| PA0SNY |
My Shacks over the years
I decided to add a Shack Section as well, as it gives a nice overview
of over50 years of HAM Radio hobby. From a time when I had no income
and everything had to be built by myself, until the time that I enjoy my
pension and can afford myself to acquire new rigs....
| The
Shack |
Description |
Remarks |
| 1971 - 1981 The first shack was my bedroom. Just started working for KLM (1976). Engineeer for Environmental Control Systems. Pneumatics, Airco, Pressurization, Anti Ice, Startting. Later also Fuel. In total 9 years |
My radio years
already started when I was around 12 years old. Listening on a small
Japanese transistor radio to the English Off Shore radio stations
(Radio One). In 1967 that stopped, but in The Netherlands we had Radio
Veronica and Radio Noordzee (RNI) from boats 4 km off the coast. I
listened in my first Shack: my bedroom. After 'experiments' on 1620 kHz (AM) and 103.5 MHz (FM), I obtained the C-license in 1974.  I lived in the most eastern part of Haarlem, the appartment building had four floors.  The transmitter: It mixed the 3rd harmonic of a Xtal with a VFO to obtain 144 - 146 for transmitting. The Receiver was a print by Wolfert Electronics that converted 2 meters to 1500 kHz. Then the pc board of my first transistor radio acted as AM receiver. With a TBA120S, FM detection was obtained. |
  |
| 1981 - 1993 Our first real house was in Vijfhuizen, a village close to Haarlem. In 1985 I was appointed Type Project Engineer (TPE). For a total of 32 years. |
In 1982, with
Nella pregnant of our first QRP, I took exam for CW, so was allowed to
HF bands as well.  The shack was on the attic, where a dormer gave a view of the surroundings. Antenna's for VHF/UHF were kept simple. In due time a V2000 was acquired. For HF a wire was used of about 25 meters, fed on the end with the homebrew tuner. Counterpoise... was the plumbing of the Central Heating system. Has always worked fine.... with some RFI with the neighbours. Audio and tv's were more sensitive in those days |
 Yes! Here with me. The equipment in the shack consisted of two real purchases, the rest was obtained in a cheaper way. The FT-227RA was already acquired in 1979, the KENWOOD R-1000 in the early 80's. The YAESU FT-200 came from a previous crew member of PI9KLM. There are 2 MARC sets: legal equipment with 4 Watt and 22 channels for 27 MHz FM. PA2HKR (HB9CVG) had modified such a set to 10 meters. One of the two has also a transverter from 10 meters to 70 cm. |
| 1993 - 2013 |
In 1993 we
moved to a bigger house in the same village Vijfhuizen.  In 2005 the Kenwoods TS- and R-820, as well as the AT-200 and SP-820 were inherited. In 2008 I purchased my first new HF (+6+2+70) set, the FT-897D |
 In the windowsill of the shack is
the Zetagi SWR meter, and the MFJ-941D antenna tuner. The chicken
ladder (open feed line) enters the shack via the window. It was just
put experimentally in place here. The MFJ has a balanced output and is
an ideal tuner
for my purpose.
This dipole, in fact a doublet of 2x 13m65 has been my best HF antenna, and I foresee that on our current location, such antenna will see daylight as well. |
| 2013 - now |
As the ICOM
IC-7300 has replaced the TS-820S and the R-820S, I add this picture of
the Shack 2021. The FRG-7700 has been removed as well... |
The shack as it exists, photo made in March 2021. I have promised myself to revise this photo whenever the Shack changes.  A set like this creates free space in the Shack. But like all other sets: you need a proper antenna in combination with good conditions... |