Hello and welcome to this site. I had to at last add some entry as a new resolution for this year. Many thanks to Mike M0AWS for hosting this site and many gentle prodding to add some content!
I have been out of this hobby for many years (20+), but in 2018, I unpacked my Yaesu Ft847, FC 20 ATU + Cushcraft R-6000 vertical which had been damaged over many location moves over the years. I mainly operated for many years on just 2 Mtrs with a Diamond 2 / 70Cms vertical when I moved to Suffolk in 2014. Chatting to various local hams in around the QTH of Bredfield, however this was using my portable FT817.
I would say my interest piqued in Ham Operation again when I met Mike (M0AWS) as we worked together in IT at my last job before I retired…just before COVID hit our shores in the UK.
I started to look at various data modes and soon had FT8 working on the FT 847 using a PC running Windows 10 using the PC Audio in/out to the Data in/out of the FT 847. I used the software WSJTX with Gridtracker and Log4om at that time which all worked very well on all bands on low power of 20W.
I then decided that as my interest increased in the hobby it was time to look at everything to do with radio and IT and how it was all going to work/fit in the new workshop/shack that I was building in an 18ft x 4ft unit. My visit to Mike (M0AWS) shack helped me formulate a plan of action on the next phase of how I wanted to move forward in my later years of retirement.
First phase was to look at what radio would fit my needs now as my 847 is long in years and bands had changed in use over this time which the FT 847 did not cover. Mike suggested we took a trip to Martin Lynch and Sons which we did at the end of June 2024 which is a good 2.5hrs drive from Suffolk. I was like a young child in a toy store looking at all the equipment on display and being able to try out what was on offer.
My main concern is I have to use hearing aids for the top frequency loss I suffer but was I impressed with the Yaesu FTDX10 HF/6m transceiver for audio clarity and the Receive filters…well WOW. How radios have improved over the years!
Now I was at the stage of a new radio, I will also require an aerial that would be fit for purpose. Once again I relied on Mike experience with various aerials he has used over his operational years as a ham. He showed me his telescopic vertical of 12M which he uses for DX and is documented on his site M0AWS which is well worth a visit for insightful information on all to do with our hobby. So my next purchase was a SPIDER-BEAM – 12m HD FIBREGLASS TELESCOPIC POLE from Waters and Stanton. Mike came round to my QTH to help setup and test with his Nano VNA which was of great help. I am going to leave this section now as there was a lot more to do and requires a further blog on the next stage of setup.
More to come……