Station Description
ZS2M/ZS6DX

Update 21/12/2023:After using the Icom IC-7300 for a while I decided I like that size modern radio quite a lot, even though it only has a single RX it is still fine for local rag-chews and working casual contests like the CWT tests. The one thing I would like is a slightly better receiver with better filters, noise reduction and dynamic range.

This has led me to do some research on what is available around the same size and what is best value for money. I did seriously consider the Yaesu FTdx-710 but what I do not like is the fact that it takes a few button presses and screen taps to get to the filter settings. Since I often change filter settings during a contact that will be a real pain, like it is on the IC-7300.

The option that is only slightly more expensive and has a slightly better receiver is the Yaesu FTdx-10. It has dedicated controls for the filters and it has the same receiver and front-end as the "best in the world at any price" FTdx-101 radio. Not only will this make a superb every day radio as well as a field/holiday radio it will also give me the opportunity to see how good the Yaesu hybrid SDR receiver really is. If it is that much better than what I have maybe a FTdx-101MP is worth the cost.

Unlike a few recent radios I acquired for the collection like the Icom IC-7300 and the Icom IC-7600 this radio was selected for it's performance and not as a collectors item so a lot more thought and research went into it.

Yaesu FTdx-10, high performance compact radio ideal for field station and DX'pedition use.

Yaesu FTdx-5000MP, nice to have this radio back in the shack!

I am looking forward to working some great DX with this radio, I have always loved the "full-size" radios and this is the king of them all. Newer radios are moving away from front panel controls in favor of menus, not something I like. Another thing I miss in the new radios is the second VFO knob, not even the new flagship FTdx-101 has that! The FTdx-5000MP is indeed the last of the breed.

Update 10/10/2023: When I acquired the Yaesu FT-1000D I mentioned that it has a plug at the back that outputs the IF from the radio at 73.620MHz. I have now connected a RTL SDR dongle to that plug and configured SDR Console to receive the IF signal from the radio. It also translates the frequency to display the correct frequency on the screen.

The radio is also connected to the computer via a RS232 CAT connection, using Omnirig software integrated to SDR Console you can now click on the SDR Console screen to change frequencies or modes on the radio. You can also listen directly to the signal on the PC and changes modes and use the DSP software filters available on the software. This capability brings the radio right up to more modern radios but it keeps the robust build of the radio compared to more modern radios as well as the superb sound!

I really like this setup and it was so easy (and cheap) to do! The FT-1000D will see some more service in my station after this upgrade.

A new leas of life for the FT-1000D, now it also has a spectrum display and DSP filters!


SDR Console display of a signal heard by the FT-1000D

Update on the IC-7600 as well. I love it! It "feels" like a solid radio and the receiver is great! It might be older technology than the IC-7300 but the combination of more buttons, dual watch and larger screen makes me prefer it to the IC-7300 for general use. It is a worthy addition to the shack and a radio that will actually be used. I have already made many QSO's, both SSB and CW on it.

On CW the filters work great and it has already bagged a few nice DXCC contacts for me. 

Update 19/9/2023: The Icom IC-7600 has arrived! I like the build quality and the screen looks great. In general the radio seems solid and the receiver sounds good. Will use it for a while before I decide if I will keep it at the operating position or move it to the "museum" section of the shack.

Icom IC-7600 shown with two different screen configurations

 
Update 13/9/2023: The Icom IC-7300 arrived today. It is one of those radios that a lot of people use and they all seem to like it but I have resisted getting one as somehow I feel that it does not fit in with my plans for my station, it is not a "current top end" radio that I will use for contesting or DX'ing and it is also not a "classic top end" radio. So why did I get one? Well my excuse is that it would be great for field station use and the compact size makes it great for use on the yacht. Time will tell if it will remain in my shack or move on.

IC-7300

Update 17/8/2023: After a detour or two the Flex-5000A is finally here! It arrived in a good condition with no transport damage. I had it connected and running in no time at all. The software installation was easy, no issues. I managed to get CW running and had a nice contact with Paul ZS1NN. The only problem I had during the contact was that while I was sending I noticed that the TX stopped transmitting at some point and a "Timeout" message appeared on the screen. I managed to get it going again but after the QSO I had a look in the manual but a search for "timeout" produced nothing.

I ended up going through the menus and found a "TX timeout" that was set to 150 seconds! Really? Fine for DX'ing or contesting on CW I suppose but useless for rag chewing! Well, it is now disabled!

At some point I also noticed an echo on the received signal, need to try and find out what is causing it!

On SSB I had an immediate problem with feedback through the external speakers, the Flex-5000A does not have an internal speaker and Flex recommends you connect "amplified PC speakers" to the radio, just what I did but the speakers were picking up a lot of RF. I tried to install Ferrite chokes on the power and audio leads but it made no difference.

I ended up disconnecting the speakers and routing the audio, via a virtual cable, to the sound card and speakers on the laptop, that seemed to cure the issue but I still need to make a longer SSB QSO at high power to be sure.

The spectrum display is fantastic, better than any of my other radios and the same can be said for the DSP filters and noise reduction.

The bands are in a terrible shape today but I am hoping it will get better soon, would love to make a few good contacts with this radio.

There she is, does not get much simpler (uglier?) than this!


Great user interface! Look at all the noise on 40m!

A few strong SSB signals on 40m

I still have lots to experiment with on this radio ad lots to learn! First I need to try and optimize the buffers to see if I can get rid of the annoying echo I got briefly on CW.

Update: I have not encountered the echo again, maybe I have solved the problem, time will tell. I did make a few long SSB contacts and everyone gave me good signal and audio reports. At the moment I am just using the first hand mike I could find, an old Yaesu unit but it seems to work well. I am also using a headset at the moment and I must admit I am enjoying it, the headset is really comfortable, should be as I have worn it for thousands of hours while flying. Maybe I can get the microphone to work as well, would be great for SSB contesting.

I am still not happy with the stability of the software as I have had a few crashes mostly when scrolling across the band really fast and twice when change mode from FM to SSB. It has been totally stable while in QSO so that helps.

I have noticed that the radio is quite happy to output around 140W and even at that power level it runs cool though I would normally never run it that high. My few long SSB QSO's were done running about 14W into my Metron T1000 amplifier gives me 400-450W perfect for a very noisy 40m so that the other stations do not have to struggle to hear me.

Inside from the top, RF amplifier and band pass filters.


Bottom view, Receiver and interface logic.

No decision has been made as to where this radio will fit into my station will it remain in the "DX and Contest" main operating position maybe it will end up in the "rag chew" station or will it remain something that is simply "different" and end up in storage or even sold it does not really fit in with the rest of my collection. I will use it a while longer before this decision is made.

Update 15/8/2023: The Yaesu FT-1000D arrived safely yesterday. It is in great condition with no shipping damage, always a concern especially with a 21kg radio! A few quick tests show that everything seems to work I have not had a chance to test it on CW but the filters sound great.

Yaesu FT-1000D joining the museum collection, isn't she pretty!

I love the way her RX sounds, even bad QRM sounds better on her. I have received great SSB audio reports on her so now to test her on CW, the bands seem a lot better than on the weekend so hopefully it will remain like that for a few days so that I can make a few contacts.

The radio has a very convenient "IF Out" plug on the back so I am keen to connect a SDR dongle to it to ass a spectrum display, just need to make up a cable.

Tomorrow I hope to get some time to re-arrange my shack to make a bit to make more space at the operating position. Hopefully the Flex-5000A will also arrive soon but looking at the tracking it seems like the courier company does not have a map as they have now sent it to completely the wrong town, idiots, third time they have made this mistake.

Update 12/8/2023: I have 2 "new" radios on the way to my shack, a Flex-5000A and a Yaesu FT-1000D, they should be here in a few days. The FT-1000D is destined for the museum but I want to try the Flex in the main operating position for at least a while. How I "bond" with the SDR will most likely determine the direction my station will take in the future, stick with "conventional" radios like the Yaesu FTdx-101MP or upgrade to the latest "headless" SDR from someone like Flex?

Update 3/7/2023: The IC-756 Pro 3 arrived today, a bit quicker than what I expected but I am not complaining.

It was well packed, in it's original box plus another box so there was no damage. I had it connected and running in no time at all. Everything seems to be fine so I made a few direct comparisons between the Pro 2 and the Pro 3. The Pro 3 does seem to have a quieter receiver and better filters but the band conditions were really bad so I did not have the opportunity to test them under crowded conditions. maybe I will write a little article comparing them and also comparing them with the IC-7610.

Icom IC-756 Pro 3 at the top and IC-76 Pro 2 at the bottom.

So now my IC-756 collection is complete again. Maybe I now need to add an IC-7600? I would love to add an IC-775 as well but I have not seen or heard any of those locally.

Update 3/1/2023: I have not really made any additions or changes to the station for almost 2 years! I have more ordered a 6 band Hex Beam, initially for home station use, I have never had a directional antenna for 12m and 17m, but ultimately I hope to use it for portable and field operations when activating grid squires as well as a few POTA and maybe even SOTA activations. Along the way I also want to activate a few "local" DXCC entities.

I am also looking at adding a modern radio, something like a Yaesu FT-710 or FTdx-10 to the collection to be used for field and portable use. I will still used the R928+ and the old FT-817 when backpacking but the new radio is for operations where I will be close to my vehicle so weight and power consumption is less important.

Update 13/04/2021: Good news! The R928 Plus has been procured and it is on it's way to me! I have been doing a lot of research on the radio and reading manuals and everything I can find on the software.

What I find really exciting is the fact that the firmware is open source. Lots of people are contributing to the project and the radio is really packed with some outstanding features! I will also have a look at the source code and maybe customize it a but to suit me. I will be fun to do some programming and compiling again!

R928 Plus, not my photo!

As soon as the radio is here I will take a few photos and post them here. Then I am going to upgrade the radio to the newest software before I start testing to see if it is all I am hoping it will be. The more I read about this little radio the more I like it! Exciting times ahead, a new "toy" like this might just be what I need to fan the "radio adventure" spark into a fire again! 

Update 12/04/2021: I have identified a potential radio that can supplement or replace my FT-817 and give me the more modern features I want. The radio is the mcHF SRD radio or one of the other versions of this radio (it is open source so to call them clones is not correct) that is made in China. I did find a R928+ locally that seems to be a good deal. It is the newer version with 1mb flash memory and an internal Li-on battery, perfect for future upgrades and portable operations.

Let's see if I can secure this radio!

Update 10/04/2021: I  used my FT-817 over the weekend, it is a great little radio but I do miss some features that I know more modern radios have. One of the main things is a spectrum display, yes, I know it does not really fit in with the minimal equipment QRP way of thinking but time has moved on and so should we. What I really missed was the ability to see activity away from my current frequency. This allows you to see and QSY to a new station when you see him  and not spending most of your time turning the VFO dial up and down the band.

So the question is what is available that is small and light enough to work for me?

I did also notice that my old fan dipole for 40/20/10 is not really working that well anymore, at the moment 10m and even 20m is useless most of the time so I need something that will cover 80/40/20 and maybe 15 and 10 if needed. I know this might need a small tuner but I am ok with that.

Time to do some research.....

Update 27/07/2019: The decision was mostly made for me! A IC-7610 became available locally so now it is in the shack! I am still planning on getting a FTdx-101MP but I will now wait a while to make sure there are no issues with the first batch. I have been burnt by that before, not planning to do QC for the manufacturer!

Initial impressions of the IC-7610 are good, there are a few things that I am not impressed with though. First and foremost must be the quality of the 2 AF/RF controls, the feel flimsy and wobbly, really Icom, that was not very professional! This is one area Yaesu has always been better than Icom, build quality. Secondly I would have like a few more front panel controls, getting to things like the notch filter simply takes too many button presses and knob turns.....

The RX seems great, but the bands are terrible at the moment with only weak signals, will have to wait to see how well it will handle lots of strong signals. 

IC-7610

The really nice screen!

Update 09/07/2019: I have contacted the supplier I used for the FTdx 5000MP and unfortunately he has no price or availability date yet for the FTdx 101D/MP. Now the question is do a I wait? Maybe till after my re-location, or do I look at something else like the IC-7610? I am sure I can get a 7610 quite fast but I also know ultimately I want the FTdx 101D/MP!  

Update 01/07/2019: With a QTH move imminent and plans to get active again I am looking at equipment again, both for my DX and contesting stations. I must say the new FTdx-101MP looks really interesting. The specifications are great and the screen looks good. I just really wish it had 2 VFO knobs! I need to see if I can source one locally or if I have to import again. The last time I imported the 5000's it was a real mess and took more than 6 months due to local strikes that affected customs! If I am only going to be using it for DX in the future one will be fine but if I start contesting again I would ideally need two of them could get expensive! 

Update 27/10/2018: After thinking about it for quite a while I sold my remaining Yaesu FTdx-5000MP. I love the radio but since I am not that active and it is large and expensive I decided it does not make sense to have that much capital sitting in a box in the storeroom most of the time. With a move also imminent it is just one thing less to transport and worry about. Hope I am not going to regret it?

Update 20/11/2020: I am indeed regretting the sale! I miss the radio, it was really in a class of it's own, maybe I can find one again at a reasonable price?

Update 18/09/2014: Since I have not gotten around to updating this page I thought I would just list the equipment in use in the shack at the moment. this does not include the equipment in the museum, only the equipment installed in the 2 primary operating positions and spare - field station equipment. I am also including amplifiers even though they are not really used they are there "just in case".

Operating position one, the contest station.

Radios:

1. Yaesu FTdx-5000MP (sold in 2018, replaced with a new one end of 2023, missed it too much!)
2. Icom IC-7610
3. Flex-5000A (test to decide future direction my station will take - Update 20/9/2023, failed test, it is not great at CW!)
4. Icom IC-7600
5. Yaesu FT-2000 with NS roofing filter upgrade. (standby only)
6. Yaesu FT-1000MP Mark V (standby only)

Before the FTdx-5000MP arrived

IC-7610

IC-7610 on a noisy 40m

IC-7600

IC-7300

A random collection of equipment in the shack!

Current, ever changing main station....

FT-1000MP MK V

FT-1000D with FL-7000 amplifier

Amplifiers:

1. Kenwood TL-922
2. Kenwood TL-922

Operating position two, everyday DX'ing and rag-chewing.

Radios:

1. Yaesu FTdx-10
2. Yaesu FT-950
3. Yaesu FT-990AC (now retired to the museum)
4. Icom IC-756Pro3
5. Icom IC-756Pro2
6. Icom IC-756 (x 2) (My original contest station from around 2000 think I have more QSO's on these radios than all the others combined)
7. Flex-5000A (Might try it for a bit d DX'ing and contesting, sucks at CW!)
8. Icom IC-7300 (Love the compact size, filters work well and it is a pleasure on CW)
9. Icom IC-7600 (stunning radio, well build, love it for CW and SSB rag chewing)
10. Yaesu FT-847 (Used on 70cm and satellites)
11. Yaesu FT-1000D (love her as an everyday rag-chew radio, stunning audio)

Yaesu FTdx-10


FT-847, used mostly to work satellites.

Amplifiers:

1. Transworld T-1000
2. Heathkit HL-2200
3. Yaesu FL-2100Z
4. Henry 6N2
5. TE Systems 2m 400w
7. Heathkit SB-200 (x 2, one rebuild with Harbach power supply, soft start and soft key kits)
8. Metron MA1000 Solid state, (600W)
9. Yaesu FL-7000 (Now fixed and working well!)
10. Collins 30L-1

"Spare" Radios:

1. Yaesu FT-897 - Satellite station
2. Yaesu FT-857 - Mobile and field station (sold, no filters, crappy, noisy RX)
3. Yaesu FT-817 - Portable QRP, I have added a 12V, 120W amplifier for field use.
4. Yaesu FT-890 - Field station/DX'pedition, currently (2023) doing service on my yacht again.
5. Icom IC-706mk2 - Mobile and field station (Sold, crappy RX!)
6. Icom IC-726 - Field station and Winlink/Digital mode work
7. Yaesu FT-726 - VHF/UHF base station
8. Icom IC-738- Digital modes and RMS Winlink/Tri-mode
9. Yaesu FT-991, now my primary field station and DX'pedition radio (Sold, was the non A model, replaced by the IC-7300)

The FT-991, what an amazing little radio!

Museum equipment

1. Icom IC-701
2. Kenwood TS-120S
3. Yaesu FT-901DM
4. Yaesu FT-107M
5. Kenwood TS-930S
6. Yaesu FT-200 (x2)
7. Heathkit SB-102
8. Kenwood TS-520S
9. Yaesu FT-101E
10. Yaesu FT-102 (Sold, big mistake!)

The shack also includes 3 computers and a selection of digital interfaces, rotator controllers, antenna switches and antenna tuners.

This is what My shack used to look like, major changes coming soon !

Recent additions to the station include a Kenwood TL-922 amplifier for HF and a Henry Tempo 6N2 amplifier for 2m and 6m. I have also added an Icom IC-756Pro3.

I have also added a few radios to the "museum" side of the station, the includes the following: Icom IC-701, Icom IC-726, Yaesu FT-221R  and Yaesu FT-620B.

I am currently busy revising my equipment in the shack, I have not been active for a long time and technology has moved on, I need to do lots of research but I think a new "flagship" rig would be nice! I have just acquired a new FT-817D (for portable/hiking QRP work), a FT-857D for use in the 4x4 and aircraft and a FT-897D complete with FC-30 and battery packs for portable/field station use. The IC-7800 and FT-DX9000 are also on the shopping list but I first want to try them to find out if they will fulfill my requirements. At their current prices they better be good ! 

Personal comments on some equipment that has passed through the ZS6DX shack, see what I liked and what I disliked.

The old main operating position at ZS6DX, I am busy setting up a new station and will post photos as soon as it is done. As you can see it was a bit of a mess and I am striving to make he new station a lot neater and more user friendly.

The complete (previous) main operating position with radios, computer, FL-7000 and T1000 amplifiers.

The "Oldie" operating position for rag-chewing etc. This position can also be configured as a second contesting position for use during a multi operator contest entry.

To read more about my current contest configuration see top of this page.

My plan is to eventually run 3 radios with 3 amplifiers going into 3 separate mono-band antennas for contest use. Now I must just get used to listening to 3 radios at the same time! I have had some luck running 2 rigs at the same time so I think once I am used to it 3 will be even better, if nothing else it allows for super fast band changes. When you have a good opening and the QSO rate is high I find that only 1 radio is needed/useful but when it is quiet the other radios allow you to catch some multipliers on the quieter bands. Till I have my new antenna farm sorted out I mostly try to work as many multipliers in contests as possible to up my band/country standings for DXCC, often contests are the best place to find new ones.

My (old, pre 2005) station consisted of (Always changing.....):

1. Yaesu FT-1000MP with home-brew linear (using 2 x 4-400 valves) used as main CW contest station, this rig has had a CW side-tone problem for a while and has now gone in for repairs, all the way back to Japan, once it gets back I will make a decision on keeping it or getting rid of it!. 
2. Kenwood TS-870S with Heathkit HL-2200 amplifier (using 2 x 3-500ZG valves) used as backup CW/SSB contest station. 
3. Icom IC-756 rigs, I have recently acquired 2 of these rigs, after looking at a lot of equipment I decided that these radios are very good value for money. I have also compared the original IC-756 directly with the newer IC-756PRO and the latest IC-756PROII. The PRO and especially the PROII have many DSP filter selections but the basic receiver is far worse than the original IC-756. The front-end is not as solid, this is in spite of the "144db" dynamic range advertised for the new rigs. This 144db dynamic range is derived from the theoretical limit of a 32bit DSP chip but in the real world it does not work like that ! Dynamic range is a bit more than the bus width of the processor and lots of other factors in the front-end of the receiver are also involved! The new receivers also have much more phase-noise than the old receiver. With additional filters and a simple mod to increase the sensitivity of the band scope the original IC-756 becomes a great contest rig as well as a general DX radio. My findings on the RX are also proved by the ARRL lab tests, go check if you do not believe me, see (ARRL lab tests summary)! I have been told that the 2 newer models were build down to a price and not up to a specification. The original 756 was just to expensive too produce on the receiver side! I am now using a T1000 solid-state amplifier by Trans World Electronics on the one radio and a FL-7000 solid-state amplifier on the second radio. So far I am VERY happy with these radios and they have exceeded my expectations by far. I will be writing an evaluation report on these radios as well as the IC-756PROII soon. In the absence of the FT-1000MP these rigs are now my primary contest/DX radios, When the MP returns I will make a decision if they will remain in that position, if not I will at least surely miss the spectrum scope!
4. Yaesu FT-990, I am using this radio as a backup rig and for general local 40/80m contacts. It is complete with the additional CW and SSB filters. The Digital SCAF filter on this radio is amazing !. The radio is connected to a Yaesu FL-2100Z amplifier but the amplifier is seldom used.
5. Yaesu FT-847 with a Henry Tempo 6N2 amplifier (using 2 x 3CX400A7 valves), used mainly for 6m and satellite work, also a superb portable HF/VHF/UHF rig ! Apart from some 6m work this radio is not used much at the moment. For 6m this is now connected to a Hy-gain model DX66 6 element long boom yagi. 
6. Icom IC-746, great rig on CW, I just love the APF feature, will be used as third band rig in future contests, I have now installed a 250hz CW filter (Icom) in this rig and it makes a HUGE difference! I am now also using a converted SB200 amplifier on this rig for 6m and HF, works great!
7. Yaesu FT-767GX for general use on HF, mostly local rag chewing. I have recently used this rig in a SSB contest and I was quite impressed by the dynamic range and the general performance of the receiver. (As of 2016 this radio is now broken)
8. Yaesu FT-890SAT. A great rig to use portable as it is robust, compact and has a great tuner !. This rig will now be retired from daily used and only used for portable/field work.
9. Icom IC-706MKII  for HF, 6 and 2m, used mainly on 2 and 6m portable and mini DX-peditions and long distance mobile trips, this radio worked very well on the yacht and made me friends all over the world. (Radio sold)
10. Yaesu FT-107M used mostly on 30, 40 and 80 for local contacts, relaying of bulletins and PSK31 etc.. This rig is not used much anymore and has been replaced by the FT-767GX for most everyday use. It had now been moved to the museum area of the shack!
11. Alinco DR-605 dual bander used mainly for local 2m and 70cm FM repeater work, I have also used this radio with great success on some of the FM satellites while mobile.
12. Icom IC-471A with homebrew amplifier used for satellite and EME work with a bit of packet radio now and then, this radio has been replaced by the FT-847.
13. Kenwood TS-120S used for QRP CW work, not used much anymore, also in the museum area but still fun to play with.
14. Home-brew transverters for 435, 1296 and 2400 Mhz.
15. Yaesu and MFJ manual tuners, not used much but there if needed..
16. Yaesu FT-707 with FV-707 transverters for 430 MHz and 50 MHz as backup, not used much these days. (Radio now dead and stripped for spares)
17. Various older radio like Kenwood TS-520, Yaesu FT-101 and FT-200, Heathkit SB-102, Yaesu FT-901DM, Hallicrafters SX-38 and  KWM Viceroy  because I love them and REAL radios glow in the dark -:)! (some of them are older than me!).The FT-901DM with its spectrum scope (YO-901) is actually quite a nice combination and I have used it often for local rag-chewing. These radios are also used when I join in with a local group called "The Antique Radio Association", a group open to anyone interested in restoring or using older tube based equipment. They gather at 0900 SAST (0700 UTC) on 7.070MHz on a Saturday morning, please join the fun!

FL-2100Z, HL-2200 and Homebrew tube amplifiers for HF.

FL-7000 and T1000 solid state HF amplifiers with a few tuners, meters and rotator control boxes.

My (growing) antenna farm includes:

1. 12 element long boom home-brew yagi for 2m.
2. 5 element yagi for 2m FM.
3. 17 element home-brew yagi for 70 cm.
4. 9 element home-brew log-yagi for 6m. 
5. Hy-Gain DX6 6 element long boom yagi for 6m, this is a very well made antenna that really works well, at last I have a big signal on the band! (Broken by storm!)
6. TH5DX tri-band yagi for 10, 15 and 20m, currently this antenna is not in use, I am considering using the boom to build a 12/17/30m antenna. (Retired 2014)
7. TH7DX, 7 element tri-bander for 10,15 and 20m, this will now be used for the primary operating position.
8. Cushcraft A4S Tribander with a 40m kit still to be installed, this is a great all rounder and performs a lot better than some much larger antennas!, will be used for the second operating position of for chasing multipliers during SO contests.
9. Dipoles for 80, 40, 30, 17 and 12m, about 20m above ground level.
10. Long wire antenna (50m) for 80 and 160m, not used often but also great for SWL.
11. Hustler BTV4 vertical for 10, 15, 20 and 40m, this is now seldom used because it is too noisy but on 40m it is a great DX antenna !. I had this antenna on the yacht and it was amazing how well it worked, but then I did have 17000Kg of steel in saltwater as a ground plane. This antenna is very useful for spotting multipliers during contests. It is omni directional so you can hear DX from any side without  having to swing the antenna all the time, the fact that it is vertical also helps by lessening inter radio interference created by 2 or more radios operating in close proximity.  (Retired 2014)
12. 5/8 vertical antenna for 70cm packet and repeater work.
13. 3 element yagi for 70MHz. We do not have much activity in South Africa on this band but I was hoping to work into the UK in September/October/November 2014 on TEP, so far no luck. On 70MHz I am currently using the FT-847.
14. Full size G5RV, great antenna for local chatting and also works well for DX, seems to be better than my diploes on the lower bands.

Cushcraft A4S and 5 element 2m yagi at rooftop height, look at the nice blue sky!  The A4S is a far better antenna than the TH5 or even the other larger antennas that I have used.

I also need to do something better for 160m, currently I am using a 60m long long-wire. 12, 17 and 30m needs some attention as well, here I am also considering mono-banders, maybe on the same boom?