| ~ Station Information ~ |
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Equipment- Heathkit HW-8 CW transceiver & HWA-7-1 power supply
( cost in 1978 : @ $150.00 ). The HW-8 operates on the 15, 20, 40 & 80 Meter bands. Output power is rated at 1 - 1.5 watts on 15M, 1.5 - 2 watts on 20M & 40M and 2 - 2.5 watts on 80M. I built this transceiver in 1978, made a few contacts with it to see if it worked and then stored it away. After an extended absence from ham radio, I resumed activities in September, 1996. I hooked up the HW-8 to see if it still worked ; it did and it's the only rig I've used since.
- Half wave, 20 Meter dipole cut for 14.030MHz
( cost in 1996 : @ $5.00 ). The antenna is made with 14 gauge, stranded copper wire and is located in the attic of my home. It operates on the 15, 20 & 40M bands using 450 ohm ladder line as a feed line.
Other homebrew antennas I've used in my attic :
- 15 Meter folded dipole made and fed with 300 ohm twin lead.
- 20 Meter, wire beam ( driven & director elements ), fed with RG-58U.
- 15 Meter folded dipole made and fed with 300 ohm twin lead.
- MFJ-971 antenna tuner
( cost in 1996 : $76.50 ). This tuner is advertised as MFJ's portable tuner, intended as a companion for its QRP line of transceivers.
- J-38 straight key
( cost in 1960 : @ $1.00 ). This is the same U.S. Government surplus key that I used for my first amateur radio contact as a Novice in 1960. I also have an E.F. Johnson Speed-X semi-automatic key that I bought at a flea market years ago ( cost : @ $5.00 ).
- Radio Shack headphones ( Cat. No. 20-201 A ) ( cost in 1996 : $9.95 ).
Location
My QTH in Cincinnati, Ohio is located close to the highest point in Hamilton County.
I live in a two story house that faces the southwest. It's in an area that has no surrounding commercial buildings, no above ground power lines, no hillsides or other obstructions.
The ham shack is in a converted bedroom on the second floor of my home. In the shack are : my ham gear, an aging computer, a telephone, two lamps, a chair, desk, bookcase, portable TV, coffee maker, microwave, small refrigerator and a sofa that pulls open into a bed.
There is also a closet where I store things.
On the walls hang my awards in frames, QSL cards in protective holders, a world map that I stick pins in and a big water color picture of a lobster boat.
The rig, telephone and computer sit on the desk, which is positioned near a window with a view of the front yard, the mailbox and the street.
The antenna feed line runs from the rig, up through a hole in the closet ceiling and on into the attic.