi at 85' for 70-cm. I used to run a pair of 17B2 yagi's until mother nature decided I should really only have one. Both bands utilize SSB electronics mast mount LNA's at the tower tops and both are fed with 250' runs of 7/8" 75-ohm CATV line. I designed and built the matching transformers for both bands and will some day detail this effort here on the web to help others planning to do the same. The HF antennas are an Inverted Vee dipole for 160-m at 80', a rotatable dipole on 40-m at 80', and a 10 element multi-band log-yagi for 20-m through 10-m. Currently 3 self supporting Aluminum towers are in use.
I really enjoy making long distance (DX) contacts on 2-m SSB. I am a terrible CW op so I try to make the best using SSB. One of these years I will start to practice again and start working those hundred or so grids that I always hear on CW that I can't reach on SSB ! <g>.
I also enjoy making SSTV contacts, especially on VHF and UHF. If anyone would like to join me, on any band, just drop me a line and I will be happy to meet up with you to exchange some images. The further away you are the better. I am currently thinking about making a small net on 2-m SSB for this purpose. Drop me a line if you are interested.