The equipment in the shack didn't change too much over the first few years of operating and the main station  HF rig during that time was my trusty KENWOOD TS-530S. Purchased many years ago, it has given me no trouble whatsoever. My next purchase for HF use was the YAESU FT-847, which introduced modern technology into the shack and has given me access to 6m, 4m and 70cm, three bands that interested me which I hadn't used before aquiring the 847. This rig provides me with 2m ssb, another first as my old KENWOOD TR-7730 is FM only. I have also aquired the ICOM IC-T8E, IC-240 and IC-207H for use in the car, a YAESU FT-8100, FT-8900, FT-1500M, FT-41R and PALSTAR KH-6,  also the ALINCO DRM-06, YAESU VX1000,  an ASCOM mobile set for 4m FM and an ALBRECHT 10m multimode mobile. In the main shack I also use an old KENWOOD R600 shortwave receiver. A few years ago I was given an even older PANASONIC DR49 which after a good cleanup worked well in Shack B for a while pictured below. It has now been replaced by an ICOM IC-718. Mobile and portable HF work is carried out using a YAESU FT-707 and the amazing  YAESU FT-817  using Hustler mobile HF whips.

 The evolution of another shack did not go down well at first with Karen my XYL, until she took her foundation licence exam in March '03 to obtain her call M3KIR and realised that I had been creating a shack just for her, so she can't complain about the new kit really!  I told her that I would not have to buy any more radios in the future! Sorry Karen, I couldn't resist and my friend Jon G0IUE said that I would most likely find a use for the new gear and he was right!!! I will have to keep guard on my radios now however because my daughter Sophie and son in law James have both just obtained the M3 ticket as well, after a long weekend foundation course that was run near Hereford in April '03. Sophie, M3DHV told her tutor that they did not have any equipment yet but that her father had lots of radios going spare for her and James, M3DHW !

In the main shack for HF, I use a doublet for 80-10m and a vertical for 10m. The yagi antennas in the picture above are for 4m, 2m and 70cm operating. I also have a tri-band vertical above the beams for 6m, 2m and 70cm. In shack B, I use a 40m dipole for HF (works fine on 15m of course) and another tri-band vertical mounted on the roof for VHF/UHF. All my PACKET and APRS activity is carried out from this shack where I have my radio (FT-8900) interfaced to the computer. I use Echolink as well from here and run UI-view APRS software via the radio and APRS servers on the web. 

My latest Radio Project has been the construction of an 80m CW QRP rig from Walford Electronics. This has turned out to an excellent rig and caused no problems during building, even for me!

 I have had lots of contacts already and the QRP bug is beginning to bite! I recommend that anyone looking to build a kit from scratch should visit Tim's website where you will find a superb range of well designed projects to build. Follow the link below.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~walfor/

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