Well there you have it folks. This is where I do the bulk of my Radio activities. Some radios, a laptop and a cornucopia of test equipment.
Here is a nice shot of some of my equipment. The rig with the lit up screen is my Kenwood TM-G707a dual bander. The box on top of it, is my Signal Link interface for use in various data modes (Packet, APRS, SSTV, PSK31,etc). Below this is my Kenwood TS-700a all mode 2 meter rig for sideband. This guy is hooked up to the little Mirage 2 meter 35 watt amp/pre-amp combo.
	Ok, ok I know this looks sad, but I live in an apt. I don't have much choice. The setup is pretty straight forward, books hold antenna up.
A closer look at the antenna reveals some PVC, a couple pipe clamps and some plywood. This is a dual band Radio Shack scanner antenna, that I have had for years. It transmits pretty good, anything over 5 watts and I would be gambling my rig. If your questioning its performance, I can say that I have successfully worked UO-14 amateur satellite with it. Yeah, I know I was amazed too. LONG LIVE APARTMENT LIVING!!!
	Moving on, we see what appears to be a boat anchor and a nice little power supply. The anchor is actually a Sierra 125A selective voltmeter. I use this as a VLF receiver. That's right VLF (Very Low Frequency). This unit has an AM detector and is excellent for finding Non-Directional Beacons. The power supply is an MFJ-4035MV Variable supply good up to 35amps.
Yes, yes no need to mention the mess. This is my workbench. The scope is a Techtronix 2215 dual trace 60MHz scope. One of the channels is blown but it still works good for my needs. The lower unit is an HP-654a Sine generator. The only thing I can say about this unit is that it is simply awesome.
	Sure we would all love to have a station like the one to the left. But one of the things in life that we ALL must deal with are the limitation presented to us each day. Do the best you can with what you have. My humble station is by far not the most efficient and certainly not the most tidy, but it works for me. I have had many enjoyable contacts with this set up. I enjoy hours upon hours of listening and tinkering. The best thing about my station I feel is the location. I don't know if anyone could tell the location of my station from the pictures, but it is located in my bedroom. At the bottom of my bed in particular. So when I'm tired from a long day at work and a fun filled radio night. I slip right out of my bench chair and into bed, and that is probably the most efficient thing about my station.   Return to main page