Ham Radio – a hobby that is enjoyed by many – and endured by their family, friends and neighbours.
I got my Ham “ticket” in 2001 after passing what was then known as the City & Guilds RAE plus the 12wpm Morse test to get the old Class A (or “Full”) licence. Over the years, my interests have moved from VHF “square-chasing” to operating across HF and using CW a fair bit.
Although I like to chase the DX when possible, I’m happy to have a chat if conditions allow – if I’m on CW, I usually call at around 18wpm but will QRS if asked. Aerials include: An 80m Doublet, a 20m loop and a VHF/UHF “white-stick”. Plus, there’s a 2m/70cm radio in the car.
In recent years, I’ve enjoyed operating portable in order to make the most of a better location. A 40m Doublet is my preferred HF /P aerial. For 2m, a home-made Slim-Jim on FM, a 5ele yagi for SSB, plus simple dipoles for 4m+6m. Portable logging is taken care of via an Android tablet and my own tabLog application.
If you like a clean (and noise-free) Shack, take a look at the EMC/RFI Mains Filter (using the infamous “Problem-Solver” ferrite) which may help rid your radio of some of the electrical “crud” polluting your reception.