Progress is taking a pace in the completion of my new purpose built radio shack/home office. Some say I’ve been banished finally to life in the garden whereas I would argue the serenity of peach and purposeful entertainment ….oh and some work thrown in I guess!

Plans are for HF, VHF and UHF antennas to be located and installed behind the shack. I have a purpose built store room on the far side of the shack which will house remote tuners if required, rotator gear and other ham radio ‘bits’ as my better half calls it all.

I really hoping that when it come to installing equipment in particular my antenna systems and perhaps the rest of the gear I might call upon a few members who might want to help me with that. I’m also more than happy to ‘loan’ out my shack for other members to use and perhaps experiment with particularly when it comes to VHF/UHF developments.

I intend to purchase a hex beam for HF and then work on my home brew projects.  Currently have 4 home brew antennas waiting for modification before I decide which one’s to install when the shack is ready….VHF(UHF) Parabeam (late 80’s) will need rotator … a must, a J pole (slim Jim design)..that’s going up somewhere, and some old CB stuff …an original 5/8th wave vertical Hygain Super Penatrator (left over from my CB days), an original Avanti Astro Plane (basically a co-inductive J pole that has a capacitance hat and is omnidirectional), a modified dipole that intend to use on 6m. I am about to take delivery of another beat up old Avanti PDL2 beam (a basic bi-polarised double fed antenna). These were legendary (as were Moonraker beams) back in the day. I intend to modify it for Ham use not sure which bands yet but considering VHF/UHF after reading Andrews post. A fellow Ham has modified his for 6m.

Busy but fun times ahead. Looking forward to it.

Mark M6KMJ